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November 24, 2014 Volume
xx, #44
“ We must believe in luck. For how else can we explain the success of those we don’t like? ” —Jean Cocteau (French author, screenwriter, poet and film maker, 1889-1963)
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New Home Depot store focuses on pros, expands appliances
BRAMPTON, Ont. — Farmers’ fields sit across the street from the brand new power centre that is home to the newest Home Depot store in Canada. But the parking lot on opening day is packed solid, nevertheless. The store, the company’s first since an opening in Chilliwack, B.C., in April 2011, is anticipating the explosive growth that is taking place in this community northwest of Toronto.
The 119,000-square-foot store (plus 30,000-square-foot garden centre) features an expanded appliances department with more breadth and depth of product than in other Home Depot stores. The pro services area that has been reinvented from a single counter to a series of stations, designed to get contractors in and out quickly.
The new store also features a re-worked customer service counter that now does double duty as the pick-up spot for products that customers have ordered online. It ties in with the company’s push to sell online with a “buy online, pick up in-store” strategy. Where once an office was tucked behind the counter, a storage area now holds products awaiting pickup. The seasonal department has been transformed into a huge Christmas destination, with trees, decorations and lights.
Home Depot has one more confirmed opening upcoming: a new store in the north end Vaughan, Ont., on April 9, 2015.
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Home Hardware named one of Canada’s top corporate cultures
ST. JACOBS, Ont. — Canada’s third-largest home improvement retailer has been named one of Canada’s best. Home Hardware Stores Limited has been recognized as one of Canada’s 10 Most Admired Corporate Cultures.
Now in its 10th year, the award was created by executive search firm Waterstone Human Capital to distinguish workplaces where culture impacts performance. The winning organizations are selected by a panel of experts based on six measurement criteria: vision and leadership; recruitment and hiring for fit; cultural alignment and measurement; retention, rewards and recognition; organizational performance; and corporate social responsibility.
“The traditional values on which we were founded—value, service and dependability—remain unchanged and have created a strong culture for our close to 1,100 Home Hardware stores across Canada,” said Terry Davis, CEO, of Home Hardware. The win has additional meaning as it comes during Home’s 50th anniversary year, he added.
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Chalifour replaces tradeshow with virtual buying event
VAUGHAN, Ont. — Chalifour Canada Ltd., TIM-BR MART Group’s hardware and LBM distribution company, launched a virtual trade show for its dealers last week. Called “Virtuo 2014, the industry’s first virtual tradeshow,” it was produced to replace Chalifour’s annual trade show.
Virtuo 2014 is a fully hosted, web-based tradeshow platform allowing “attendees” 24-hour online access to virtual buying and networking opportunities. It offered 3D graphics and interactive conferencing capabilities. Virtuo 2014 went live on Monday, November 17, and was accessible to Chalifour customers and TIM-BR MART members through to Friday, November 21.
“Virtuo allows us to offer our customers—large and small—the full trade show experience, with all the buying and networking opportunities of a physical trade show, yet without the expense of time and travel associated with one,” said Randy Martin, vice president of business development for TIM-BR MART.
Dealers certainly agreed. Chalifour has moved the show around from Montreal to Calgary to Toronto, and it has drawn criticism—as have most distributors—for offering so many shows in the industry. This online alternative certainly appears to respond to those criticisms.
“At previous Chalifour shows, I would spend time travelling to the venue and then once at the show, only get to spend a couple hours there,” said Michel Daigle from Quincaillerie Auto Daigle in Thetford Mines, Que. With the convenience of the virtual show, he didn’t feel as pressured to buy right away.
Other dealers, like Richard Morin, from Quincaillerie Windsor, in Windsor, Que., have skipped going to the show altogether in the past, as it meant precious time away from the store. “With Virtuo I can browse at my own speed, go back to my store and take care of customers, and then log back on to my computer at night and complete my purchase. The virtual show really suits my needs as a business owner,” Morin said.
Another advantage that Chalifour is touting is an environmental one. “Virtual events like this one also cut down on our carbon footprint; we don’t have the excess amount of paper waste from show guides and brochures that a physical trade show creates, nor are we contributing to air pollution created by attendees flying and/or driving in to attend the show,” said Andrew Pantelides, Chalifour’s procurement manager.
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Lowe’s, Home Depot enjoy double-digit profit growth in Q3
MOORESVILLE, N.C. & ATLANTA — The two largest home improvement retailers in the U.S.—and the world—are riding the wave of a recovering housing market stateside. Both companies delivered double-digit profit growth in their latest quarter.
