Global sourcing helps CanWel expand its offering

BRAMPTON, ON — CanWel Building Materials, one of Canada’s largest national wholesale distributors, has been expanding its product offering through stronger partnerships with domestic suppliers even as it adds new suppliers that are global in scope. "Over the past two years, CanWel has been implementing new categories and strategies to better serve our customers," says John Taggart at CanWel. Those categories include laminate flooring, engineered wood, panel products, and even closet storage systems. "We are partnering with global leaders that have operations based both domestically and abroad." CanWel’s extensive logistics and service capability makes it an effective sales and marketing arm for these brands. One such partner is Arauco Wood Products, based in Chile and one of the world’s largest suppliers of plywood panels. Sold under the AraucoPly name, it is sourced from certified, plantation-grown timber. And exactly one year ago, CanWel made a deal with Boise — the world’s second-largest manufacturer of engineered wood products — to become sole national distributor of its engineered wood products. A new category at the time for CanWel, it was one loaded with opportunity, says Taggart. "Engineered wood products are becoming more prevalent in construction. They offer performance advantages, while from a manufacturing standpoint they provide a greater yield from the log," he says. "Our dealers were asking us to enter the marketplace." Boise’s engineered wood production comes from both Canada and the U.S. CanWel remains committed to domestic production, as well. For example, it acts as the sales and marketing arm nationally for West Fraser’s MDF products and Perfecta hardwood plywoods.

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TIM-BR MART openings showcase new merchandising program

CALGARY — A new-concept store design highlights a spate of recent grand openings for TIM-BR MART stores across the country. Besides new facades and refurbished merchandising, some of these stores are taking advantage of a new kitchen and bath program. The flagship for this program is Woodland TIM-BR MART, which actually had two grand re-openings this spring for its stores in Grand Prairie and Fairview, AB. The Grand Prairie location features new Kitchen and Bath "Design Galleries". By showing the end-use of the full array of products in completed ‘vignettes’ — everything from lighting and flooring to cabinets and bath fixtures — customers are able to make important buying decisions for their own renovations. The vignettes are also designed to serve as showrooms for TIM-BR MART’s contractor customers, enabling them to walk their own residential customers through the vignettes during the planning process. TIM-BR MART’s new Kitchen and Bath Galleries are scalable in presentation so they can accommodate larger format stores like the Woodland store, but they’re also suitable for smaller formats, such as a newly renovated store in Westport, ON, which had its grand re-opening in May. Along with updating its look with TIM-BR MART signage, the store added new services like plan estimation and custom wood-cutting, and introduced new Kitchen and Bath departments to help consumers planning renovations. Other TIM-BR MART recent openings include Standard Building Supplies in North Vancouver; Washago TIM-BR MART in Washago, ON; and King St. TIM-BR MART in Shelburne, NS. TIM-BR MARTS Ltd. represents more than 600 Member locations across Canada, with $2 billion in annual purchases and more than $3.4 billion in retail sales.

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TruServ goes high-tech with shorter fall market

WINNIPEG — TruServ Canada Inc. will hold the Fall National Merchandise & Planning Market Oct. 20–22, 2007, but the event will be a day shorter this year. "The change was made as a result of feedback from stores who are able to prepare before coming to Winnipeg through advance bookings or on-line," said Terry Derraugh, vice-president of merchandising. More than 700 independent retailers have the opportunity to attend this market to plan their business for the next six months and to coordinate their spring and summer product purchase. Over 400 major manufacturers showcase a wide selection of the season's upcoming products as well as timely specials on everyday products. This year’s program will feature a new rewards program that earns points for TruServ customers. The program will be unveiled at the members’ dinner on Sunday evening.

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Home Depot identifies objectives

ATLANTA — During a recent internet broadcast, Home Depot’s chief officer Frank Blake restated his company’s five priorities and what it has done to fulfill them:

• Associate engagement. The company recently offered its assistant store managers performance-based stock bonuses, and continues to develop personnel through its Master Trade Specialist program.
• Product excitement. Within the past quarter the company launched its Eco Options line of environmentally friendly products, and has accelerated its review of product lines. Blake identified hardwood flooring, lawn and garden, patio, and hardware and tools as categories where the company has gained market share; and bath and faucets as categories that present opportunities.
• Product availability. Home Depot’s new warehouse management system went live at two of its distribution centers.
• Shopping environment. The company has completed over 1,000 store remodeling projects in 50 markets, and expects to spend 2.5 times its 2005 budget on store maintenance this year.
• Own the pro. This is, perhaps, the company’s greatest challenge, now that HD Supply is going away. Home Depot said it has been adding sales managers dedicated specifically to pro customers, and has seen its bid-room volume increase more than 200% this year.

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Kingfisher targets growth in Russia

LONDON — Kingfisher plc, the world’s third-largest home improvement retailer, has announced its intention to expand aggressively in Russia. It wants to build 50 Castorama stores over the next 10 years, at a cost of £250 million. According to the BBC, Kingfisher already has four Castorama stores there, mainly in urban centres, including one that opened last month in Moscow. A buoyant economy there, fuelled in large part by the burgeoning oil and gas sector, is driving growth of Russia’s home enhancement market at a rate of about 12%, says the company. It anticipates opening up to 15 stores in Moscow and five in St. Petersburg. Expansion in Russia helps Kingfisher juggle its losses in the U.K., where the home enhancement market is showing only tentative signs of a turnaround, and its position in Asia, which now faces the incursion of Home Depot.

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