Home Hardware Stores confirmed last week that its 2021 Fall Market will be a virtual event. It will be held over eight days, from Sept. 27 to Oct. 4, in an effort to “provide the entire Home community with an opportunity to connect and for dealers and store staff to engage with suppliers over an interactive platform,” according to the company.

Under the theme, Unite, the show will be Home Hardware’s 117th market, and the fourth to be held virtually, a response to the limitations imposed by the worldwide pandemic. And it reflects the uncertainty that pervades the industry—and the world.

“Home Hardware continues to leverage technology in new and innovative ways to support our dealers’ growth and profitability,” said Kevin Macnab, Home Hardware’s president and CEO, in a release. “While we look forward to returning to a physical market when it is safe to do so, we continue to provide an engaging virtual experience that delivers value to both our dealers and suppliers.”

Other events have either taken the plunge to commit to a live event or are still on the fence. Orgill, the Memphis-based hardware wholesaler, holds its Fall Dealer Market each year in August. After that event was forced to go virtual last year, the company had hoped to return to a live event this summer in Chicago. Now, Orgill will host an online buying event that will run from Aug. 16 to 27.

Closer to home, our own Hardlines Conference is being planned as a live event from October 19 to 20, with a virtual component to provide wider access to our speakers. The Outstanding Retailer Awards, typically held at the end of day one of the conference, will also be broadcast virtually in tandem with the live gathering.

The day after the Hardlines Conference, the National Hardware Show starts in Las Vegas. The show, which has historically attracted upwards of 25,000 people from all over the world, will take place with updated health and safety guidelines. These will include obligatory face masks, temperature screenings for everyone entering the show, and plenty of sanitation stations available throughout the show floor.

But many Canadians have been reluctant to travel internationally. According to Sam Moncada, president of the Canadian Hardware & Housewares Manufacturers Association, a recent poll of his members determined that less than five percent were intending to attend the Vegas show. In fact, many of his members have company restrictions against any travel at all before the end of the year.

Uncertainty will remain at least until then. BMR Group typically holds its show in Quebec City in the early part of November, drawing member-dealers from across the province, plus the Maritimes and Ontario. After conducting a virtual show last year, BMR has yet to confirm which formula it will use for 2021.

Hardlines is pleased to announce the call for entries for the 2021 Outstanding Retailer Awards. The awards, which recognize the finest retailers in the hardware and home improvement industry, are national in scope. All Canadian hardware and home improvement retailers and managers who have operated under their current ownership for at least two years are eligible.

Anticipating the ability to host a live event, Hardlines will offer winners a trip for two, plus two nights’ accommodation in Niagara-on-the-Lake, to attend the Hardlines Conference on Oct. 19 and 20 and participate in the ORA Gala Dinner. In addition, winners will receive an inscribed plaque, a write‐up in Hardlines Home Improvement Quarterly magazine, and a customized video and photo ready to be sent to local media.

Categories to enter:

• Hospitality, an environment that fosters bringing people together and
• Best Hardware Store (any size);
• Best Building Supply/Home Centre (under 15,000 square feet)
• Best Building Supply/Home Centre (over 15,000 square feet)
• Young Retailer Award (a store manager, owner or employee 35 or under)
• Marc Robichaud Community Leader. This award is open to all stores. Its purpose is to celebrate the outstanding contributions, events, charitable donations, etc., made by a store’s staff/managers/owners to the community they serve
• Best Large Surface Retailer (over 65,000 square feet)
• Best Contractor Specialist Store

Dealers may submit their entries directly to Hardlines. Alternatively, their chain or buying group head offices may select their best dealer(s) and prepare their entries for them in collaboration with the dealer. Head offices may enter more than one store per category. In addition, suppliers may identify specific outstanding retailers for entry.

ORA submissions are due June 25.

Hardlines is planning to award the winning dealers in person during our Gala Dinner at this year’s Hardlines Conference, which will be held Oct. 19 and 20 at the Queen’s Landing Hotel, Niagara-on-the-Lake, Ont. While the state of the world remains uncertain, we are optimistic that the Hardlines Conference and Awards Gala can be staged live.

Hardlines is committed to providing a safe and comfortable environment in which to host the conference and the awards. We will provide updates as the event draws nearer.

(To fill out the ORA application, please visit www.oras.ca; or contact our Editor, Christina Manocchio, for further information. Le formulaire est également disponible en français.)

Metro Inc. is developing a code of practice to govern its relations with suppliers, La Presse reports.

“We are working on a draft guide and we have called on other stakeholders in the chain,” Marie-Claude Bacon, VP of public affairs and communications, told analysts on a recent earnings call.

The move comes after Sobeys opted earlier this year to draft a code of conduct, including a dispute resolution mechanism, in conjunction with suppliers group Food, Health and Consumer Products of Canada. That announcement followed Walmart’s decision to impose “development fees” on suppliers, which prompted protests from FHCP.

The practice is drawing heat from both vendors and consumers. COVID has benefitted grocery retailers, and many feel those benefits have not trickled down to either workers or suppliers. For example, Loblaw Cos. saw its profits grow a healthy 30 percent in the first quarter.

Sam Moncada, president of the Canadian Hardware & Housewares Manufacturers Association, applauds Sobeys’ move to adopt a code of conduct. He says his vendors remain concerned by practices in other retail sectors like grocery, as hardware retailers may want to adopt them in turn. That possibility becomes even more likely given the number of senior executives and merchants who have come over from grocery to some of the larger retail groups in this industry.

Moncada says the trouble started when Walmart imposed fees last fall. Walmart began charging vendors an “infrastructure development fee” of 1.25 percent of the price of products, with an additional five percent for wares sold online. All of this was on top of existing fees already agreed to with each vendor.

“Our members banded together saying this is not fair,” says Moncada. “It’s not ethical.” Now, he adds, some provincial governments, including Quebec and Ontario, have been looking at this issue. But the pandemic has pushed it down on the list of priorities.

Moncada stresses that the issue is not confined to the grocery. “That’s something we’re definitely trying to do—to communicate to governments that this affects all big retailers—including the hardware side, absolutely.”

The retail home improvement industry is facing numerous challenges amid fundamental transformations. Moreover, says Belgian retail expert Thierry Coeman, the pandemic will continue to have a tremendous impact on the future of the home improvement store internationally.

Coeman, author of the report “Hammertime,” delivers a framework that retailers and suppliers should consider for reshaping the future home improvement store.

Coeman analyzes what is needed to create a renewed business model, entirely focused on service patterns. Tomorrow’s store “needs to be articulated around four principles, all driven by smart technology.

These are:

• Hospitality, an environment that fosters bringing people together and a sense of community
• Education, putting the onus on retailers and suppliers to provide shared experiences
• Ability to share experiences and cross-pollinate know-how beyond the expertise of store staff
• Gamification, “through product and service workshops or demonstrations which, all together, will genuinely enhance the ‘fun factor’”

The concept of the store itself must also change, says Coeman. The front end needs to offer a “community platform” for encounters between expert staff and end-users. The focus here will be on inspiration and advice for the DIYer. The successful back end will offer “a B2B service platform with a strong focus on tailor-made end solutions, inventory, and delivery.” It will be tailored to the pro customer.

“The intelligent interaction between the front end and back end needs to be perceived as a natural conversion from imagination—ideas and dreams, to reality—implementation of expectations,” Coeman notes.

(This is a fascinating white paper, written by a long-time friend of Hardlines. To order the complete document at a cost of just €25, email Thierry Coeman directly.)

DID YOU KNOW…?

… that the next instalment of our podcast series, “What’s in Store,” is coming out this week? This time we speak with Doug Anderson, president and CEO of Peavey Industries, a company that has undergone terrific growth in recent years. He talks about amalgamating TSC Stores into Peavey Mart, and the decision to take over the Ace Hardware banner in Canada. Hear about Anderson’s vision for a truly national hardware company. Click here then scroll down to sign up for our incredible podcast series!

Home Hardware Stores Ltd. has been named one of Canada’s Best Managed Companies for 2021. Established in 1993, the designation is sponsored by Deloitte Private, CIBC, Canadian Business, Smith School of Business, and TMX Group.

Canadian Tire Corp. Ltd. turned a Q1 profit of $151.8 million after posting a $13.3 million loss a year ago. Revenues rose nearly 10 percent to $3.32 billion, up from $2.85 billion in Q1 2020. Sales at the Canadian Tire banner grew by 20.1 percent. Comp sales across the Canadian Tire Retail business rose by 19.2 percent, while online sales ballooned by 257 percent to almost $450 million.

Lowe’s Cos. has introduced the Lowe’s House of Curators, a series of design collections curated by tastemakers of note. For the first selections, the retailer partnered with interior designer Iris Apfel. Her picks include Palm Beach in Your Backyard, a line of 52 outdoor living products, and the 70 pieces in Modern Maximalism, which combine “small details with big personalities.”

Atlanta-based commercial dealer GMS has reached a $135 million cash deal to acquire Westside Building Material, an independent U.S. distributor of interior building products. GMS is growing in Canada through its ownership of companies such as WSB Titan, Slegg Building Materials, and Rigney Building Supplies.

SUPPLIER NEWS

CanWel Building Materials Group Ltd. reported Q1 revenues rose 59.1 percent to $519.9 million, up from $326.7 million in Q1 of 2020. Net earnings ballooned to $34.2 million, compared to $850,000 a year ago. The sales increase was attributed to both sales volumes and pricing, as the pandemic-inspired home improvement boom continued throughout the quarter.

Laferté Renovation Center, an ILDC member based in St-Hyacinthe, Que., has adopted JRTech Solutions’ PRICER labels, becoming the first North American hardware chain to make the move to fully graphic electronic shelf labels (ESL).

Intertape Polymer Group’s revenues rose 24.2 percent in Q1 to $345.6 million, as demand rose for products such as protective packaging and water-activated tape. Net earnings increased by $4.7 million to $19.1 million, with gross profits outstripping higher expenses.

Spectrum Brands Holdings Inc., which owns Kwikset and Weiser, said last week its Q2 sales grew 22.6 percent. Sales in hardware and home improvement rose by 18.4 percent, with growth across all categories. Profits of $36.8 million, compared with a loss of $59.2 million a year prior.

West Fraser Timber Co. Ltd. said this month its Q1 earnings rose to $665 million on sales of $2.3 billion, from earnings of $9 million on sales of $890 million a year prior. The results also represented gains from the previous quarter, when the company reported a $282 million profit and revenues of $1.29 billion. Q1 also saw the completion of West Fraser’s acquisition of Norbord Inc., for $4 billion in stock.

ECONOMIC INDICATORS

Residential construction investment increased for the eleventh consecutive month, up 7.6 percent to $14.0 billion in March. Investment in single units jumped 10.7 percent to $7.8 billion. Quebec led the way with an increase of 30.4 percent, followed by Ontario, which was up 9.8 percent. Growth in multi-unit construction continued, up 3.9 percent. Non-residential construction investment rose 1.1 percent in March. (StatCan)

NOTED

Our newest Hardlines Podcast Series, The History of Home Improvement, has gone live. Our inaugural episode takes a very personal look at the legacy of Home Hardware co-founder Walter Hachborn and the circumstances that led to his being named Retailer of the Century. Click here now to sign up for the Hardlines Podcast Series!

