Castle Building Centres Group raised $5,250 for Ronald McDonald House Charities Alberta at its Western Buying Expo back in June.

(Pictured at left is Castle’s Jaana Reinikka, business development for Alberta, presenting the cheque to an official from the charity.)

Loblaw Cos. has made its first foray into the U.S. with the opening of a T&T Supermarkets store in Bellevue, Wash. T&T is the grocery giant’s Asian grocery chain. The 76,000-square-foot location is in a former Walmart in the Seattle area. Loblaw has 36 T&T stores in Canada.

Real Canadian Superstore, the big box format for the Loblaw chain, started carrying appliances in a pilot project at its store in Milton, Ont., in early 2023. The retailer teamed up with Canadian Appliance Source with a store-within-a-store model. Now, Hardlines has learned, the pilot has concluded, according to Steve Shave, COO of Canadian Appliance Source. “It was a success and we learned a lot,” Shave said.

RONA inc. recently implemented a new AI feature that improves search functionality and provides more precise search results. In partnership with product search and discovery company Constructor, RONA has adopted this technology into its search functionality. The new capabilities are intended to drive search results that are more relevant and personalized to the customer’s needs.

(Full details of this new AI technology and how it will help dealers appears in next week’s mind-boggling edition of our flagship publication, Hardlines Weekly Report. Make sure you’re getting the full story: subscribe to HWR now and stay informed!)

Canadian Tire Corp. has completed a strategic review of its Financial Services division. The giant retail company has decided not to sell off its banking business, choosing instead to use it to help drive Canadian Tire credit card purchases that tie in with the CTC’s Triangle Rewards loyalty program. That includes broadening the Triangle to brands outside Canadian Tire.

“We are actively engaged in conversations with several of Canada’s largest brands about loyalty partnerships that are expected to broaden the value of Triangle Rewards—giving more Canadians more reasons to shop with us,” said Greg Hicks, president and CEO of CTC, in a release.

Home Hardware Stores Ltd. has concluded its 2024 PRO Road Shows, held in Ontario (Chatham and Barrie), Quebec (Drummondville), Nova Scotia (Dartmouth), and Alberta (Edmonton). The four-hour events combined brought together over 3,000 contractors. They included networking opportunities and challenges such as a Bottle Flip Challenge and Driver Drill Competition.

Cloverdale Group, owner of Rodda Paint, has announced Rodda’s acquisition of Miller Paint. A deal was reached on Dec. 2 to integrate Miller and its employees into Rodda. The total price for the acquisition has not been made public. The merger will double Rodda’s and Miller’s combined footprint in the Pacific Northwest.

Rebecca Dumais

The Home Depot has teamed up with FIFA ahead of the 2026 World Cup as the association’s official home improvement retail supporter in North America (Canada, Mexico, and the U.S.). The partnership will include on-site “Built by The Home Depot” experiences at FIFA stadiums.

“This is more than just a sponsorship,” Doug Graham, VP of e-commerce and marketing at The Home Depot Canada, said in a release, “It’s about bringing communities, where we live and work, together to celebrate the biggest sporting event ever.”

Canadian Tire Corp. has signed on as a founding partner of the Northern Super League ahead of its inaugural season of women’s pro soccer in April 2025. The partnership includes the Home Field Advantage program, which will support players as they put down roots in new homes and communities across Canada.

From left to right, Wade Tearne, owner, Robyn Tearne, and Jackie Baumi, store manager

RONA inc. has welcomed a former Ace store in Lumby, B.C., to its network of affiliated dealers. Alex Day is co-owner of the business along with partner Wade Tearne, who works alongside his parents and brother. The store will undergo expansion work to add 3,000 square feet to its interior and exterior retail space, allowing it to showcase RONA’s ECO line of green products.

“Wade and Alex are familiar faces at RONA,” Alain Ménard, SVP of RONA Affiliated dealers, said in a release, “as they used to operate their store – rather remarkably – under the Ace Canada banner, which used to be part of RONA’s banner portfolio.”