Liu Weihong (Ruby Liu), a billionaire real estate investor based in British Columbia, has received court approval to acquire three former Hudson’s Bay store leases, in a transaction valued at $6 million. The locations are three B.C. shopping centres she owns: Tsawwassen Mills in Delta, Mayfair Shopping Centre in Victoria, and Nanaimo’s Woodgrove Centre.

Liu’s ambition is to establish a new national chain under the brand Ruby Liu, and to that end she’s eyeing leases at 25 other former HBC locations. Landlords for those properties object to what they say is a lack of transparency around the proposal. Their lawyers have vowed to fight if Liu asks to order the leases be assigned to her.

What’s In Store, the podcast for hardware industry insiders, goes live tomorrow.

Stephen Bailey, chief marketing officer at Fluevog, the innovative Canadian footwear retailer, is transforming the retail world one step at a time. Bailey talks with Hardlines editor Rebecca Dumais about the changing retail landscape, including how to improve audience reach and how to create a retail experience that builds brand loyalty.

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The Home Depot has announced that it will open its newest Canadian store in Fort McMurray, Alta., in May 2026. It is the market leader’s 183rd store in this country. It has been more than a decade since Home Depot opened its last store a decade ago. Fort McMurray will be Home Depot’s 28th store in Alberta.

“We look forward to continuing to grow in Canada. Fort McMurray is a dynamic community in the heart of a region experiencing momentum from the forestry, construction, oil and gas sectors,” said Vinod Nalajala, president of The Home Depot Canada.

Retail sales increased 0.3 percent to $70.1 billion in April, StatCan reports. Sales were up in six of nine subsectors, led by increases at motor vehicle and parts dealers. Sales in LBM and garden categories declined by 0.4 percent.

LP Building Solutions has announced the appointment of Tony Hamill as SVP and COO. In his new role, he will oversee LP’s North American manufacturing operations, including the production and operational efficiency of all product lines. Prior to joining LP, Hamill held leadership roles at Stantec, a global engineering firm, and served as COO at Roseburg Forest Products.

RONA inc., has added its name to the former Vantage Building Supplies store in Vegreville, Alta. The new location will be known as RONA Vegreville store under the co-ownership of Darren Davis, Ben Sawatzky, Cory Batog, Paul Ziprick, and Dayton Gegolick. On June 19, leaders from RONA’s dealer support team, partners and store employees gathered at the store for the traditional board-cutting ceremony, which marks the official opening of the store under the RONA banner.

GSD giant GMS Inc., of Tucker, Ga., which has a major Canadian operation, is facing a reported two takeover offers. First, shortly after GMS reported its fourth-quarter and year-end results on Wednesday, Brad Jacobs, chairman and CEO of QXO, Inc., sent an unsolicited proposal to the president and CEO of GMS, offering to acquire all outstanding shares of GMS for US$95.20 each. The total transaction would be approximately $5 billion. The offer reflected a premium of 27 percent on GMS’s 60-day volume weighted average per-share price of $74.82, Jacobs wrote.

Then, the Wall Street Journal reported late yesterday afternoon that Home Depot has made an offer for GMS as well, “kicking off a potential bidding war between the home improvement giant and serial dealmaker Brad Jacobs.”

Home Hardware Stores Ltd. will be among the sponsors of the Calgary Stampede this year. The sponsorship will include the company presenting a shaded seating area, located beside the Superwheel on the Midway at Stampede Park. The space will feature a curated display of outdoor furniture and entertainment products available at Home stores across the country.

“We’re proud to be part of the Calgary Stampede this year,” said John Pierce, chief retail operations officer, Home Hardware Stores Ltd. “This sponsorship, along with the strategic expansion of our agricultural assortment, underscores Home’s commitment to serving the unique needs of our customers and strengthening our connection with rural communities across Canada.”

Castle Building Centres Group has announced that Countryside Building Center in Stenen, Sask., has joined its ranks. The business is a new enterprise for brothers Nathan and Jeremy Penner, custom builders who have supplied and installed building products for almost two decades. It offers a full range of lumber, building materials, and hardware products.

Gypsum Management & Supply reported its fiscal results yesterday for the year ended April 30, 2025.  Sales for the year were up 0.2 percent to US$5.514 billion and earnings were $115.5 million. Q4 sales were $1.33 billion, a decrease of 5.6 percent. Net income of $26.1 million for the quarter was down 53.7 percent from $56.4 million a year earlier.