Throwback Thursday is a weekly feature in which we dip into the archives of the Hardlines Weekly Report.

Millwork Home Centre was once a thriving family business owned by the Lupton family, east of Toronto. It celebrated its 50th anniversary, we reported 25 years ago, in the pages of the May 15, 2000, Hardlines Weekly Report. “Millwork prepares to do battle with the big boxes,” ran our headline, citing Millwork’s estimated sales of $40 million and two stores in Oshawa and Ajax, Ont. But in 2015, the Lupton family sold the assets of their stores to RONA. And in early 2020, Lowe’s, which had taken over RONA, closed the former Millwork stores, which had become corporate stores, saying they were “underperforming.”

Earlier this week RONA inc. celebrated the conversion of 15 more stores to its RONA+ banner. The company, which made the RONA name its sole retail banner in October 2024, continues its brand repositioning project.

The newly converted stores are located at:

• RONA+ Carrefour Laval – 3065, boul. Le Carrefour, Laval
• RONA+ Saint-Laurent – 3600, boul. de la Côte Vertu, Saint-Laurent
• RONA+ Saint-Bruno-de-Montarville – 1221, boul. des Promenades, Saint-Bruno
• RONA+ Trois-Rivières – 4025, boul. des Récollets, Trois-Rivières
• RONA+ Chicoutimi – 465, boul. du Royaume Ouest, Chicoutimi
• RONA+ Gatineau – 777, boul. de la Cité, Gatineau
• RONA+ Mascouche – 175, montée Masson, Mascouche
• RONA+ Galeries d’Anjou – 7273, boul. des Galeries d’Anjou, Anjou
• RONA+ Gatineau (Le Plateau) – 165, boul. du Plateau, Gatineau
• RONA+ Joliette – 2000, boul. Firestone Est, Notre-Dame-des-Prairies
• RONA+ Saint-Eustache – 440, rue Dubois, Saint-Eustache
• RONA+ Saint-Jean-sur-Richelieu – 170, rue Moreau, Saint-Jean-sur-Richelieu
• RONA+ Granby – 200, rue Saint-Jude Nord, Granby (shown here)
• RONA+ Rimouski – 385, boul. Arthur-Buies Est, Rimouski
• RONA+ Brossard (Dix30) – 9800, boul. Leduc, Brossard

(More details of RONA’s latest store conversions will appear in next Monday’s edition of our sister publication, Hardlines Weekly Report. HWR is reserved for Premium Members only. Click here to learn more about becoming a Premium Member of Hardlines!)

The federal government will review, under the Investment Canada Act, the purchase of Calgary-based Parkland Corporation by U.S. gasoline giant Sunoco, announced last week. Under the act, Ottawa can disallow a foreign takeover if it finds there is likely to be damage to the national interest. Sunoco wants to buy Parkland, a Canadian firm, for US$9.1 billion.

Parkland has 4,000 retail locations in 26 countries, and operates gas stations under the Chevron, Esso, and Fas Gas Plus brands. It also holds the rights to the On The Run gas station convenience brand. Ian White moved from Parkland last November, where he was president of Parkland Canada, to become president of Home Hardware Stores Ltd.

Ace Hardware Corp. reported first-quarter 2025 revenues of US$2.2 billion, an increase of $89.4 million, or 4.2 percent, from the first quarter of 2024.

Net income was $30.3 million for the first quarter of 2025, a decrease of $16.6 million. Consolidated revenues totalled $2.2 billion, while total wholesale revenues were $2.1 billion, an increase of $75.1 million, or 3.8 percent, from a year earlier.

The company noted that recent tariffs imposed by the U.S. on companies worldwide will increase the cost of its goods. It intends to pass these increased costs through to its retailer customers and expects those dealers to pass these increased costs through to consumers.

The Retail Council of Canada is hosting its 2025 Store Conference on June 3 and 4 at the Toronto Congress Centre. From transformative tech to economic insight and leadership in action, RCC Store is where Canada’s retail future comes into focus. This two-day retail event gathers more than 2,000 participants and will be the most important learning and networking opportunity for you this year.

Hear from the leaders of some of Canada’s most iconic brands as they share candid thoughts on state of the retail industry during this most unpredictable era:

• Per Bank, president and CEO of Loblaw Companies Limited
• Ian White, president and CEO of Home Hardware Stores Ltd.
• Ira Kalish, chief global economist at Deloitte, unpacks the biggest forces shaping 2025 and what they mean for retail in Canada.
• Global industry futurist Doug Stephens presents an entirely new way of thinking about the chaos currently engulfing our industry and lays out a means of turning it into a competitive super-power.
• AI expert Sharon Gai along with Showcase CEO Samir Kulkarni and Ilana Santone, SVP business and AI transformation at Canadian Tire, will break down what real success with AI looks like.

Visit the RCC Store 2025 website for more information on the agenda.

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A group of shareholders including the leaders of Technoform Industries has acquired the assets of Luxo Marbre.

Technoform’s president Richard Davidson and VP Annie Caron say they want to “live up to the brand’s potential” under the new name of Créations Luxo.

The new owners have also announced a partnership with Davidson Sales & Marketing, which will represent Luxo to Canadian retailers.

A backlash by shareholders of Reitmans has resulted in a shakeup at the specialty apparel retailer. That includes a new addition to its board of directors, longtime technology executive Martin Thibodeau.

Thibodeau has over three decades of senior leadership experience in IT within the retail industry and is currently SVP and chief information officer at RONA inc. He is also a board member at Centraide. Reitmans operates 390 stores across the country under a variety of banners.

Joe Jacklin has joined Maple Ridge, B.C.-based Vista Railing Systems Inc. as sales development manager for the Outdure product line.

Vista announced recently that it had picked up exclusive distribution rights for the deck framing line across Canada. Vista has also announced three promotions: James Scott becomes national sales manager; Dwayne Walser is promoted to sales manager, Ontario; and Carol Mussi becomes marketing manager.

Orgill has partnered with Sodimac, Latin America’s largest home improvement retailer, as its exclusive U.S.-based distribution partner for hardlines products.

Founded in 1952, Sodimac is based in Chile and has more than 260 locations in countries including Brazil, Colombia, and Mexico.

“Because of the diversity of our customer base, we have become very agile in our ability to serve customers of all types and sizes,” Orgill CEO and president Boyden Moore said in a release. “We are very pleased to be able to leverage this agility and our core distribution competencies to partner with Sodimac as they continue to grow.”

AD Building Supplies – Canada has announced, effective May 12, that Epcor Building Supply of Burlington, Ont., has joined the buying group. “Epcor Building Supply is a trusted provider of construction and restoration products specializing in building envelopes. They offer a comprehensive selection of materials for restoration, waterproofing, maintenance, and sealants,” AD said in a release.