Lowe’s has reported a 17.3% increase in net earnings to $585 million, on sales that were up 5.6% to $13.7 billion from $13.0 billion a year earlier. Same-store sales for the quarter increased 5.1%. For the nine month period, sales were $43.7 billion, a 4.6% increase over the same period a year ago, and same-store sales increased 3.5%. Net earnings year to date increased 13.5% to $2.25 billion.
Similar growth continues north of the border, where Lowe’s had its sixth straight quarter of double-digit same-store growth (in local currency). Its chief competitor, Home Depot Canada, opened its first store in almost four years last week, in Brampton, Ont.
That opening may well reflect the growth Home Depot is enjoying enterprise-wide. It reported sales of $20.5 billion for the third quarter of fiscal 2014, a 5.4% increase from the third quarter of fiscal 2013. Same-store sales were positive 5.2%, with comp sales for U.S. stores positive 5.8%. Net earnings were $1.5 billion, up 14% from $1.4 billion a year earlier. Third-quarter results reflect a pretax gain of $100 million related to the sale of a portion of the company’s ownership in HD Supply Holdings.
However, the costs related to Home Depot’s much publicized data breach of recent months resulted in pretax net expenses of $28 million. While the company anticipates an overall sales increase this year of 4.8%, it warns that further costs related to the data breach, including lawsuits, may reduce that increase.
Lowe’s forecast is similar to its chief competitor’s: it anticipates its total sales to increase 4.5-5% for the fiscal year, with same-store sales anticipated to increase 3.5-4%.
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Lowe’s introduces project-planning
ETOBICOKE, Ont. — In a Lowe’s store in Toronto’s west end, the big box retailer officially unveiled its “Holoroom,” a sci-fi-inspired project simulator that applies 3-D and augmented reality technologies to provide homeowners with a virtual rendering of their next home improvement project.
The Lowe's Holoroom was developed by Lowe’s Innovation Labs, using actual science fiction writers to create lifelike scenarios for futuristic concepts, based on Lowe’s own customer research. (The Labs also collaborated with Orchard Supply Hardware in California to introduce its retail service robot.)
Using an iPad, a customer can choose a room size and shape for, say, a bathroom, then start “decorating” it with paint colours, mirrors, fixtures, etc. Then the customer can enter the Holoroom and scan the space with the iPad, showing a 3D depiction of how it would appear in an actual room. Finally, the customer gets a printout of
the materials, which are available at Lowe’s, with pricing.
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Slegg joins Titan with Urquhart at the helm
VICTORIA — Slegg Lumber, TIM-BR MART Group’s largest member, turned in its resignation to the group on November 17, marking the closing of the sale of the 10-store chain to WSB Titan, Canada’s largest privately owned gypsum dealer. Slegg is the dominant player serving Vancouver Island and the Gulf Islands, with 10 locations plus a flooring centre. It will leave TIM-BR MART Group officially on January 1, 2015.
Titan is a giant company that has been buying up large commercial dealers across Canada. The president of Titan is Doug Skrepnek. The new arrangement with Slegg Lumber has the Slegg family selling the business outright to partners within Titan. Under the new ownership, Urquhart will take over as president of Slegg Lumber, serving as resident partner in Slegg Lumber on behalf of Titan.
Urquhart, formerly the CEO of TIM-BR MART Group, went to work as general manager at Slegg Lumber following his departure from the group.
Titan currently has 22 locations across the country and total estimated sales of close to $500 million. The addition of Slegg is expected to add in excess of $150 million in sales to Titan.
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Classified Ads
Marketing Manager, Schlage Canada
Allegion Canada is hiring a Marketing Manager for Schlage Canada. The Marketing Manager is part of an energetic team responsible for developing our growing Schlage residential business across Canada. They are detail oriented, strategic and analytical with the ability to think outside the box. It’s imperative that the candidate is proactive and continuously seeks to build innovative consumer marketing programs to win market share. They will be responsible for increasing our understanding of the DIY customer, creating actionable insights and turning these insights into programs that will give customers more reasons to buy Schlage. They will lead the evolution of our DIY customer experience on-line and in-store. They will lead high-impact integrated marketing plans and initiatives to promote the Schlage brand to the Canadian consumer.
Responsibilities
- Develop trade and consumer marketing plans aligning with company goals and objectives for the portfolio in partnership with National Accounts sales team
- Develop an integrated Canadian consumer outreach campaign
- Work closely with Product Marketing Manager to support ongoing priorities with training programs, market research, and competitive intelligence.
- Develop promotional strategies for customers and channels.
