MISSISSAUGA, Ont. — Lowe’s top buying influences gathered at the Hilton Mississauga/Meadowvale hotel on Wednesday for the 2017 Hardlines Meet the Buyers Breakfast. There, they shared the structure of Lowe’s various banners and how to do business with those banners. And 120 vendors were in the room to hear them speak.
Alan Blundell, divisional vice president, merchandising, Lowe’s; Christian Dauphinais, divisional vice president, merchandising for Réno-Dépôt; and Marc Gingras, divisional vice president, RONA proximity stores, took turns explaining how the different store formats are organized within Lowe’s Canada. They laid out to the vendors the strategies behind each banner and how vendors can align with those strategies as the retailer grows in Canada.
They were followed by Maxime Harvey, director, building materials, Lowe’s Canada, who handles procurement. He explained the delicate balance between the buying and the actual procurement process.
To conclude, they answered questions submitted by Hardlines Editor-in-Chief Michael McLarney on behalf of the audience. After the formal presentation, the executives all took time to speak with each vendor in the room individually. (Our thanks to the Lowe’s team for stepping up to participate in this amazing event!)
