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July 2, 2018 Volume
xxiv, #26
“Wisdom outweighs any wealth.”
—Sophocles (Ancient Greek playwright, 496 B.C.-406 B.C.)
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Doug Skrepnek: expect more consolidation from Titan in Canada
VAUGHAN, Ont. — WSB Titan is on an acquisition trail. And it’s not being shy about using the Titan name, which refers to the three commercial dealers that came together originally to form Titan. They are Shoemaker in the West, Watson in Ontario, and Beauchesne in Quebec.
Titan is now part of GMS, a giant commercial drywall operation out of the U.S. GMS acquired Titan for US$627 million ($800 million) in a deal that closed early last month. The U.S. parent has been actively buying up business in the U.S., including Grabber Construction Products in the San Francisco area and CMH Distributing in Nebraska in April 2018. With the Titan acquisition here, GMS intends to keep looking for new acquisition opportunities in Canada.
The latest addition to Titan is a new outlet for its commercial roofing business, BC Ceiling Systems, which was acquired in 2015. The store in Langley, B.C., was not named BCCS, but called “Titan”. It’s part of a plan to expand the Titan name among commercial customers while infilling various markets. BCCS also has locations in Richmond and Vancouver. “We’re one branch away from saying we’ve got the Lower Mainland well served,” Skrepnek says.
But don’t expect Titan’s legacy businesses, Shoemaker, Titan, and Beauchesne, to change their names. “It would be foolish to get rid of the names that built the gypsum drywall business in this country.”
On the retail side, Titan’s ownership of Slegg Building Materials, a major dealer on Vancouver Island, with a dozen locations, is also shoring up its brand power. Titan bought up Dodd's Lumber last year, another yard on Vancouver Island, in Duncan, and that was renamed a Slegg yard, Skrepnek notes.
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UFA focuses on upgrading its back-end systems with new ERP
CALGARY ― UFA has been making a lot of changes at the store level with the refit of its Farm & Ranch Supply stores, but changes are going on behind the scenes, as well. The company has invested heavily in a new enterprise resource planning (ERP) platform.
The system, which will effectively tie in all the company’s various systems―including purchasing, inventory, and order processing―is replacing an existing POS system.
According to Glenn Bingley, COO of retail operations at UFA, the move signifies a big change for the company, and one whose time has come. “It is replacing some really aged technology,” he says.
Along with its lucrative petroleum business, United Farmers of Alberta has an agribusiness division. That business is represented mainly by 35 UFA Farm & Ranch Supply stores throughout Alberta, through which the co-op also drives its commercial agriculture side. Bingley oversees this division, and has been working with his teams to fine-tune assortments, update merchandising, and develop smarter relationships with vendors. Now he’s focusing, along with Mark DiGioacchino, UFA’s director of merchandising, on the back end, as well.
Using the Microsoft Dynamic 365 platform, the company is currently rolling this out to the retail and commercial division that Bingley oversees. He expects it to be completed during the next 16 months.
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eRetailer Summit seen as a valuable way to stay ahead of the online competition
CHICAGO ― The annual Home Improvement eRetailer Summit is less than six months away, and leading dealers registered to attend are already anticipating its benefits.
The third annual Home Improvement eRetailer Summit will be held November 7 to 9 at the Hotel Monaco in Chicago. It is a unique event that provides delegates with insights into all aspects of e-commerce. Presenters include leaders from the worlds of manufacturing, distribution, and online retailing, as well as service providers and business media.
“The eRetailer Summit provides an ideal forum to share key insights and trends that are evolving within the home improvement landscape,” says Alyssa Steele, VP of merchandising for eBay (shown here), who will be going for the second time. “As the lines of offline and online commerce continue to blur, it’s important for manufacturers and retailers to ensure an effective distribution strategy within today’s competitive environment.”
Jim Carpenter, director of marketing for Curtis Lumber, a 21-yard LBM dealer based in Ballston Spa, N.Y., says he’s looking forward to attending his first Summit, “to better understand how our regional, family-owned company can transition into integrated retail and grow for the future.”
