The annualized pace of housing starts declined by 22 percent in November to 212,624 units, according to the Canada Mortgage and Housing Corp. The rate of urban starts fell 23 percent, with 195,363 units recorded. Single-detached urban starts decreased by seven percent to 44,066 units. Rural starts were estimated at a rate of 17,261 units.

A survey by the Canadian Federation of Independent Business has found members are increasingly concerned about holding their own against big e-retail players like Amazon. Just under half of business owners surveyed in January agreed or strongly disagreed that it’s tough to compete against these players. Two-thirds said they had noticed an increased presence on the part of online giants like Amazon.

The report comes after the U.S. Federal Trade Commission filed suit against Amazon in September. Among other allegations, the agency says Amazon penalizes third-party sellers for offering lower prices for the same products on other platforms.

Sales of existing Canadian homes dipped 0.9 percent in November from the previous month, according to the Canadian Real Estate Association. It was the smallest decline since July. The actual (not seasonally adjusted) number of transactions came in just 0.9 percent below November 2022. “I wouldn’t expect anything too headline-grabbing from the resale housing market for the next few months,” CREA chair Larry Cerqua said in a release.

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

On Dec. 15, 2003, we ran a story with the headline, “Home Depot stakes growth on smaller stores.”

The “smaller” Home Depot on which we were reporting was in the town of Lethbridge, Alta. At 80,000 square feet, the location was smaller than Home Depot’s (then) typical footprint of 105,000 square feet. “It offers a blueprint for Home Depot’s move into smaller markets,” we wrote.

“We’re testing that store size because we can get into so many markets with that size,” said Home Depot Canada’s then-president Annette Verschuren. The store sacrificed some floor space typically devoted to LBM, but aside from that, it looked like a typical Home Depot big box. “When you walk it, you can’t tell the difference,” Verschuren said.

Montreal-based Dollarama Inc. reported Q3 profits of $261.1 million, or $0.92 per diluted share, up from  $201.6 million ($0.70) a year ago. Sales rose to $1.48 billion from $1.29 billion. The discount retailer attributed the increase to the growth of its store network and to an 11.1 percent spike in comp sales.

Three people are dead after a shed fire in the parking lot of a Lowe’s store in northwest Calgary. Various media outlets reported the tragedy, which occurred in the early morning hours of Monday.

Photos from the scene appear to show about a dozen sheds for sale in the parking lot of the Lowe’s store in the Crowsfoot Crossing area of the city. One of them had been gutted by the fire and one of them damaged. The Calgary Fire Department says it appears that the deceased were seeking shelter, but the Calgary Police Service is still investigating.

W.W. Grainger has announced the sale of E&R Industrial Sales Inc. to Paradigm Equity Partners, a Los Angeles-based private equity firm. E&R Industrial became a subsidiary of Grainger in 2013. “We are excited about this next stage of growth with Paradigm Equity Partners,” E&R president Jason D’Souza said in a release.

Grainger says it will continue to serve customers with maintenance metalworking products, services and expertise while focusing on its core business of maintenance, repair, and operating products and services. Customers who order through either company will continue to have access to the other’s product offerings.

Castle Building Centres has announced its newest member, VP Resources in Invermere, B.C. Owners Bryan and Lauren Kroker have operated their business for more than a decade. The couple plans to build a brand-new store to showcase a complete LBM and hardware offering for the area’s homebuilder and contractor market. “We knew instantly that Castle was the right fit for us given their focus on the independent retailer,” Bryan said in a release.

The Western Retail Lumber Association is holding the 30th anniversary edition of its Building & Hardware Showcase. From Jan. 17 to 19, members will gather at the Winnipeg Convention Centre for new product launches and the latest tech, trends, and topics hitting the LBM industry. The event kicks off with a breakfast event featuring a keynote presentation by business coach Lauren Johnson and sponsored by Durabuilt Windows & Doors. Click here for more information and to register!

The latest issue of Hardlines HR Advisor hit inboxes this week. In this edition, we look at the dangers of bullying, having tough conversations with your team, and transparency in hiring. If you’re not already receiving HR Advisor, click here to sign up for free!