- Coordinate customer product line reviews
- Manage merchandising programs targeting all demand segments
- Manage agency relationships
- Set direction for Canadian inventory assortment
- Analyze sales reports and market feedback
- Manage a team of direct reports
Knowledge/Experience Required:
- 5+ years of experience in retail marketing or a related area ideally in trade management, channel management, brand management, or insights
- University Degree or equivalent in business administration or marketing management
- Extensive marketing planning experience with strong and proven experience in database marketing, advertising, direct marketing, results tracking and analysis, sales enablement, integrated communications and research
- Ability to understand and leverage consumer environment associated with DIY and translate into high-impact marketing activity
For more information or to apply please visit allegion.com and search Careers.
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Better Living Products International is a world-leading designer, manufacturer and marketer of unique, high-quality bath and shower organization products. Established in 1991, it continues to be best recognized for its Award-Winning product, The Dispenser™. Better Living has flourished to new heights and is on a major growth curve with the upcoming introduction of several new and innovative products. The search is on to fill the following positions with energetic, highly motivated, organized and results driven candidates:
Sales Assistant
The successful candidate will be accountable for the support, coordination and execution of our sales and marketing initiatives. Responsibilities include assisting the sales team in maintaining positive client relationships and to act as the liaison on all day-to-day activity. Experience in a similar or related administrative role combined with excellent communication, organization and interpersonal skills are required.
Product Manager
The ideal candidate has a solid understanding of product marketing concepts and has industry product management experience. This person will manage products through their lifecycle and be accountable for the management, coordination and execution of various product initiatives. We are looking for a flexible and enthusiastic team player that is highly detailed and proficient in multi-tasking.
National Account Manager
A sales professional with industry knowledge is required to assist in achieving our aggressive growth plans by managing specific key accounts and channels within the USA. The successful candidate will possess account management experience and demonstrate exceptional interpersonal, communication and selling skills.
All positions will be based at our world-wide corporate headquarters in Vaughan, Ontario. We offer competitive wages, benefits and a fun working entrepreneurial environment. Please submit your resume to Camillo Caperchione, Executive Vice President, Better Living Products, Email: camillo@dispenser.com
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BLANCO CANADA INC. is Hiring a Business Analyst for our Brampton location.
The Business Analyst will be responsible for monitoring sales performance and utilizing analytical techniques to assist in making key forecast and replenishment decisions. This position will be responsible for generating key financial reports, identify trends, lead monthly forecasting meetings and assist with the program management of IP and APO. This position will report into the Director of National Sales and will work closely with various departments.
Interested candidates should have a Post-secondary education with a minimum of 2 years of work experience in a sales analyst or similar role in the consumer goods industry. Advanced excel skills are required, and working knowledge of SAP is strongly preferred. If you, or anyone you know, may be interested in applying, please send in your resume to the Human Resources Manager at hrinfo@blancocanada.com .
BLANCO CANADA INC. is Hiring a Product Manager for our Brampton location.
The Product Manager will be responsible for product planning. This includes managing the product throughout the product lifecycle, gathering and prioritizing product and Canadian customer requirements. The Product Manager will establish processes for new product introductions, including initial product launch presentations and forms. The Product Manager will assist with creation of marketing concepts and ensure the accuracy of all product technical documentation including specification sheets, product bulletins and parts breakdown drawings. This position will report into the Director of National Sales and will work closely with Sales and Product Management international teams, to support the development of the Blanco Canada product portfolio.
Interested candidates should have a post-secondary education with a minimum of 2 years of work experience in product or marketing management. This position requires overnight travel and proficient use of SAP, AutoCad and graphics systems. This position requires the ability to prioritize, manage and execute multiple projects within tight timelines. Ability to speak, write and read German and/or French is an asset. If you, or anyone you know, may be interested in applying, please send in your resume to Human Resources at hrinfo@blancocanada.com .
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Fusion Products Limited
Key Accounts Manager
Fusion Products Ltd. is a leading supplier of outdoor living and landscape lighting products to North America retailers, with head office in Mississauga, Ontario. We are seeking a dynamic individual to fill this role.
Duties will include
- Development of sales, merchandising, assortment planning for assigned accounts.
- Development and execution of a comprehensive plan to drive sales and profitability
- Manage budgets and sales goals based on corporate sales objectives.
- Maintain complete competitive files and field analysis including regular ‘comp’ shops
Experience required:
- Post-Secondary education in Business and/or equivalent experience,
- Key Account management in a similar role
- Strong organizational, interpersonal and computer skills,
- Ability to travel
- Desire to exceed customer expectations
- This role may include managing Canadian and/or US account
To apply, please send your resume and cover letter stating salary expectations to: andrew@fusionproducts.ca
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