OVERHEARD…

“We are honoured to be recognized as one of Canada’s Best Managed Companies and named a Platinum Club member for the third consecutive year. At Home Hardware, we believe talent and culture is our competitive advantage and we are proud to celebrate this designation with the entire Home team.”
—Kevin Macnab, president and CEO of Home Hardware Stores Ltd., on the company being recognized as one of Canada’s best managed.

Walter Hachborn revolutionized hardware retail in Canada. As the co-founder of Home Hardware Stores, he established a business model for independent dealers that has endured for almost 60 years.

That makes him a fitting subject for the debut episode of our new Hardlines podcast series, The History of Home Improvement.

In this podcast, we speak with Steve Payne, former editor of Hardware Merchandising magazine, then the custodian of the industry’s retail awards program. As the 20th century was drawing to a close, Payne wanted to identify a single individual to name for a special award, Retailer of the Century.

He examined the contributions of several industry leaders through the years. But, as he says in the podcast, the choice landed firmly on Walter Hachborn.

Payne offers a very personal recollection of his first meeting with Hachborn, a meeting that was to have more impact on Payne than he could have imagined. Hachborn, he soon realized, embodied all the values personally that the Home Hardware brand stood for. Those values, and the legacy he had created, assured the selection of Hachborn as Retailer of the Century.

In this brand new podcast, Payne shares his story of meeting Walter Hachborn for the first time and provides his insights on how the co-founder of Home Hardware was recognized as the most significant retail figure of the previous 100 years.

(Have a listen here as we celebrate this industry’s historical achievements.)

Online and e-commerce sales are a big concern for dealers, according to a new survey by Hardlines.

In the 2021 Business Conditions Survey, we asked dealers what their biggest concerns are. The survey went out to dealers and store managers across Canada earlier this spring. During uncertain times, they are facing new challenges at a frightening rate, including rising prices and uncertain product availability.

The surge in online sales over the past year represented a huge shift in consumer habits. For dealers and managers responding to the survey, almost 20 percent cited this as one of their biggest concerns. Through the pandemic, the shift to online sales has grown exponentially. And independent dealers are struggling to keep up.

Retailers with established platforms, such as Canadian Tire, Lowe’s Canada, and Home Depot Canada, fared well over the past year as their online sales soared. But the move was often a difficult one for independents, putting them at a disadvantage, especially as this trend will only continue, even after the worst of the pandemic is behind us.

However, the uptick in e-commerce among hardware and home improvement retailers is growing, if gradually. In our spring 2020 survey, fully 60 percent of dealers indicated they were not selling online. Many respondents last year said they were just beginning to realize returns from online business. Others were only just getting started.

The overall number of holdouts has shrunk to just over half (54 percent) in 2021 as more and more dealers under COVID developed their online business, even if sales levels online remain a fraction of overall sales. About one-third of respondents this year reported that e-commerce sales generated five percent or less of their overall sales. Barely 10 percent indicated they were generating more than five percent of their sales through online channels.

The survey invited comments from respondents about what they think is important now. ”My largest concern is online shopping and being able to compete. I have bought and paid for a product that is on my shelf while online sellers don’t necessarily have that same issue. They can order or pull from another location on demand,” one dealer wrote.

(Full results from our annual survey will be used to update our Annual Hardlines Retail Report, which tracks the size and growth of the retail home improvement industry and identifies the market shares of the top retailers, and the trends driving this industry in the years ahead. Click here to learn more and to pre-order your report now!)

As it grows its presence and market share in Canada, GMS is not only adding stores, it’s adding new products as well. Based in Atlanta, the giant commercial dealer operates a network of more than 260 Gypsum supply outlets across the U.S. and Canada. Its presence here includes its biggest holding in Canada, WSB Titan., headquartered in Vaughan, Ont.. WSB Titan president Travis Hendren came up from the Atlanta office to manage the business.

GMS has a growing roster of independent dealers that it has acquired in recent years.

The company is also looking at ways to fine-tune the offerings in its existing outlets, as it identifies the latest trends driving the commercial market. According to Leslie Kratcoski, vice president of investor relations at GMS, there’s been more focus on categories like exterior envelope and waterproofing, depending on the region.

Most of its outlets are heavily commercial in focus, and most of the WSB Titan locations are a good example of this in Canada. But the company has managed to pick up some pointers from its more DIY-oriented stores. For example, Slegg Building Materials on Vancouver Island supplies a range of builders and commercial customers. But it also sells to smaller contractors and DIYers. Rigney Building Supplies in Kingston is similar.

These outlets can help the commercial yards develop growth opportunities beyond their current markets. “The goal is to grow outside of these other categories, outside of the core products,” says Kratcoski.

One of those product categories is power tools. “Tools is something that we’ve seen occurring in both Canada and the U.S.,” Kratcoski says, adding that the focus here is on specialty and heavy-duty industrial grade power tools “related to our trades.” Other tools can include those for handling and working with gypsum, “but it depends on the market.”

National Hardware Show gears up with digital component, safety measures

The National Hardware Show (NHS) will return to the Las Vegas Convention Center Oct. 21 to 23 for its 75th edition. The show will take place with updated health and safety guidelines. NHS is also evolving: the traditional annual trade show is now positioning itself as “a year-round industry guidepost,” providing thought leadership, global insights, and sourcing opportunities to the hardware and home improvement industry.

“As a mission-based show, we are here to help the industry navigate rapidly changing global tides and offer resilience strategies that ensure success tomorrow,” said Beth Casson, the show’s event leader, in a release. “The 75th edition of NHS and our new year-round platform aims to power businesses with critical global insights, upcoming trends, unrivalled sourcing, and unparalleled opportunities for connection and collaboration.”

The new NHS experience will consist of three platforms in 2021. NHS Connects is the digital home of NHS and a hub for insight, discovery, information, and connection in the hardware and home improvement industry. The year-round online platform allows members to source the newest products and vendors, connect with new and current customers, and stay up-to-date with the latest industry education and content. To check out NHS Connects, please click here.

HABITAT is a new platform that delivers future outlooks, global insights, and community-building opportunities. With the intersection of merchandise and mission, this platform will live both online and onsite at the Las Vegas event. HABITAT is a showcase for big ideas, ingenuity, and innovation, driven by global shifts in culture, technology, and the environment that are shaping how homes are built and lived in.

PUNCHlist is NHS’s new editorial newsletter. The bi-weekly industry roundup will highlight the cultural shifts shaping the future of the hardware and home improvement industry. In addition to showcasing global trends, PUNCHlist includes coverage of innovative companies, products, and ideas. The newsletter is being distributed to some 45,000 industry members. To be added to the PUNCHlist distribution list, please register here.

(Click here for more information on the 75th edition of the National Hardware Show.)

After 19 years with the business, Cheryl Hamilton has announced her retirement from TORBSA at the end of May 2021. As a result, the board of directors appointed Stacey Brown as TORBSA’s new group services manager, who will also be taking on a marketing lead role within the organization. Brown has a background working with small business, developing innovative marketing strategies.

DID YOU KNOW…?

… that a brand new Hardlines Podcast Series, The History of Home Improvement, has gone live? Our inaugural episode takes a very personalized look at the legacy of Home Hardware co-founder Walter Hachborn and the circumstances that led to his being named Retailer of the Century. Click here now to sign up for the  Hardlines Podcast Series!

Peavey Industries initiated construction last week of a new Peavey Mart store in the banner’s hometown of Red Deer, Alta. A ground-breaking ceremony was held for the store, which is slated to open in the spring of 2022. Peavey is also beginning renovations this month on a location in Brooks, Alta. That store will occupy the southern end of a 23,000-square-foot former food market.

TORBSA has joined the Well Made Here initiative as a major partner. The organization, which campaigns to encourage consumers to buy Canadian, was founded by AQMAT president Richard Darveau. Among other participating companies are Castle, Home Hardware (including Patrick Morin) and Lowe’s Canada. TORBSA president Paul Williams will hold a seat on Well Made Here’s board of directors.

Home Hardware Stores has been named one of the Top 10 Most Trusted Brands in Canada in the 2021 Gustavson Brand Trust Index (GBTI). The company placed first in the Home, Office, and Garden Retailers category and seventh in the National Top 10 Most Trusted Brands. The survey, released annually by the University of Victoria’s Peter B. Gustavson School of Business, surveyed almost 9,000 Canadians.

Walmart Canada is constructing a distribution centre in Moncton, N.B., to support its grocery business in the Atlantic provinces. The retailer says the 221,000-square-foot facility represents an investment of $56 million and will create more than 200 jobs when it opens in the fall of next year.

SUPPLIER NEWS

Weyerhaeuser Co. reported Q1 net earnings of $681 million on net sales of $2.5 billion, up from $150 million on net sales of $1.7 billion for the same period last year. Earnings more than doubled from $292 million in Q4. Benchmark prices for lumber and OSB reached new record levels in the quarter, boosting average sales in those categories, which were only partially offset by higher prices on Canadian logs.

M-D Building Products has acquired the assets of Cardinal Aluminum Co. and its subsidiaries, Cardinal Architectural and Designer Moulding. Founded in 1946, Cardinal Aluminum provides custom aluminum extrusion, fabrication, and finishing to customers North America-wide.

Lafarge Canada has added new members to its Ready-Mix division through the acquisition of Béton Mobile du Québec (BMQ), a maker of specialty concrete mixes. Stéphane Pelletier, BMQ’s former owner, will continue to oversee the business.

Stanley Black & Decker reported Q1 sales of $4.2 billion, up 34 percent from the prior year, led by the tools and storage segment. CEO Jim Loree said sales were “off the charts” with 41 percent growth in the North American market. Net income of $478 million was up from $133.2 million in the comparable period of 2020. Loree pointed to the ongoing pandemic-inspired reno boom and the “reconnection” customers are having to their homes, as well as heightened attention to health and safety.

Canfor Corp. posted Q1 profits of $427.8 million, up from a loss of $70 million reported a year ago. Sales rose to $1.94 billion from $1.17 billion. The company said increases in lumber prices significantly outstripped higher log costs.

ECONOMIC INDICATORS

The value of building permits in March rose 5.7 percent to $10.9 billion, reflecting a booming residential sector and marking a third record-setting month. The residential sector climbed 15.9 percent, clearing the $8 billion mark for the first time in March. Single-family homes also reached new heights, increasing 7.6 percent to $3.8 billion. (StatCan)

NOTED

The U.S. National Association of Home Builders is appealing to the Biden administration for an end to the tariffs that have been imposed on Canadian lumber in defiance of World Trade Organization rules. The most recent round of tariffs was introduced in 2017, but rates were cut by more than half late last year. They currently amount to about nine percent of the value of the majority of softwood lumber exported from Canada to the U.S.

Dealers are complaining about product shortages and it remains their biggest business challenge, according to a new survey by Hardlines.

