Anyone who has ever spoken with Liz Kovach, president of the Western Retail Lumber Association, learns quickly that she is not one for understatement. During the WRLA’s Building and Hardware Showcase, held Jan. 13 and 14 in Winnipeg, she was asked for her take on the show. (Some language has been amended for our more Delicate Readers.—Editor)

The show was only a few hours old, but it was already generating an energy that Kovach was feeding off. “It’s freaking awesome, is what it is,” she enthused.

The event, one of the last general buying shows left in Canada (the other is the Atlantic Building Supply Dealers Association’s Building Supply Expo in Halifax, taking place March 8 and 9 this year), brought together a range of the industry’s leading suppliers, who played host to dealers of all sizes from Canada’s western provinces.

Based on show traffic, which was considered stronger than last year’s event by many exhibiting vendors who were interviewed by Hardlines, plus the overall buzz that prevailed, the show was a success. “The vibe was amazing—a great vibe for the show floor. There’s certainly a lot of stuff going on,” Kovach said.

Kovach and her team were hoping for 500 dealers to attend. But the event quickly surpassed that. “We had more than 550 at registration on day one,” said Kovach. The increased dealer attendance translated into purchases and opportunities for relationship building, which made the show a hit for most vendors.

One important aspect of this show was its Showcase Workshop Series, featuring seminars to help dealers run their businesses better and provide a platform for vendors to feature their latest innovations. Again, Kovach was nothing short of enthusiastic, calling the series “awesome.”

“It’s important to showcase the R&D and innovation of the vendors,” she said. “We really want to support that.” Next year’s show will again be in Winnipeg, from Jan. 18 to 19, 2024.

Goodfellow ramps up promotions—and fun—as it turns 125 this year

Goodfellow Inc. is celebrating its 125th anniversary this year. The LBM and flooring distributor kicked off the milestone with a party for 125 minutes at its booth during the WRLA’s Building & Hardware Showcase, which was held recently in Winnipeg.

“We had parties across the country for our staff and this was the launch at the show, and it will continue all year," said Mary Lohmus, Goodfellow’s executive vice president for Ontario and western Canada.

And watch for additional promotions and anniversary-related messaging throughout 2023, she says. “We have a new logo and more birthday parties—including another celebration during the Atlantic Building Supply Dealers Association’s Building Supply Expo in Halifax, March 8 and 9.”

“Watch for branch and equipment enhancements happening all year long, including the arrival of electronic delivery and material handling equipment, year-long messaging on our website and social media, and a big extravaganza planned across our entire network in August.”

Goodfellow got its start in Montreal in 1898 under George Goodfellow, a lumber broker. The company went public in 1984, but has remained under the control of the Goodfellow family. Since 2017, Patrick Goodfellow—great-grandson of the founder—has headed up the company, which now operates out of Delson, on the south shore of Montreal. Today, the company has 12 sales offices serving dealers across the country, with annual sales of more than $600 million.

But the wholesale supply side for dealers is only part of it. The company also has a large manufacturing business. “We produce a huge variety of engineered wood products,” Lohmus says. These range from glue-laminated timbers, crossarms for the power industry, stop logs for the water and power generation industries, and timber construction mats for temporary roads, to name just a few.

A recent project was with Vélodrome Sylvan Adams at the Centre Multisports Desjardins, an indoor bicycle track in Bromont, Que. During Covid, Goodfellow supplied the immense spruce glulam beams that hold up the roof, along with spruce glulam used for the spectator stands.

Other projects through the years have included a new mast for one of Canada’s most historic sailing ships, Bluenose II. “These types of custom projects are typically quite complex, and are driven by a group of highly-trained people within our organization,” Lohmus adds.

RONA affiliate dealer Moffatt & Powell adds 10th store in Ontario

A major RONA dealer in southwestern Ontario has added a 10th location to its store network. The former RONA Davies Hardware store in Grand Bend is the latest to come under the umbrella of the Moffatt & Powell enterprise, which dates to 1956. The company is planning a 10,000-square-foot expansion for the store’s outdoor lumber yard and an inventory increase of over 1,000 SKUs, mostly in the LBM category.

