Since being sold off by Lowe’s Cos. in a deal that closed early in February, RONA inc. has been developing a strategy to deal with the Lowe’s-bannered stores in Canada. Now, almost five months in, the retailer has announced its transition plan.
RONA is beginning the Lowe’s stores’ conversion to the RONA banner, but with a twist. The stores will bear a new RONA designation, RONA+. The conversions will start at the end of July and will take place over several months. The first 10 Lowe’s stores to be converted, all located in Ontario, are in Ancaster, Brantford, Cambridge, Hamilton, Kitchener, Niagara Falls, Sarnia, Waterloo, and the banner’s two stores in Windsor.
“This is an important step in our vision for the future of RONA,” said Catherine Laporte, VP of marketing at RONA, who called the new signage “the first step in a wider plan aimed at redefining how Canadians shop for home improvement, creating new opportunities to improve how we serve them.”