In the 2021 Business Conditions Survey, we asked dealers what their biggest concerns are. The survey went out to dealers and store managers across Canada earlier this spring.

Availability of product was the No. 1 response, with almost 89 percent of respondents citing this challenge as their leading business concern. A related issue, sourcing and product shortages, was indicated by 71 percent of respondents.

The shortage of supply, especially of lumber and building materials, has driven up prices to new levels as both consumers and contractors scramble to get renovations done during the lockdowns. The price of lumber has almost tripled over the last year, with SPF (spruce-pine-fir) two-by-fours reaching $1,040 per thousand board feet—up from $445 a year ago.

Staffing was the second-most cited concern, chosen by 46.6 percent of respondents.

Comments by dealers, submitted anonymously to ensure confidentiality of the results, including concerns about product shortages and the need for young people to look to this industry for career opportunities. “Keeping product on our shelves is my biggest concern. Our sales would have been up far higher if we had stock,” said one respondent.

“Product availability is extremely concerning. It seems to be a problem with most suppliers,” noted one response. “We have lots of customers looking to quote future jobs and we can’t say with certainty that products will be available. Plywood has been especially hard to obtain and is a necessity in the building industry.”

On the issue of hiring, a store’s location can have as much impact as local conditions. One dealer indicated they are challenged by both, “We have very large staffing concerns as we are based in a town that has been extremely busy during the pandemic … so there are a lot of businesses right now hiring, and the market is tough to find anyone to work.”

Another dealer addressed both concerns. “Lack of motivated people who want to work is a huge issue for our location. As well, shortages of product have been an issue, making us source more product from outside suppliers, rather than our buying group.”

BMR Group has partnered with Société Laurentide to launch a house brand of paints under the Splendi and Splendi Supreme brand.

The new line of acrylic paints was designed at Laurentide’s labs and designed to offer affordable, quality paints suitable for both DIY and contractor customers. The new initiative has created about 30 jobs for the company and further investments to modernize its plant in Shawinigan, Que. Laurentide is a Quebec-based family business whose roots go back 70 years.

“The program has been in development for at least six months to a year,” said Jonathan Gendreau, VP of strategy and network development for BMR. “We were basically looking to change suppliers. As part of [parent company] Sollio, we always have to make sure we give an opportunity to a local supplier.” BMR’s former private-label paint was supplied by Sico, which pulled out of the province early in 2019.

Paint represents the group’s best-selling category after building materials. In addition, its paint sales are up more than 15 percent so far this year. Across Quebec, industry sales are close to 13 million gallons (or 52 million litres), following a growth of more than 10 percent in 2020.

The partnership fits BMR’s vision on a couple of fronts: Laurentide is a local manufacturer and it shares BMR’s commitment to promoting sustainable development. Laurentide was instrumental in setting up a recycling program that has diverted more than 100 million kilograms of post-consumer paint from Quebec landfills since 1994.

BMR stores provide collection points for the program and have recovered more than 200,000 kilograms of paint over the past 25 years by allowing consumers to bring back their empty or partially empty containers.

Quebec home improvement chain Canac experienced a malware attack earlier this month. However, the company has reported that its IT systems are now essentially up and running again.

“We don’t hide from it: we have been victims of malware,” marketing director Patrick Delisle told Le Journal de Montréal. “It’s no secret that we have suffered a computer attack.”

The trouble started on April 9, when software problems forced Canac to reboot its systems, leaving customers across its store network unable to pay by credit or debit card. Then, following the incident, the company was unable to access its customer service database. Confusion followed as some orders were left uncompleted while other clients were unable to obtain pick-up information.

The retail home improvement industry is a growing target. Barely a month ago, Home Hardware fell victim to a ransomware attack of its own. The criminal group responsible provided screenshots of confidential documents to Home Hardware, proving it had breached the retail company’s firewalls.

Home Hardware quickly hired a cybersecurity firm to counter the breach and isolate the attack. The company was later able to share that the attack did not impact individual dealers’ retail systems or any consumer transaction or payment data. Likewise, Delisle at Canac indicated that no sensitive data had been compromised.

The growing prevalence of such attacks bears out that no company is immune. In fact, retailers are especially targeted because of their large customer databases that include confidential billing information. Target, Macy’s, Home Depot, and Amazon are just some of the retail groups that have suffered data breaches in recent years, and the attacks are growing.

A survey by cybersecurity firm Check Point says most companies it talked with have experienced a rise in security threats and attacks. Phishing emails, compounded by lack of training among workers who regularly must contend with such emails, as well as weak passwords, are some of the top causes of ransomware attacks.

Phishing, which takes the form of emails that pretend to provide important links or attachments, is a leading source of exposure and remote work has only exacerbated the problem. As people rely more than ever on virtual meetings, the rise of fake websites has also grown. According to Check Point, 1,700 new domains featuring the word “Zoom” have emerged since the onset of the pandemic, and 25 percent of them appeared this month alone.

How important is leadership? Hiring for spring? HR Advisor newsletter offers tips

Helping your team through the trying times of COVID requires a team approach, one that should involve giving your managers the tools to cope with their teams. This is just one of the people issues that are addressed in the latest edition of our sister publication, Hardlines HR Advisor.

During the pandemic, IKEA has focused on supporting both the physical and mental well-being of its employees. According to Tanja Fratangeli, head of people and culture, this included more leadership training for managers, such as mental health first aid training through a partnership with the Canadian Mental Health Association. The training was aimed at offering tools to help IKEA leaders know how to provide support and have meaningful conversations with workers who needed that.

While managing the well-being of a team is important, many businesses right now have more fundamental challenges, such as hiring more people to build those teams.

For Don Dyck, president of Kingdon Lumber, a TIMBER MART dealer in Peterborough, Ont., finding reliable seasonal staff has been challenging during COVID-19. “The struggle then is to find the right people. In the midst of all of this, how do you go about doing that?” Kingdon Lumber used to rely more on high school and university students, but Dyck’s strategy has shifted in recent years and he talks about that in the latest issue.

When asked what makes a good leader, Zaida Fazlic doesn’t hesitate to point out some clear fundamentals. “Who you are as a leader is who you are as a person. That’s one of the key things.”

Leadership, she says, is not simply about management. “Leadership is about having a vision of the future and articulating it in a certain way to get people to buy into it.” Fazlic’s insights on leadership are featured in this month’s edition of Hardlines HR Advisor.

HR Advisor is designed to keep you informed about human resources in the home improvement industry. Each issue features insightful case studies from within the retail home improvement industry. To ensure you get guidance to help manage and support your teams, every month we include advice from HR professionals who work in retail, wholesale, and manufacturing to share their expertise.

(Hardlines HR Advisor is free of charge to dealers, suppliers, and vendors in the retail home improvement industry. To sign up or share with your HR personnel, click here!)

DID YOU KNOW…?

… that a new Hardlines Podcast Series launches this Wednesday? Called The History of Home Improvement, our inaugural episode features a look at Home Hardware co-founder Walter Hachborn. In conversation with Steve Payne, the former editor of Hardware Merchandising magazine, we examine why Hachborn was named “Retailer of the Century” by Hardware Merchandising at the end of the last millennium. Don’t miss these insights into one of Canada’s formative home improvement figures. Click here now to sign up for the Hardlines Podcast Series!

Lowe’s Cos. has acquired Stainmaster, after a decade as the exclusive national home improvement carrier of the carpet brand. The purchase includes all brand-related intellectual property from its parent company, Invista, and all related trademarks and sub-brands.

Metro Inc. is developing a code of practice to govern its relations with suppliers, La Presse reports. The move comes after Sobeys opted earlier this year to draft a code of conduct, including a dispute resolution mechanism. That announcement followed Walmart’s decision to impose “development fees” on suppliers, prompting protests from suppliers.

Tractor Supply Co., the U.S. farm and ranch retailer, saw Q1 sales rise 42.5 percent to $2.79 billion, compared to $1.96 billion in the previous first quarter. Comparable store sales increased 38.6 percent, a gain that dwarfed the 4.3 percent reported a year ago. Net income soared by 116.5 percent to $181.4 million from $83.8 million in 2020.

Sherwin-Williams Co.’s Q1 sales rose 12.3 percent to $4.66 billion, with same-store sales up 8.2 percent. Sales volumes were up in all three of the company’s segments. Earnings increased by 51.5 percent to $2.06 per share. That included a loss of $0.34 per share from the sale of Wattyl, which manufactures and sells architectural and protective paint in Australia and New Zealand.

SUPPLIER NEWS

3M Co.’s first-quarter net sales increased by 9.6 percent to $8.85 billion. Earnings of $1.62 billion were up from $1.31 billion a year ago. 3M is a major manufacturer of N95 masks, which have seen strong demand throughout the pandemic.

Liteline is establishing a Western Canada regional office and distribution centre. Currently under construction in Langley, B.C., it will serve the area from British Columbia to Saskatchewan, as well as the U.S. Pacific Northwest and California markets. It’s expected to be up and running by September.

Masco’s Q1 sales increased by 25 percent to $1.97 billion; in local currency, sales rose 22 percent. In the plumbing division, sales rose by 31 percent, while sales of decorative architectural products were up by 15 percent. Operating profit rose 62 percent to $365 million.

Armstrong World Industries reported Q1 operating income of $54.1 million, down 28.8 percent from $76 million in Q1 of 2020. The decline was in line with the company’s expectations, largely due to lower sales volume in its mineral fibre business. Net sales increased 1.3 percent over the same period in 2020.

ECONOMIC INDICATORS

Retail sales in February rose 4.8 percent to $55.1 billion. Sales increased in nine of 11 subsectors, led by higher sales at motor-vehicle and parts dealers and gasoline stations. LBM dealers and garden centres saw sales of $3.3 billion, up 3.5 percent from January and 29 percent over last February. Sales were up in six provinces in February, with Quebec and Ontario leading the gain. (StatCan)

Sales of existing U.S. homes in March fell by 3.7 percent to a seasonally adjusted annual rate of 6.01 million units. That was the lowest level since August 2020. Year-over-year, sales rose by 12.3 percent and remained above their pre-COVID pace. (National Association of Realtors)

NOTED

According to a report by Ravelin, a fraud prevention firm, 72 percent of retail brands around the world expect to grow their fraud teams in the year ahead, while 76 percent predict their budget to tackle fraud will increase over the next 12 months.
     

The federal government’s budget, the first to be announced in two years, will continue existing pandemic supports and add new ones. Many of those will directly impact dealers, including a new initiative to assist with hiring.

The Canada Emergency Wage Subsidy (CEWS), currently due to expire in June, will be extended to phase out gradually by the end of September. Between July and September, the maximum weekly subsidy would fall from $847 per employee to $226.

A new Canada Recovery Hiring Program (CRHP), running from early June to late November, will subsidize employers’ costs through wages, additional hours, and new hires.

The CEWS and CRHP are designed to complement one another, with qualifying employers receiving whichever subsidy is higher. The CRHP’s rates would start at 50 percent for the first three periods of eligibility and begin to taper off after that. In the sixth and final period, the government would subsidize costs at a rate of 20 percent.