Owners D’Arcy Quinn and Nancy Powell Quinn, (left and centre) joined with Kevin Davies (right), whose family had owned the Grand Bend store, in the venture. “The acquisition coincides with Moffatt & Powell acquiring the neighbouring vacant property to the store, which will allow for an immediate expansion of the lumber yard and a future store expansion,” says Powell Quinn.

She and D’Arcy have known Davies for more than a decade; he has maintained a stake in the store and its management. “Kevin and his team will remain active in managing the day-to-day operations of the store and he retains a vested partner position in the Grand Bend location,” she adds.

The newly expanded store will be rebranded Moffatt & Powell RONA Grand Bend over the coming months. In the process, the expanded space will accommodate a wider range of products than before, reflecting the merchandise mix of the chain’s other stores. The store will also offer Moffatt & Powell’s design services and will serve customers through Moffatt & Powell’s delivery fleet.

The venerable Zellers name is being re-introduced to Canadians both online and in stores. Twenty-five Hudson’s Bay stores across the country will introduce a store-within-a-store concept featuring the Zellers discount brand. The retail concept will be supported by a new e-commerce site, Zellers.ca.

The product offering will replicate the discount department store vibe of the former Zellers retail chain, which was bought by Hudson’s Bay Company in 1978. HBC promises customers “a thoughtful selection of design-led products across home décor, toys, baby, apparel, and pets, housed within Zellers’ signature red and white that will guide customers along in their retail journey.”

The Zellers shops within the Hudson’s Bay stores will be between 8,000 and 10,000 square feet, depending on the location. HBC is encouraging customers to sign up at Zellers.ca in order to receive updates about its e-commerce platform as the Zellers program takes shape. The plan is to launch in-store and online simultaneously.

While no date has been confirmed for the Zellers launch, the 25 Bay store locations have been selected for these locations—BC: Abbotsford, Kamloops, Surrey, Vancouver; AB: Calgary, Edmonton, Medicine Hat; SK: Saskatoon; MB: Winnipeg; ON: Burlington, Cambridge, Kingston, London, Mississauga, Ottawa (Cambridge Centre and Rideau Centre), Scarborough, St. Catharines; QC: Anjou, Gatineau, Québec, Rosemère, Sherbrooke; NS: Dartmouth, Sydney.

HBC has been testing the new bricks-and-mortar model with pop-ups Hudson’s Bay stores in Burlington, Ont., and in Montreal.

The reintroduction of Zellers comes as runaway inflation drives more and more traffic to discount chains. So HBC’s debut of its new/old concept in certain markets could be a way to shore up The Bay’s traditional department store model.

The head of the Sexton Family of Companies, which includes the Sexton Group, has been honoured by the Western Retail Lumber Association. Steve Buckle was awarded the Outstanding Achievement Award during the WRLA’s annual Lumber and Hardware Showcase, held in Winnipeg Jan. 13 and 14.

Iain Nairn will retire this month as head of The Bay, the online marketplace business of Hudson’s Bay Company. HBC president Sophia Hwang-Judiesch will assume his responsibilities in addition to her current role. HBC spun the online business off from its bricks-and-mortar division in 2021. Nairn, who had been named HBC’s president in January 2020, was chosen to helm The Bay marketplace. Also at HBC, Wayne Drummond was promoted from chief merchant to president of the Hudson's Bay network of stores.

DID YOU KNOW...?

... the latest edition of Hardlines HR Advisor hit inboxes last week? In our latest issue, we look at lessons in leadership from Steve Buckle of the Sexton Family of Companies, and John Herbert, internationally known retail leader and head of the Global Home Improvement Network. Also in this issue: the power of upskilling and reskilling and the importance of employment contracts. (If you’re not already receiving HR Advisor, click here to sign up for free!)

