LAS VEGAS, Nev. ― Canadian vendors in Las Vegas this week were nearly unanimous in their praise of traffic and customer contacts experienced during the first day of the National Hardware Show. The show long-ago established itself as the destination for most of the Canadian hardware industry, with Canadian Tire, Home Hardware, Federated Co-operatives, and Home Depot among the retailers that sent teams of buyers down.
The most conspicuous absence from Canada was from the country’s number-two player, Lowe’s Canada. That company decided at the virtually the last minute to cancel their participation. Lowe’s Canada had originally planned to send up to 18 buyers from both its Lowe’s and RONA teams. According to a spokesperson for the company, the decision was made based on a desire to “focus on the business during this busy time of year, particularly given the shift in the weather.”