The feds are also offering relief to small and medium-sized businesses that have been facing higher credit card fees amid increased usage. In a statement, the Retail Council of Canada said it was “pleased” with the announcement.

“A reduction in credit card fees is especially important to retailers in consequence of the COVID pandemic, having faced a dramatic increase in costs given the rise in online shopping and the declining use of cash,” it added.

The federal budget includes environmental commitments that will impact home renovation. It earmarks $779 million to the Canada Mortgage and Housing Corp. for interest-free loans to homeowners of up to $40,000 for energy-friendly retrofitting. Eligible projects will include window replacement, solar panels, upgrading insulation, and replacing oil tanks.

The government is also undertaking to reform corporate tax rules to tighten up loopholes, but sweeping changes are notably absent from the budget.

“You don’t see any major tax cuts or any major tax increases there in terms of the broadened base for general corporate tax, or even for small business tax,” CIBC’s Jamie Golombek told the Globe & Mail. “I think there’s some hesitation on the part of governments to do anything major and dramatic … until we see how long it takes for the recovery to fully kick in.”

The minority Liberal government will have to pass its budget to maintain the House of Commons’ confidence and avert an election. Conservative leader and leader of the opposition Erin O’Toole and Bloc leader Yves-François Blanchet signalled their parties’ intentions to vote against it, while the NDP’s Jagmeet Singh said he wouldn’t trigger a pandemic election.

Pascal Houle has been tapped to assume the top job at BMR Group’s parent company, Sollio Cooperative Group. He takes the reins from Gaétan Desroches, who retires as CEO this fall. Desroches’ last day on the job will be Sept. 10, with Houle succeeding the next day.

The move comes barely two months after another big move by Houle. At Sollio’s AGM in March, he left behind the CEO role at Sollio’s retail division, BMR, to become COO at Sollio. Houle had combined the top job at BMR with an EVP position at the parent company since 2015.

Alexandre Lefebvre, president of Lefebvre & Benoît, was appointed to replace Houle as CEO of BMR. Along with the CEO role, he serves as EVP at Sollio. BMR reached a deal back in the summer of 2019 to acquire a major stake in Lefebvre & Benoit, a family-owned dealer and a fellow member of the Independent Lumber Dealers Co-operative buying group.

In his new position, Houle, who joined La Coop fédérée in 1998 and served as a management consultant from 2000 to 2004, retains oversight of BMR while taking on additional responsibilities for Sollio Agriculture and the co-op’s food business, Olymel.

“His boldness, flexibility, and diligence have set him apart since he first joined our network and continued to do so as BMR Group CEO and currently as Sollio COO,” said Sollio president Ghislain Gervais in a release.

E-commerce is a given. Is your business doing enough to make it work?

With in-person interactions severely limited under the pandemic, the rise in online shopping has been unprecedented. Many businesses, including dealers and suppliers, have scrambled to figure out how best to support and connect with customers during the pandemic.

“With a pandemic, digital is often the only way to reach and connect with people right now,” explains Jenn Dunstan, director, digital marketing, at Central Station. Dunstan’s position involves developing digital strategies to increase lead generation, brand loyalty, and brand reputation for clients. Her Toronto-based marketing and communications agency stresses branding, innovation, and technology in telling its B2B and B2C clients’ stories.

She also stresses the importance of fundamentals. Every business needs to “invest the time to get a website with an e-commerce component.” Then that website needs to be leveraged. Business owners need to be aware of the different virtual platforms where their customers hang so they can communicate with those customers. Businesses should expect questions and comments to be addressed to active social media channels, including Facebook, Instagram, Messenger, and live chat.

Dunstan recommends that smaller businesses check out affordable chat options. “There are many cost-effective options available. Adding a live chat widget to your website allows you to support site visitors as they’re considering your inventory,” she says. “Diligently handling your community engagement in the form of comments, direct messages, and emails also ensures that you retain and capture all prospective business revenue.”

In addition, Google My Business and Facebook enable businesses to connect their product catalogue or manually upload products and services lists to a business page. “A verified Google My Business page is critical for attracting business,” says Dunstan.

(This story is part of a larger feature that appears in the latest edition of our sister publication, Hardlines Home Improvement Quarterly. HHIQ was recently mailed to over 11,000 dealers and managers across the country. Retailers can subscribe for free by clicking here. And anyone can view the digital edition of HHIQ here!)

John Magri has joined Sexton Group as director of programs. In his new position, he will manage sourcing, developing and implementing strategic purchasing plans. He will also negotiate product, vendor relationships, and direct relationships with Sexton Group members. Magri brings over 30 years of experience in purchasing and procurement, including 16 years as general manager of WM. Dyck & Sons, a dealer in Niverville, Man.

DID YOU KNOW…?

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Tyler Nowochin, dealer-owner of Nowco Home Hardware in Lacombe, Alta., has been named a 2021 Young Retailer of the Year by the North American Hardware and Paint Association (NHPA). Now in its 25th year, the program recognizes individual achievement by retailers aged 35 and younger throughout Canada and the United States. The NHPA will hold a one-hour virtual event for the honourees on May 5 at 2 p.m.

Castle Building Centres has added new members. Deschenes & Cie. Inc. is in Price, Que., a gateway community to the Gaspésie. Founded some 75 years ago, the business was recently acquired by Victor and Gabriel Boucher, along with their father Bruno. RGS Rascom Greenbuild Services in Concord, Ont., is now part of the group’s commercial division. Owner and managing director Rick Stacey founded the company 12 years ago to provide contractors with building envelope products.

RONA is renewing its partnership with Groupe CH, the Quebec sports and entertainment organization. Under the three-year partnership, parent company Lowe’s Canada will leverage the arrangement with sponsorships of the Montreal Canadiens and the Laval Rocket, using cross-promotion in its stores and online.

IKEA Canada will add 15 Lion6 heavy-duty zero-emission trucks from Quebec-based Lion Electric to its fleet. IKEA and its partner, last-mile delivery provider Second Closet, will co-brand the five-tonne electric trucks. They are expected to be on the road this coming fall, fulfilling orders for IKEA locations in the Toronto, Montreal, and Vancouver markets.

Amazon will pilot a premium service that offers furniture and appliance assembly on delivery, reported Bloomberg News. The service will reportedly be rolled out in three U.S. markets. If it expands from there, the new offering would help make Amazon more competitive with retailers offering similar services, such as Wayfair and Best Buy.

SUPPLIER NEWS

Lowe’s Canada is expanding its outdoor power equipment portfolio through a partnership with EGO. EGO’s line of battery-powered OPE is almost exclusively offered nationwide through Lowe’s Canada’s banners. It includes pro lawn mowers, string trimmers, leaf blowers, and hedge trimmers, now available in-store and online.

ECONOMIC INDICATORS

The seasonally adjusted annual rate of housing starts was 335,200 units in March and up 21.6 percent from 275,567 units in February. The SAAR of urban starts increased by 24.4 percent to 300,973 units. Multiple urban starts increased by 33.8 percent to 222,358 units while single-detached urban starts increased by 3.6 percent to 78,615 units. Rural starts were estimated at a rate of 34,227 units. (CMHC)

U.S. housing starts in March came in at a seasonally adjusted annual rate of 1,739,000. That was 19.4 percent above February and 37 percent above March 2020. The SAAR of building permits for the month was 1,766,000, up 2.7 percent from February’s revised rate of 1,720,000 and 30.2 percent from last March’s 1,356,000. (U.S. Census Bureau)

NOTED

Under a new program aimed at its pro customers, Lowe’s stores in the U.S. will now stock more offerings at its pro counters to help these customers get through their day. Amenities include windshield cleaning stations and free air stations for filling up tires, while portable air tanks will be available for pneumatic tools.

OVERHEARD…

"The combination of higher commodity pricing, volumes, and overall business activity levels has provided record financial results for CanWel and we see that momentum continuing for the foreseeable future.”
—Amar Doman, chairman and CEO of CanWel Building Materials Group Ltd., in a release announcing the sale of shares worth $75 million, which is expected to finance future acquisitions.

Well known for its ranges of fasteners, decorative hardware, and cabinet hardware, Richelieu Hardware is positioning itself in new categories with its latest acquisition.

Richelieu purchased the shares of Task Tools in a deal announced last week at the same time as the release of its Q3 results. Task is a Delta, B.C.-based hand tool and power tool accessory company, which also has a facility in Brantford, Ont. It represents brands such as Task Signature and Tuf-E-Nuf.

The family-owned business has been in the hands of Craig Caplan, son of company founder Michael Caplan, who established Task Tools in 1968. Craig Caplan will stay on to continue managing operations under Richelieu, while the Caplan family will hold on to the properties in Delta and Brantford.

Richelieu has been on an acquisition trajectory for many years, buying up companies both here and in the U.S. Last year, the company bought The Mibro Group, another supplier of hand tools and power tool accessories. With these companies in its stable, Richelieu has firmly established its presence in those categories.

Further expansion efforts will be fueled by Richelieu’s financial performance. The company turned in strong first-quarter sales of $297.6 million, a 19.3 percent increase driven mainly by internal growth. Canadian sales were up 36.6 percent.

And the growth plan continues. Richelieu has also signed agreements in principle to acquire two Canadian distributors. These acquisitions combined would bring additional annual sales of approximately $36 million, the company says. 

At UFA, developing an integrated online strategy for its bricks-and-mortar stores has been an important part of the company’s agenda during the past year. Glenn Bingley, vice president, agribusiness and supply chain at UFA, says e-commerce has become a big driver for the company.

“We went live with buy-online,pick up in-store at all our stores last year. We are committed to giving customers personalized options for how they do business, whether it’s in-store or online, and we will continue to invest heavily in our e-comm platform and technology,” he says.

“In fact, since the very beginning, UFA has continuously adapted to changing times and technology by expanding our product and service offerings, so that we can provide our members and customers with what they need and where they need it.” 

The business has been focused on a whole range of areas, Bingley adds. “These include improving our supply chain and our logistics, as well as our distribution and procurement. We’ve actually streamlined our supply chain and we’re going to be making investments to strengthen our supply chain even further.”

On the procurement side, UFA is refining its assortments. “We’ve added more products related to livestock health and feed. For example, we’re proud to have introduced Prostock, UFA’s brand of minerals, forage seed, and milk replacers,” Bingley notes. “ProStock provides a range of products to ensure the health and well-being of animals. We are always looking at new offerings for our members and customers.”

He adds that the company has performed a series of category reviews over the last couple of years to improve assortments for core customers—the farmer, rancher, and the acreage owner.

“Another area that has grown rapidly for us has been lawn and garden and outdoor living to support the rural lifestyle,” he continues.

This past year has demonstrated the importance of UFA being open and ready to serve customers. “Agriculture is essential, and we needed to be there to help the business of agriculture move forward,” says Bingley. “We’ve been around for over a century, we were there this past year, and we will be there in the future.”