Home Hardware Stores Ltd. has made it onto this year’s Forbes list of Canada’s Best Employers. The ranking is developed annually by Forbes and Statista Inc. Evaluations were based on direct and indirect recommendations from employees who rated their willingness to recommend their employer to friends and family. These evaluations included participants’ opinions on a series of work-related topics such as working conditions, salary potential, and company image.

Peavey Industries has announced the construction of a new Peavey Mart store, this time in Steinbach, Man. It joins existing stores in Winnipeg, Brandon, Swan River, and Winkler. The Steinbach location will be at #41 Hwy 52 West and will be 28,800 square feet in size. It will also feature a 14,400-square-foot greenhouse and is expected to employ up to 40 people. A soft opening is anticipated for spring 2024.

The Canadian Tire store in Vernon, B.C., which closed after it was extensively damaged by a fire in November, reopened last week for online shopping. “While inventory in some departments may be limited, we will continue to add items daily,” the store reported via social media. “We are working hard to re-open in-store shopping as soon as possible to serve the community of Vernon.”

The Home Depot is increasing its commitment to rooftop solar panels on its stores, reports the website of the Environment America Research & Policy Centre. The lobby group says that the chain will install the panels on 25 store locations in California, “bringing the total number of The Home Depot stores that have gone solar to 98.” The Home Depot has nearly 2,000 stores in the U.S. The environmental group says that Home Depot “ranks third behind Walmart and Target when it comes to rooftop solar potential … Going solar is part of the Home Depot’s plan to power its facilities with 100 percent renewable energy by 2030,” the website reports.

Home Hardware Stores Ltd. partnered for a second year with shopping rewards app FlipGive to support 500 youth sports teams across Canada. The Play More Matching Grant distributed $75,000 in funding to teams in 2022. “It’s never been more expensive to keep your kids in sports and the impact of double-digit inflation is putting an even tighter squeeze on families,” FlipGive CEO Amy Halpenny said in a release.

SUPPLIER NEWS

Richelieu Hardware reported Q4 sales of $457.5 million, up 14.9 percent from $398.2 million a year earlier. In Canada, sales amounted to $273.5 million, a 5.2 percent increase from the comparable period of 2021. Earnings of $44.9 million were up 0.8 percent. For the fiscal year 2022, sales rose 25.2 percent to $1.8 billion, while earnings grew 18.8 percent to $168.4 million.

ECONOMIC INDICATORS

Retail sales decreased 0.1 percent to $61.8 billion in November. Sales declined in six of 11 subsectors, led by a 3.8 percent drop in building materials and garden categories. That was the subsector’s largest decrease in seven months. Overall, sales were down in eight provinces, with B.C. posting the largest increase at 0.9 percent. (StatCan)

Sales of existing U.S. homes fell by 1.5 percent in December. The annualized pace of 4.02 million units was the lowest level of sales since November 2010. The decline was the eleventh in as many months, the longest downward streak since 1999. (National Association of Realtors)

NOTED

Hardlines will head to New Orleans for Orgill’s 2023 Spring Dealer Market, Feb. 9 to 11. And we’re very excited to host our Canada Night reception once again. Every dealer and their team is invited—and the beer is on us! It’s being held at Mulate’s Original Cajun Restaurant on Feb. 9 from 6 pm to 9 pm. Want to join us? RSVP here. (Sorry, this fab event is only open to dealers and our vendor sponsors!)

OVERHEARD...

“It’s an honour for Home Hardware Stores Ltd. to be named on this prestigious list of Canadian companies for the third consecutive year. Home Hardware’s incredible journey of growth is driven by the dedication and hard work of our team members in support of our dealer-owners, who in turn provide customers with the high-quality service they expect from us.”
—Kevin Macnab, president and CEO of Home Hardware Stores, acknowledging the retailer’s recognition on the Forbes list of Canada’s Best Employers.