Safety is the first thing taught to new employees at home improvement retail operations—and for a good reason. There are 34,000 ladder-related accidents annually in Canada. An organization south of the border, the American Ladder Institute (ALI), has dedicated the month of March to National Ladder Safety Awareness month. It is now promoted on both sides of the border. In Canada, all provinces and territories have workplace regulations for working at heights. They should be among the first things taught to new recruits. For more information, go to National Ladder Safety Month.

Gypsum Management & Supply Inc. reported sales of $1.3 billion for Q3 of its fiscal 2024. That was 1.9 percent above the comparable period of the previous year. Net income fell by 19.9 percent to $51.9 million, or $1.28 per diluted share, from $64.8 million ($1.53) a year earlier. GMS announced in December its acquisition of Kamco Supply Corp., which is expected to close in the coming days.

Four years after the Quebec government launched Le Panier Bleu, a directory and later a transactional website for purchasing Quebec products, the program has been terminated.  The decision was made “in light of the most recent operating results,” according to a release, and came only days after Amazon partnered with non-profit Les Produits du Québec to offer a portal through which consumers can order more than 1,000 Quebec-made products.

Le Panier Bleu managed, during its existence, to register more than 600 retailers from Montreal to the Côte-Nord region and display more than 250,000 products.

“Despite the company’s disciplined financial management, it became clear that revenues were not sufficient to sustain the platform over the long term,” the release continued. “The challenging economic context affecting the entire retail sector also contributed to this decision.”

Throwback Thursday is a regular weekly feature in which we dip into the archives of the Hardlines Weekly Report. The purpose is to provide history, put things in the context of today, and show how rapidly the industry is changing.

Almost ten years ago, on March 3, 2014, we reported that The Home Depot Canada had opened its first Canadian Rapid Deployment Centre (RDC). “Located in Vaughan, Ont., this new 657,600-square-foot facility will service the retailer’s 123 stores from Winnipeg east to its store in St. John’s,” we wrote. Later that year, Home Depot built an RDC in Calgary, too. Home Depot now has almost 100 distribution centres throughout North America, of which 19 are RDCs.

Trying to cope with “rampant shoplifting,” a long-standing San Francisco hardware store is using a novel technique to cut down on its shrink. It has employees escort customers while they peruse the aisles. Customers must wait at the entrance of the store until an employee is available.

CBS News first reported last week on the severe measures to cut shoplifting at Fredericksen Hardware on Fillmore Street, just a few blocks from San Francisco Bay. The store has been operating since 1896.

The 2024 Hardlines Conference is coming to the province of Quebec for the first time in its history. The event will take place at the Fairmont Le Manoir Richelieu, in the Charlevoix region, in collaboration with AQMAT, Oct. 22-23, 2024.

This is the only national event for the home improvement industry that is open to all banners and suppliers. We take great pride in being able to host top retailers and buying group executives from across the country, as well as leading wholesalers and manufacturers.

At the 28th annual Hardlines Conference, you will join your colleagues and customers for two incredible days of information and trends, as well as a fantastic networking experience. Please mark your calendars!

Lowe’s Cos. reported Q4 net income of $1.02 billion, or $1.77 per share, up from $957 million ($1.58) in the comparable period of 2022. When costs related to the sale of the Canadian business are factored out, earnings came to $2.28 per share. Sales declined to $18.6 billion from $22.45 billion in the previous Q4, which was a week longer and also included sales in Canada, but still beat Wall Street estimates of $18.45 billion.

Castle Building Centres Group has announced a new business development manager for the Newfoundland and Labrador regions. Brian Warr’s responsibilities will include the support, development, and growth of the existing member base, while also cultivating new opportunities in the region.

Warr was the fourth-generation operator of George Warr Ltd., in Springdale, Nfld., where he spent 28 years operating Warr’s Castle Building Centre. He left the industry for almost a decade to hold various positions with the provincial government. “Although Brian enjoyed much success in politics, his true passion lies in the LBM industry, and Castle is very pleased to welcome Brian back into the family,” Castle said in a release.

AD held its 2024 eCommerce & Marketing Summit in San Antonio, Texas, earlier this month. The event gathered digital and marketing experts from AD owner-members, suppliers, and e-commerce partners. Over 500 participants came together for panel discussions, workshops, and networking under the theme “Be Different.”

The latest instalment of our podcast series What’s In Store goes live this week! In this episode, we talk to workplace specialist Pierre Battah. He shares his insights on recruiting, managing, and engaging talent, including the assumptions that savvy managers need to avoid. Sign up now to get updates about the latest free podcasts in your inbox!