Lowe’s Cos. has unveiled a new series of initiatives to attract more pro and contractor customers. At the heart of the new offerings in its U.S. stores is the Pro Zone, a dedicated area near the pro entrance with convenience personal care products at checkout. Pro customers will also get a dedicated checkout.

That market is an important one for the giant retailer—and one that is sees growing at a faster rate than its DIY business. Lowe’s estimates that its pro product market is worth more than $400 billion and is expected to grow faster than the overall U.S. home improvement market in the coming years.

But many of the initiatives rolling out reflect services and programs already in place in Canada, where the pro business is likewise considered a priority growth segment.

The new offerings at the U.S. stores include:

• The Pro Zone, a dedicated area near the pro entrance;
• larger parking spots for pickup trucks and their trailers;
• phone charging stations at the pro desk;
• a convenience rack with products not sold in-store before, such as pain relievers, sunscreen, and hand care;
• flexible credit options and extended terms for commercial account users.

In Canada, Lowe’s has been developing added features of its own to strengthen its relationship with its pro customers. In September 2020, it introduced VIPpro, an app-based program to give pro customers an improved and integrated purchasing experience.

The larger parking spaces and dedicated pro team to aid checkout for contractors also already exist in Canada. Lowe’s Canada says it aligns with the U.S. whenever possible, adapting strategies to accommodate the three Lowe’s Canada banners—Lowe’s, RONA, and Réno-Dépôt.

The VIPpro program likewise represented a Canadian solution for the Canadian business across the banners. As for flexible credit options rolling out in the U.S., once again, Lowe’s already has these in Canada, with account receivables management, a commercial credit card, and charge accounts available at RONA and Réno-Dépôt stores.

CHHMA rebrands as it seeks to expand mandate beyond vendors

Members of the Canadian Hardware & Housewares Manufacturers Association voted at their recent AGM to approve a new name and a new mandate for the organization.

Over the coming months, it will gradually rebrand itself as the Canadian Home Products Trade Association (CHPTA), or L’Association Canadienne du Commerce des Produits de Maison (ACCPM) in French.

The association, which represents manufacturers and agents in hardware and housewares, has been around for 52 years. Now, it’s looking to reach a wider audience. The move is intended to help the organization’s membership grow by appealing to a larger audience beyond the vendor community. That will include retailers, dealers, builders, tradespeople, suppliers, and end consumers, as well as other industries and product markets.

The association’s mission will be to provide value to members by increasing their growth and profitability, expanding their sales reach, accessing industry intelligence, and supporting professional development. 

Bryan Evans is the first Canadian sales representative hired by OMC Tools & Hardware. He was previously with Positec and prior to that, Greenworks Tools. He reports to Omar Chaaban, OMC’s co-owner, who, with his brother Matt, grew their business in Lebanon to be the dominant tool retailer and supplier there. Now they have exclusive rights to do the same in Canada, operating from a facility in Mississauga, Ont.

DID YOU KNOW…?

… that the Hardlines Podcast Series, What’s in Store, has gone live? Our inaugural episode features an exclusive interview with Tony Hurst, the president of Lowe’s Canada. Be sure not to miss this important update from one of the country’s leading home improvement retailers. Click here now to sign up for the Hardlines Podcast Series!

Kemptville Building Centre in Kemptville, Ont., has joined BMR Group. At 63,000 square feet, the second-generation family business is notable for its large size. It has several specialized departments, including kitchen, bathroom, and window and door renovations. Owned by Eric Norenberg, the store employs between 55 and 75 employees depending on the season.

Matériaux Appalaches in Lévis is the third Quebec dealer to join TIMBER MART this year. Owners Éric Mercier Lessard and Éric Fournier bought the business in December of last year. It includes a lumber yard and an 8,000-square-foot building and offers lumber, sheet metal, interior and exterior doors, Trusscore, siding, and insulation.

Lowe’s Canada presented $10,000 to Sleep in Heavenly Peace (SHP) in Windsor, Ont. The organization’s mandate is to ensure every child in the community has a suitable bed. Founded in September 2020 by Brian Cyncora and his wife Terry, the Windsor-Essex SHP chapter will use these funds to help buy the tools needed to start building beds and procure materials to build their first 100 beds for local kids.

Canac was forced to reset its computer systems in the face of software problems, Le Journal de Montréalreports. Customers were obliged to pay cash while the reboot was in progress since electronic card payments could not be accepted. Patrick Delisle, the chain’s marketing director, said there was no indication of a cyber-attack.

Castle has continued its expansion with the addition of BDC Lighting and All Trade Supply in Brampton, Ont. Owned by Victor Narula, the business plans to offer a wide range of building material products. Another member, in Quebec, has also joined. Deschenes & Cie. Inc. in Price, a gateway community to the Gaspésie, was recently acquired by Victor and Gabriel Boucher, along with their father Bruno.

SUPPLIER NEWS

Orgill continues to invest in its distribution and logistics network. Its new Rome, N.Y., distribution centre already is receiving product and just months away from being fully operational. Now, the wholesaler plans to nearly double the size of its Hurricane, Utah, facility. The decision to expand was driven by the growth of Orgill’s customer base in the western U.S.

GreenFirst Forest Products has reached an agreement with Rayonier Advanced Materials to acquire six lumber mills in northern Ontario and Quebec. The deal, valued at US$214 million in cash and shares, also includes a newsprint mill in Kapuskasing, Ont. Rayonier acquired the mill assets of Tembec in 2017. GreenFirst was known as Itasca Capital until the beginning of this year.

AGT Products Inc. USA, a distributor of prefinished subfloor products, has completed the full purchase of Rhino Carbon Fiber Products USA, an Ohio-based carbon fibre and concrete repair products supplier. According to AGT, the acquisition serves its growth strategy through geographic expansion in the United States and Canada. The U.S. supply office will be located in Zeeland, Mich., with the headquarters remaining at AGT’s Mississauga, Ont., location.

ECONOMIC INDICATORS

Sales of existing Canadian homes climbed 5.2 percent in March to set another record. Sales gains were largest in Greater Vancouver, Calgary, Edmonton, Hamilton-Burlington, and Ottawa. Actual (not seasonally adjusted) sales activity for the month was up 76.2 percent. (Canadian Real Estate Association)

U.S. retail and food services sales for March were $619.1 billion, an increase of 9.8 percent from the previous month. (U.S. Census Bureau)

NOTED

Hardlines HR Advisor, the newest monthly publication from Hardlines, is all about helping you manage the people side of your business. This new monthly newsletter features valuable industry knowledge and tips to help business owners and managers deal with the well-being of their people. Click here to sign up now.

OVERHEARD…

“At UFA, we look to our members and customers to guide our decision-making and it’s reflected in the products we carry and the services we offer. It’s one of the special things that make a co-operative different from any other business.”
—Glenn Bingley, vice president, agribusiness and supply chain at UFA, on that co-op’s relationship with is member-owners throughout Alberta.

UFA is a co-operative retailer meeting the needs of more than 120,000 member-owners, as well as non-members, and is one of the significant hardlines players in the West. With the surge in growth in the farm and ranch sector, the business has been solid. At its latest AGM, held last month, delegates approved a patronage dividend of $14.2 million.

Glenn Bingley is vice president, agribusiness and supply chain at UFA. The agribusiness division has 34 retail farm and ranch supply stores, which sell a large variety of agricultural-related products to agriculture—farms and ranches—and acreage customers. That includes everything from feed to fencing and livestock supplies.

The retail side also includes a commercial business. More than 50 customer account managers provide expertise on commercial crop and livestock production. Crop inputs (seed, chemicals, and fertilizer), grain storage and equipment, and farm structures are all sold through the retail stores.

That retail presence has been focused more in recent years on the rural customer. In 2017 it closed down its sporting goods business, Wholesale Sports Canada Ltd., which had 12 retail locations in Western Canada. More recently, UFA invested in a new enterprise resource planning (ERP) platform. The system was adopted to tie in all the company’s various systems―including purchasing, inventory, and order processing―replacing an existing POS system.

While the co-operative has not added to its retail footprint for a few years—in fact, two years ago it offloaded a separate building centre it had owned in Fort McMurray—it has been investing in refreshes of existing stores to keep up with the trends in customer preferences. As a result, organic growth continues to drive same-store sales and sales per square foot.

Bingley is excited about what the future holds. Trends by customers to shop local, combined with an exodus of people from the big cities, make for good business at UFA. 

“There’s been a whole revitalization of the rural markets. Whether that means people moving to a farm or people getting a second home in a rural location, we’ve seen real growth,” he says. 

Home Hardware acknowledged last week it was the victim of a ransomware attack by the website DarkSide. The group provided screenshots of confidential documents including a November letter about the acquisition of Patrick Morin, announced in February.

“On Feburary 18, Home Hardware became aware that our cybersecurity had been compromised. An unauthorized third party was able to access parts of our corporate data,” Jessica Kuepfer, Home Hardware’s communications director, explained by email.

“We immediately engaged our cybersecurity firm and quickly implemented countermeasures to isolate and contain the attack.”

The attack brings to light a problem that is occurring with businesses of all sizes. In 2014, Home Depot became a victim of online hackers. The security breach was discovered after an investigation of the retailer’s payment data systems. Target and other retailers suffered attacks of their own around that time.

Even Home Depot Canada has had its challenges. Toward the end of 2020, an internal human error resulted in a system error that ended up sending personal information, including some credit card details, out to customers via email. While not the work of online predators, the mistake bears out just how vulnerable any company can be to weaknesses in online security.

At Home Hardware, the company’s investigation indicated that the attack did not impact individual retail systems or any consumer transaction or payment data, due to the independent ownership of the stores. “We have maintained full business continuity,” said Kuepfer.

Lowe’s Canada launched contactless pick-up lockers last week at select Lowe’s stores. A total of 48 Lowe’s locations will offer the option by the end of April. Installed near the entrance of the stores, the lockers are equipped with Bluetooth technology and a touchscreen.

The technology brings the advantages of self-direction in a contactless environment while maintaining the security of the orders within each locker. Customers access instructions on how to retrieve their online orders by scanning a barcode within a confirmation email. Once the code has been successfully entered, the locker door pops open to provide access to the product.

As online orders and work-at-home conditions continue, the rate of packages being shipped to homes and offices has increased substantially under COVID. In this industry, Canadian Tire saw online sales climb by 250 percent last year, while Lowe’s itself had an increase of 111 percent.

“As customers everywhere turned massively to online shopping over the past year, it became increasingly important for us to provide them with a quick and easy way to pick up their orders at their local store, without having to wait in line at the customer service desk,” Tony Cioffi, Lowe’s Canada’s senior VP of stores, said in a statement.

According to Lowe’s Canada, following the initial rollout of the lockers in its Lowe’s stores, the company will introduce the system at select RONA and Réno-Dépôt corporate stores later this spring.

Majority of homeowners plan renovations this year, says survey

As the pandemic reached the one-year mark, a survey by online contractor connection service HomeStars found that 74 percent of homeowners are planning home improvement projects this year.