“This Summit was designed to help the entire home improvement retail channel focus on understanding the internet as a distribution channel, and to become more competitive by understanding and capturing the growth opportunity of Home Improvement ecommerce,” says Sonya Ruff Jarvis, the event’s founder and organizer. It will be held this year from November 7 to 9 at the Hotel Monaco in Chicago.
(For more information about the Summit, click here, or contact Sonya directly at sonya@eretailersummit.com.)
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Dealers selling online must blend e-commerce with a solid in-store experience
SPECIAL REPORT — There are few innovations that have changed retail as radically as the invention of the internet. The digital revolution, the shift from analog to electronic technology, was intended to create a “better tomorrow”. But who is benefitting from these changes?
What’s changed with online shopping, and the proliferation of access to smartphones and mobile technology, isn’t just the ways people shop, but what they’re looking for when they make a purchase. As John Williams, a senior partner at J.C. Williams Group, puts it, “it’s the most disruptive time to be in business, ever.”
“This has dramatic implications for your brand strategy and your product architecture,” says Williams. “You can’t serve this market with one product. There are huge gaps and shifts going on in the marketplace.”
Home Hardware saw that shift in the marketplace and, in response, turned its marketing strategy completely on its head. Rick McNabb, VP of marketing and sales for Home Hardware Stores Ltd., says when he was hired for the position, he looked at the strategy Home had been using for a long time and felt some aspects of it were too clinical.
Hoping to appeal to a younger demographic, Home Hardware launched a new marketing campaign, “Here’s How”, which shifts the focus from Home’s traditional product-centred commercials to projects big and small.
“We think it’s relevant to all targets, and particularly millennials, where they need help,” says McNabb. “Projects can be inherently personal; they can be emotional. They provide a sense of accomplishment. We really felt our sweet spot with Home Hardware is that we’re where expertise meets humanity.”
McNabb says Home Hardware is backing up the new marketing approach with an updated website, which was launched this spring. “We’ve made a significant investment there. We’re really excited to get that rolled out.” At this point, the company has a ship-to-store capability that has been working very well, but Home Hardware is also looking into being able to ship to home by the end of the year.
(This is an excerpt of a larger feature that appears in the current edition of our sister publication, Hardlines Home Improvement Quarterly. HHIQ is mailed to 11,000 dealers, owners, and managers. Click here to get your own subscription today!)
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CLASSIFIED ADS
IN-STORE MERCHANDISER (#865)
About Home Hardware Stores Limited
Home Hardware Stores Limited is Canada’s largest Dealer-owned cooperative with close to 1,100 Stores and annual retail sales of over $6 billion.
Located near Kitchener/Waterloo, Ontario, Home Hardware remains 100% Canadian owned and operated. Home hardware has received designations as one of Canada’s Best Cultures and Best Managed Companies and is committed to providing local communities with superior service and quality advice.
Responsible to the Store Design Merchandising & Systems Supervisor for assisting Dealers improve store appearance and profitability, through effective merchandising and display.
Assist Home Dealers with Merchandising Product and Installation of Displays and Shelving, focusing on current Merchandising Technique and Programs.
Help with the flow of information between Dealers and Home Office with respect to product mix, display and assortment.
Make onsite recommendations and modifications to the merchandising plan as required.
QUALIFICATIONS:
Extensive travel required - away from home for several weeks at a time.
Valid Driver’s license required.
Secondary School Diploma or equivalent with post-secondary courses in business an asset.
Effective communication, both verbal and written, with Home Dealers & Home Staff.
Retail experience (hardware or building supplies) is a preferred asset.
Must live near an international airport or be within commuting distance to St. Jacobs.
Fluency in both English and French would be an asset.
Interested applicants, please submit your resume to Dayna Weber, Recruitment, Human Resources at hr@homehardware.ca.
Full posting available at www.homehardware.ca.
Phone: 519-664-4975
34 Henry St W, St. Jacobs, ON, N0B 2N0
*While we appreciate all applications received, only those to be interviewed will be contacted.
We will accommodate the needs of qualified applicants on request under the Human Rights Code in all parts of the hiring process
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