The national survey, conducted among HomeStars’ homeowner base, found that the most popular projects this year will be outdoor work including landscaping and decks, with 54 percent of homeowners planning to improve their outdoor space.

In second place came bathroom renovations at 32 percent, followed by kitchens at 23 percent. Another 17 percent indicated they will do basement renovations while repairing or replacing a major appliance was cited by 12 percent of respondents.

“Despite the pandemic, last year was incredibly busy for renovations as we’ve seen first-hand with our pros and homeowner service requests and there’s no sign of it slowing down anytime soon,” said Shir Magen, CEO of HomeStars. “With all this extra time at home, Canadians are investing in their spaces by making repairs, adding functionality, or simply to ‘spark joy’ in the new normal we’re living in.”

In regard to anticipated spending, small repairs (those under $1,000) and large jobs over $50,000 were the least popular. The top budget ranges were:

• $1,000 – $10,000 for 46 percent of respondents;
• $10,000 – $25,000 for 24 percent of respondents;
• $25,000 – $50,000 among 11 percent of respondents.

As for why they were undertaking the renovations, 29 percent indicated that they wanted to enjoy their outdoor space now that they are spending more time at home. Another 14 percent of homeowners said that, since they weren’t spending on vacations, they would invest in home renos and repairs. Half of the respondents said they were renovating their homes to ensure they could age more comfortably.

Amber McGuckin has joined the Western Retail Lumber Association as marketing and communications manager. A graduate in communications from the University of Winnipeg and creative communications from Red River College, McGuckin worked in Kenora, Ont., as a newspaper reporter before taking a job on the promotions team of CTV Winnipeg. In 2016 she was hired as a reporter and producer for Global News, working on content for television, radio, and web.

Randy Aikens has joined Mayfair Lumber Sales Inc. in Calgary as president. A veteran of the industry, whose background includes working at RONA and later at Metrie, Aikens was most recently president of Soo Mill Buildall in Sault Ste. Marie, Ont.

DID YOU KNOW…?

… that the very first episode of our brand new Hardlines Podcast Series, What’s in Store, went live last week? Our inaugural episode features an exclusive interview with Tony Hurst, the president of Lowe’s Canada. Be sure not to miss this important update from one of the country’s leading home improvement retailers. Click here now to sign up for the  Hardlines Podcast Series!

Distribution Méga Aluminium, a specialty building materials dealer in Gatineau, Que., is the newest member of TIMBER MART. Since 2014, it has offered a specialized assortment of exterior building-envelope materials, from siding and roofing to columns and louvres. The store’s property encompasses a showroom, a 22,000-square-foot warehouse, and a 32,000-square-foot yard.

TORBSA has announced the addition of RB Building Supply in Brampton, Ont., as a shareholder member of the buying group. Since opening in 2018, RB Building Supply has built a successful distribution business throughout the Brampton and Greater Toronto Area.

Home Hardware Stores held its 2021 Virtual Spring Market from March 22 to 29. The event brought together dealers from across Canada with hundreds of suppliers. Dealer-owners gained insight into strategic buying opportunities, including products and category trends through video presentations and updates from the company’s hardlines and LBM merchandise teams. This was Home Hardware’s third Virtual Market.

Lowe’s Canada will host a hiring event on April 17 to fill about 100 seasonal and permanent positions at its Boucherville, Que., distribution centre. Positions range from order pickers, shipping clerks, and maintenance workers to supply and management roles.

The Home Depot’s top five executives received a combined total of $35 million in compensation last year, up 43 percent from $24.5 million in 2019. The increase follows a surge of nearly 20 percent in revenues during 2020. None of the five individuals received bonuses last year; the company said the increases were largely in non-equity incentive plan compensation.

SUPPLIER NEWS

Richelieu Hardware has purchased Task Tools. The Delta, B.C.-based hand and power tool accessory company, which also has a facility in Brantford, Ont., represents brands such as Task Signature and Tuf-E-Nuf. The family-owned business has been in the hands of Craig Caplan, son of company founder Michael Caplan, who established the business in 1968. The Caplan family will hold onto the real estate in Delta and Brantford. Craig Caplan will stay on to continue managing the business under Richelieu.

Pandemic-related supply crunches are forcing contractors to pay premiums for lumber, driving up construction costs, CBC News reports. Prices for basic lumber products like two-by-fours have doubled since 2018, adding “tens of thousands of dollars depending on the size of your home,” according to Kevin Lee, CEO of the Canadian Home Builders Association.

The Canadian Hardware & Housewares Manufacturers Association is partnering with the Canadian Office Products Association to host a physically distanced Annual Golf Tournament on May 26. Tee-off at the Richmond Hill Golf & Country Club will start at 8 a.m. in 10-minute intervals on a first-come, first-served basis. Click here to register.

NOTED

Hardlines HR Advisor, the newest monthly publication from Hardlines, is all about helping you manage the well-being of your team. This monthly newsletter features industry knowledge and tips to help business owners and managers deal with hiring, training, succession, and other issues. Click here to sign up now.

OVERHEARD…

“Although we have grown and changed over the years, at our heart we remain committed to rural life. That commitment inspires everything we do.”
—Glenn Bingley, vice president, agribusiness and supply chain at UFA, on the co-op’s investment in the rural lifestyle and customer it serves.

For Christian Leduc, running a big box through the lockdowns of 2020 brought new challenges on a daily basis for him and his staff. As manager of the RONA Plateau store in Gatineau, Que., and then the nearby Réno-Dépôt, he saw the personal lives of his staff become more enmeshed than ever in the realities of the workplace.

“We always said, ‘take care of your employees,’ but under the pandemic last year, we had to be even more attentive about that. We had to be a big family and make sure everyone had good health,” says Leduc.

Leduc’s story is just one of the many that will be explored in the pages of Hardlines HR Advisor, the newest publication from Hardlines, Canada’s information network for the home improvement industry. This new monthly newsletter will feature industry knowledge, tips, and more to help business owners and managers deal with the well-being of their people.

HR Advisor is designed to keep you informed about human resources issues and concerns. In the latest edition, we got advice from one retail HR leader on how to make sure your team feels connected during these difficult times.

To ensure you get guidance to help manage and support your teams, every month we will include advice from HR professionals who work in retail, wholesale, and manufacturing to share their expertise. This month, Walter Pranke, vice president, human resources at Lee Valley Tools, shares how to ensure that you hire not just for work experience and job skills, but for the right values that align with your company’s.

A Question of the Month will shed light on issues that affect any business owner, including vaccine hesitancy among staff, sick days and COVID, leadership, and succession.

(Hardlines HR Advisor went live last week. And it’s free! Don’t miss a single issue of this new monthly publication to help you manage the wellbeing of your team. Click here to sign up now!)

As the president of Lowe’s Canada, Tony Hurst heads up one of this country’s largest home improvement retailers. He shared some of his thoughts and insights in a recent interview with Hardlines on topics ranging from product assortments to aligning with vendors.

That interview will be featured in the very first episode of our new Hardlines podcast series, What’s in Store.

When asked about the company’s plans for growth, Hurst says he envisions lots of room to grow the business. That growth can occur in a couple of ways, including both increased market penetration and greater incremental growth. “There’s obviously growing your square footage, and I don’t think we’re there yet. But I think my focus is really on organic growth. How do we grow within our current footprint within Canada?”

Those efforts won’t be at the expense of physical growth, but he sees an immediate opportunity addressing what he calls “retail fundamentals” within the existing stores, regardless of the banner.

“We’ve got a lot of work to do there to make sure that the way our stores are operating, the operational and merchandising processes and systems, are all harmonized,” says Hurst. Those processes will help standardize expectations for customers to help drive footsteps into the stores.

That includes working with merchants and field teams to “make sure we’ve got the right products in the stores,” as well as looking at pricing strategies. “We’re getting more focused on everyday low prices so that our customers know what to expect when they come into our doors, from a pricing standpoint.”

(The full interview with Tony Hurst will appear on the very first episode of our brand new Hardlines Podcast Series, What’s in Store, which goes live this week. Hurst will share the company’s plans for growth in Canada, his insights into the importance of the pro customer, the value of the multi-banner model, how relations with vendors have been enhanced, and much more!)

In response to the challenges presented by the COVID-19 pandemic, Orgill debuted its first-ever Online Buying Event last year. It also represented an evolution in the way the company would host buying shows in future.

“While the restrictions placed on us as a result of the pandemic forced the innovation of our Online Buying Event, the concept has proven to be relevant whether there is a pandemic or not,” says Boyden Moore, Orgill president and CEO. “Integrating additional Online Buying Events that work together with live events is definitely our path forward.”

The first change related to this new strategy is with its Fall Dealer Market, which had originally been planned for Aug. 26 to 28 in Chicago. Now, Orgill will host an online buying event that will run from Aug. 16 to 27.

In addition to that switch, Orgill will add the following events:

• A winter 2021 Online Buying Event in late October.
• A spring 2022 Online Buying Event that will coincide with the in-person Spring Dealer Market in Orlando in February 2022.
• A summer 2022 Online Buying Event in late April of that year.

The next in-person event will be the Spring Dealer Market in Orlando, Fla., from Feb. 24 to 26, 2022. Besides marking the company’s return to in-person buying markets, it will also be Orgill’s 175th anniversary.

“Believe me, we are planning for the Spring Dealer Market to be a celebration in a lot of ways,” Moore says. “Most importantly, we want it to be a big thank you to our customers and our vendors for getting through the past year, but also for supporting Orgill and helping us achieve such a significant milestone in our corporate history.”

Vendors meet online sellers at Home Improvement eRetailer Summit

The fifth edition of the Home Improvement eRetailer Summit, and the first one to go virtual, was held last month. As a forum for vendors to get in front of online sellers, it proved a success.

The one-on-one meetings, which took place on day two, allowed vendors to connect with retail buyers and executives from the likes of Goedeker’s, Spreetail, Boscov’s, Sustainable Supply, Zoro.com, and Firefly Buys. Collectively, these online home improvement sellers represent billions of dollars in sales annually.

The first day concluded with a panel featuring some of America’s leading online home improvement sellers and moderated by Michael McLarney of Hardlines. The panelists shared key learnings they had experienced coming through the COVID pandemic.

Brian Fricano, CEO of Sustainable Supply, noted that for companies and individuals alike, the trials of last year required the ability to adapt or pivot very quickly. He called it “an essential 21st-century skill” that found his company shifting assortments to remain relevant to customers.

Asa Farquhar, VP of Spreetail, stressed the importance of human relationships. As an organization, it’s important to consider the priorities between work and home so individuals can balance them both through the pandemic. “We did that by focusing on honest, open communications with employees and with our partners about what could happen to their lives.”

For Elizabeth Ragone of Boscov’s, a chain of 50 department stores in the U.S., the challenge was about timing. Her company had historically catered to a loyal and ageing customer, but the advent of COVID forced the retailer to reconsider—and quickly. Moving more online and educating that venerable customer to come with them was a part of the transformation Boscov’s went through in 2020.

Each of these major retailers was among the individuals who met virtually with vendors to discuss online sales opportunities.

“The summit offered a great opportunity to meet with some of the best online retailers in North America,” McLarney said. “Each of them offered valuable insights about their experience overseeing their business during the pandemic. They talked about the importance of shifting their product lines to meet changing demand, the importance of maintaining strong relationships with their teams while working remotely, and they need to think differently through this whole experience.”

Darryl Pollock has been named channel partner manager at Trusscore. He joined the Kitchener, Ont.-based company last summer as a product manager. Before joining Trusscore, he was a roofing product manager at Bailey Metal Products, and his background also includes stints at Ply Gem Canada and CanWel Building Materials.

DMC Recruitment Group has welcomed two new members to its building materials recruitment team. Mike Houston has 13 years of experience recruiting for mid-level to executive positions in the LBM and construction industry. Shannon Cupskey has worked for more than 20 years in the home improvement industry, including retail, sales agencies, manufacturing, distribution, and buying groups.

DID YOU KNOW…?

… that the very first episode of our brand new Hardlines Podcast Series, What’s in Store, goes live this week? Our inaugural episode features an exclusive interview with Tony Hurst, the president of Lowe’s Canada. Be sure not to miss this important update from one of the country’s leading home improvement retailers. Click here now to sign up for the Hardlines Podcast Series!

RONA affiliate dealers Lori and Marc Palsson have acquired a third store in Dryden, Ont. After 40 years in business, the store will be converted to the RONA banner and undergo renovations to increase its sales area by over 5,000 square feet. The overhaul will allow it to house a new 3,300-square-foot seasonal area and a 2,500-square-foot kitchen, bath, and appliance centre. The process, which should take five to six weeks, will represent a local investment of approximately $1 million and is expected to create 15 jobs in the community.

Home Hardware Stores has been named a Top Fleet Employer of Distinction by Trucking HR Canada. The program, now in its eighth year, honours the best trucking and logistics industry workplaces in Canada. Award applicants are evaluated on recruitment and retention practices, workplace culture, compensation, training and skills development, and innovative HR practices. Home Hardware has 140 tractors and over 500 trailers on the road, travelling 20 million kilometres per year, says the company.

The newest member of Castle Building Centres is Toronto’s ML Lumber & Building Supplies. Owners Connie Vieira and her son Rene Silva Jr. have operated independently in Toronto since 1974. The business was founded as Maple Leaf Lumber in 1932.

Dollarama reported Q4 profits of $173.9 million, compared to $178.7 million a year earlier. Sales for the quarter rose to $1.1 billion from about $1.07 billion. Comparable store sales edged down by 0.2 percent. Despite a spike in-store traffic during the holiday season, sales suffered after the introduction of retail restrictions in Alberta, Ontario, and the chain’s home province of Quebec.

SUPPLIER NEWS

West Fraser Timber Co. has issued an update on its Dudley, Ga., lumber mill and Chambord, Que., OSB mill. Substantial portions of a new Dudley mill are being commissioned and are ramping up, with the site expected to be fully operational by the end of the second quarter of 2021. Operations at the original site will be wound down by that time. The Chambord mill has completed commissioning and panels are now being produced and shipped. It has started the ramp-up toward full production capacity.

ECONOMIC INDICATORS

Total U.S. retail sales excluding non-store retailers (not seasonally adjusted) in December 2020 were up 4.8 percent. Sales by the building supplies, garden equipment, and supplies dealers subsector were up 20.5 percent in December compared with the same period a year earlier. (U.S. Commerce Dept.)

NOTED

Léger Marketing’s annual reputation ranking shows that Quebec consumers are responding positively to familiar brands. Léger VP Christian Bourque suggests the uncertainty of the pandemic makes stability and familiarity attractive so people are rewarding these types of businesses. Canadian Tire took the top spot both nationally and in Quebec, while IGA, Metro, and pharmacy chain Groupe Jean Coutu also featured in the top 10. RONA, which moved down in the rankings after its 2016 acquisition by Lowe’s, logged the second-biggest jump this year, rising by 20 points to number 15.

OVERHEARD…

“We believe that by adding additional Online Buying Events to our schedule, we can help our customers take better advantage of the seasonal buying opportunities available to them. By adding events, we won’t be asking them to condense their purchases into two narrow windows in the fall and spring.”
—Greg Stine, EVP of marketing and communications at Orgill, on that company’s commitment to continue to provide purchasing access for customers through virtual events, in association with live shows as conditions improve.

Early last year Tony Hurst was put in place as president of Lowe’s Canada. Based in the company’s head office and distribution centre in Boucherville, Que., Hurst reports directly to Lowe’s president and CEO Marvin Ellison.

Hurst has spent the past year getting used to the business—and to Canada. Recently, he sat (virtually) with Hardlines to share his observations.

When asked what differences he identified between Canada and U.S. home improvement markets, Hurst noted that there are many similarities, especially in terms of the customer and how to go to market. But he did add that the Lowe’s model here, with its multiple banners and ownership models, is “drastically different than the U.S.”

That, he admitted, is the big distinction between Lowe’s Canada and the U.S. parent. “I get asked this question a lot about, ‘what is our long-term banner strategy?’ My answer would be that I’m not as concerned about the name on the front of the building as I am about the experience and the brand recognition for the customer.”

The focus now, he added, is on making life easier for that customer. “A lot of our work and our attention has been around making sure that we have a better experience in-store—a more frictionless experience, especially as we focus more on omnichannel amid these times of the pandemic.”

He identified the varied store formats as an advantage when selling to contractors. “We also have our building centres, which allows us to really expand our reach as far as our pro focus segment, with goods that you wouldn’t necessarily carry in a corporate store.”

That ability to tailor assortments beyond the corporate offering is something he hopes to flow back to the big stores. “I think that’s been a strength for us that we’re continuing to lean into—to figure out how we grow our reach to all of our corporate stores with an offering that’s differentiated to that pro segment, so that we can service them much better.”

Hurst believes that the many aspects of the Lowe’s Canada store formats offer a range of categories and ideas that can be shared with the other banners. For example, he notes that Réno-Dépôt stores, which are solidly focused on pro customers, do not have special-order kitchen centres. But products and services that appeal to DIYers and go beyond just what’s on the shelves are important.

“So we’re really focused on how we expand the best of each banner into our other stores, and really give a more consistent experience as well. At the end of the day, it’s about how we get a consistent experience, regardless of the name on the front of the building.”

(The full interview with Tony Hurst will appear on the very first episode of our brand new Hardlines Podcast Series, What’s in Store, which goes live in the second week of April. Hurst will share the company’s plans for growth in Canada, his insights into the importance of the pro customer, the value of the multi-banner model, how relations with vendors have been enhanced, and much more!)

It’s showtime for the home improvement industry, as wholesalers roll out their buying events to drive sales and promote programs from their respective banners. As the pandemic drags on and variant viruses slow the world’s recovery, vendors and buyers alike are wondering what the fall will look like.

Home Hardware’s 2021 Virtual Spring Market kicked off all last week and ends today. The event boasted hundreds of suppliers, live video interaction capability, and key updates from Home Hardware’s hardlines and LBM merchandise teams. Home’s events have historically been preceded by a dealer conference and the virtual one had its own educational component consisting of 16 category review webinars.

Also last week, Ace Canada held a virtual show for the dealers it now services. The 2021 Spring Buying Show drew more than 100 dealers who carry the Ace banner in Canada. Due to a strategic alliance with LBM buying group Sexton Group, the show also featured a showcase for LBM dealers on the combined strengths of Sexton Group and the Ace Canada banner program. The next in-person show is scheduled for September 2021, but a decision about whether to pivot to a virtual show will be made soon.

Orgill held its February show virtually, with increased emphasis on learning and seminars. Taking advantage of a different mix of attendees than it might get with a live event, it offered seminars and service updates, along with an online buying show. For the educational component, the company reported more than 3,000 dealer registrations for some 30 sessions.

Come the fall, plans by the various groups and wholesalers become less clear. Orgill had committed to make its next market a live event, scheduled for Chicago from Aug. 26 to 28. But based on the success of its virtual shows, it’s evaluating how to proceed with a combination of virtual and live events, says Greg Stine, EVP marketing and communications at Orgill. “Within the next week, we will be rolling out a 12-month plan that outlines how these online and in-person buying events will work in tandem to provide our customers with options that are best suited to meet their needs.”

In Canada, where vaccine rollouts have been hindered and travel hesitancy is considered greater than in the U.S., wholesalers have been slow to commit. The Home Hardware Fall Market typically falls on the third week of September, but the company says it could not confirm any plans yet for the format of that event.

“Home Hardware continues to build on the success of our previous virtual markets, leveraging technology in new and innovative ways to support our dealers’ growth and profitability,” said Kevin Macnab, president and CEO of Home Hardware Stores, in an email. “As we look to the future, decisions about returning to in-person events will be made following all health and safety regulations.”

BMR Group holds its show in Quebec City in the first or second week of November, drawing member-dealers from across the province, as well its dealers in the Maritimes and Ontario. That event took a pause last year when the buying event went virtual during COVID. A spokesperson for the company said they have not yet decided which formula to use and will decide in the coming weeks.

The virtual events unquestionably have their merits. They let many dealers who may have been prevented by time, money, or distance attend the buying markets from the safety and comfort of their home or workplace. The vendors who were contacted by Hardlines throughout COVID have expressed more mixed feelings. Many insist online platforms do not draw the kinds of attendance or generate the levels of business that a face-to-face event can deliver. The costs to participate in a virtual show can, they say, rival those of a live event.

As the industry—and the world—reckons with the return to some sort of normalcy, dealers and vendors alike have expressed their eagerness to get face to face again, despite the convenience of virtual events.

One thing bricks-and-mortar retailers have been realizing through the pandemic is the value of added services to make a customer’s experience easier and more complete. BMR Group is no exception and its latest initiative aims to simplify the often-painful process of securing a contractor once a project has been finalized.

BMR is partnering with RénoAssistance, a subsidiary of Desjardins Group, to offer customers in the Montreal region access, free of charge, to a pool of more than 1,200 contractors. Customers who consult with the BMR Reno Squad can look to the team of 35 professionals at RénoAssistance for help identifying their needs and completing their projects. All participating pros have been screened for quality and pricing.

RénoAssistance was founded in 2010 and Desjardins became a majority shareholder at the beginning of 2020. During the past year, the company says it has received more than 31,500 customer requests from the Montreal, Quebec City, and Toronto markets.

Requests for a price can be accessed through the BMR website and are processed directly by RénoAssistance, which will then present quotes from the three best contractors for the customer’s project. The bids are evaluated based on criteria such as previous customer references, legal structure, and results from worksite visits.

Referring to BMR’s positioning as a Quebec-based company that works to stay close to its customers, Martin Lecomte, vice-president, retail and network performance, said that “to partner with RénoAssistance, a Quebec flagship that has unrivalled expertise in this area, seemed natural to us. We are very pleased with this collaboration, which allows us to further our commitment to be the partner of choice in renovations, for both consumers and contractors, in Quebec.”

Joe Collerone, director of marketing at Sexton Group, has decided to retire at the end of this month. A 15-year veteran of the Winnipeg-based group, Collerone was considered instrumental in developing the programs for its members. In his early years with Sexton, Collerone was on the road working to grow membership across western Canada.

Robert Sawyer is joining Loblaw as COO. With 40 years experience as a Canadian retail executive, including as COO at Metro, he served as CEO and president of RONA from 2013 until 2016, when he joined Weston’s board.

Kaileen Millard-Ruff has joined Peavey Industries as senior vice president, operations. Her portfolio consists of the Peavey Mart, Mainstreet Hardware, and corporate Ace Hardware locations. In addition to Peavey’s in-field store retail operations team, Millard-Ruff also oversees operational services and the company’s facilities and maintenance team. Previously, she was VP of retail at Lee Valley Tools.

DID YOU KNOW…?

… that Hardlines is launching podcasts next month? Our brand new Hardlines Podcast Series, What’s in Store, will go live in the second week of April with news and insights from industry leaders and top dealers. The first episode features the president of Lowe’s Canada, Tony Hurst, in an exclusive interview. You won’t want to miss this, so click here to sign up for the podcasts now!

Exchange Solutions, a marketing technology company and loyalty services provider, has formed a partnership with Kent Building Supplies, which operates 48 home centres and big boxes in Atlantic Canada. Exchange Solutions, which has offices in Toronto and Boston, will work with Kent to develop an online loyalty program using its ES Loyalty SaaS Platform and ES Engage. This partnership will allow Kent to offer customers a personalized program that gives them access to exclusive, customized offers and rewards. Consumers will also have the opportunity to take advantage of real-time offers while browsing online.

eBay Canada has launched a new business offering “Certified Refurbished” products. Canadians can now shop for popular brands on eBay at up to 40 percent less than buying new, but with all the same assurances, including a “like-new” quality guarantee backed by the manufacturer and a free, two-year warranty. The program was launched in the U.S. last year.

SUPPLIER NEWS

The Quebec Hardware and Building Supply Association (AQMAT) provided a telecast version of its Annual Industry Gala this year. The event, which attracted an estimated 600 viewers, honoured both retailers and suppliers in Quebec’s retail home improvement industry, with five retailers, five manufacturers, three employees, one sales team, and two innovative products earning top honours from among the 89 entries. A special ceremony also marked the years of service of 19 employees. (Click here to see the full list of winners.)

ECONOMIC INDICATORS

Retail sales fell for the second consecutive month, down 1.1 percent to $52.5 billion in January. Sales declined in six of 11 subsectors, representing 39.4 percent of retail sales. Core retail sales—which exclude gasoline stations and motor vehicle and parts dealers—also posted their second consecutive decline, falling 1.4 percent. However, the building material and garden equipment and supplies dealers subsector remained strong, up 2.9 percent from the previous month, and up a healthy 26 percent year over year. (StatCan)

Sales of new single-family homes in the U.S. tumbled 18.2 percent in February, hitting a seasonally adjusted annual rate of 775,000 units. That represented a nine-month low, pulled down by cold weather and high lumber and mortgage costs. On a year-over-year basis, new home sales were up 8.2 percent in February. (U.S. Commerce Dept.)

Sales of existing U.S. homes fell by 6.6 percent in February to a seasonally adjusted annual rate of 6.22 million units. (National Association of Realtors)

NOTED

According to a Leger survey commissioned by eBay Canada, 40 percent of Canadians have purchased a refurbished item in the past, but 70 percent would consider buying refurbished in the future if it came with the same assurances as buying brand new.

OVERHEARD…

"I have enjoyed working with Joe since I began with the company and have much respect for his work and contribution to our company over his 15-year career with Sexton.”
—Eric Palmer, vice president and general manager of Sexton Group, on the departure of Joe Collerone after 15 years of service developing the group’s dealer network.

Both Lowe’s Canada and Home Depot Canada have launched their spring hiring campaigns in preparation for the home improvement industry’s busiest season. For dealers of all sizes, hiring poses a big challenge and the struggle to find—and keep—staff is something that is shared by stores across the country.

Lowe’s says it aims to fill over 7,000 full- and part-time positions throughout its network of Lowe’s, RONA, and Réno-Dépôt corporate stores across Canada. At rival Home Depot Canada, the search is on for an additional 5,000-plus workers to fill full-time, part-time, and seasonal positions that include overnight associates, sales associates, cashiers, specialty staff, and department supervisors.

Lowe’s stores across the country have been holding national and regional hiring events, which will continue through next month. This year, for the first time, national events take place exclusively online, while regional events are offering candidates a hybrid formula that allows them to complete their first interview online or in person. Big box stores typically have about 150 people on staff. Some locations will look to add up to 30 percent more associates.

Lowe’s Canada continues to fill ranks corporately as well. It told La Presse recently that it’s seeking to fill 80 new jobs at its Boucherville, Que., head office. That’s in addition to some 2,000 new workers for its Quebec corporate stores. In Canada, Lowe’s has more than 26,000 associates, in addition to approximately 5,000 workers at independent affiliate dealer stores operating under the RONA banner.

Home Depot Canada, which has more than 30,000 workers in Canada, offers new hires plenty of training to get them up to speed quickly. The company says it provides more than one million hours of training programs each year.

The company prides itself on a culture whose values include respect for all people, excellent customer service, and giving back. In fact, associates contribute more than 60,000 hours each year in support of local community projects or through The Home Depot Canada Foundation, which is committed to preventing and ending youth homelessness in Canada.

Peavey Industries, through its Ace Canada licence, has taken over the Ace Hardware in Manning, Alta. Formerly an independent dealer-owned Ace outlet with a long history in Manning, Peavey decided to turn it into a corporate store.

The location has been in operation since the 1980s, always a part of the same family of companies. It began as Macleods, transitioned to True Value in the early 1990s, and was rebranded under the TruServ banner in 2011 before its final realignment under Ace in 2015.

Peavey Industries acquired the Ace Canada brand in 2020.

Damian Zapisocky, senior vice president, corporate and strategic development with Peavey, explains that Ace Canada will work with its dealers to develop a successful outcome to their succession plans.

“We are excited to bring this store into our corporate envelope; we also welcome the opportunity to find succession solutions for any of our existing Ace dealers in need and other aligned businesses that may be interested in consulting with us as to the benefits and rewards of becoming an Ace-branded dealer.”

However, in this case, Ace Canada won’t look for a new dealer-owner for the Manning location. It will continue as a corporate store, as both ownership models, the company says, have a place in Peavey’s family of companies. Besides its Ace business, Peavey Industries owns 90 corporate stores, which operate under the Peavey Mart and MainStreet Hardware banners.

Will Pasichnuk will stay on as manager of Manning Ace Hardware. “I have been here for 20 years and a part-owner in the business for 14 of those years. This transition will provide the solid footing we need to remain the strong and valuable local resource for our customers who have relied on us for nearly 40 years,” he said about the change from independent ownership to a corporate store.

Ace Canada is looking to add more dealers across Canada, whether start-ups or as a succession alternative for an existing retailer. The company adds that it can offer leverage from the standpoint of both a dealer-owned and a corporate model. Whether someone wants to join Ace or to roll up into a corporate model, the company will work with the individual and determine what’s best for them.

For the first time in its history, Federated Co-operatives Limited (FCL) hosted its annual meeting virtually. Nearly 300 delegates representing local co-operative associations from across Western Canada came together online to participate earlier this month.

Saskatoon-based FCL is rated by SaskBusiness Magazine as the second-largest business in Saskatchewan (and ranks in our Hardlines Top 20 list of home improvement retailers—Editor). Annual revenues reached $7.9 billion, down 13.5 percent from $9.2 billion in the previous year.

While most of its divisions saw growth, the overall drop was due to a $1.3 billion decline in energy sales. Earnings were $177 million, with $117.5 million from the profits being returned to local Co-ops and their communities in Western Canada.

FCL’s hardware and home centre business, through its Home and Building Solutions division (HABS), saw wholesale sales, or sales to its Co-op member stores, reach $363 million in fiscal 2020, up from $325 million in 2019. Profits remained steady at $12 million for 2020. The HABS team told Hardlines it remains focused on growing Co-op’s store brands.

In his address to delegates, CEO Scott Banda spoke of the resiliency of the Co-operative Retailing System (CRS) while facing the challenges posed by the COVID-19 pandemic. He recognized the strong results experienced in food, home and building, and agriculture, even as energy markets collapsed.

Harnessing technology to meet customer needs was  central to Orgill’s launch of its Distance Learning Series earlier this year. This three-week event led up to the hardware wholesaler’s Online Buying Event as a way to offer customers a range of learning-focused content in a virtual environment.

The Distance Learning Series offered retailers the opportunity to select from more than 30 live webinars from Orgill and industry experts during a two-week window. The online seminars are also available to customers on Orgill’s website.

“We know that our customers see a great deal of value in the seminars and learning sessions that normally take place during the live Dealer Markets,” said Jordan Hughes, Orgill’s marketing and advertising manager. “We didn’t want them to miss out on this kind of experience in between our live shows, so we launched our first Distance Learning Series.”

In total, Orgill had more than 3,000 registrations for the Distance Learning Series sessions. While the first round of Distance Learning Sessions took place in January, Orgill plans to offer these sessions each month, according to Hughes.

“We will be offering this Distance Learning Series during the last full week of each month moving forward and featuring a variety of valuable content for our customers,” he said.

While Hughes says that live seminars and learning sessions will continue to play a big part in future live Dealer Markets, the Distance Learning Series will offer access to enhanced content on an ongoing basis.

“Technology allows us to offer access to this kind of information and content on a more regular basis than just during our live Dealer Markets, so we see this as a great opportunity to share information with our customers,” he said.

Daniel Lampron has returned to Patrick Morin Renovation Centres, as VP and COO. Lampron previously served as the company’s managing director from 2011 to 2018. In the interval, he held leadership positions at Groupe Lou-Tec and Groupe Deschênes. Patrick Morin is now under new ownership (read that story in our Feb. 22 edition! —Editor), with a new president, Louis Turcotte. Turcotte heads up Groupe Turcotte, a network of seven Home Hardware stores that partnered with Home Hardware to acquire Patrick Morin earlier this year.

Jean Belhumeur has retired as president and COO of Leviton Canada. He started his career with Leviton in 1994 as a controller and he was promoted to his current role in 1998. Jason Prevost has succeeded Belhumeur as president and COO. He joined the company in April 2019 as vice president of distribution. After more than 31 years at Leviton, Bruce Brown, VP retail, has also retired. Julie Marineau has taken over that position. She previously held the role of sales director for Alberta and Prairies for Leviton’s distribution channel and has been part of the Leviton team for over 25 years.

DID YOU KNOW…?

… that you don’t have to wait another week to get industry news from Hardlines? Our free Daily News is an important way to keep up every single day. And it’s free. You get the deep dive on Mondays, but until then make sure you’re signed up for our free Daily News updates. (Did we mention that they’re free?)

TORBSA has overhauled its website to support its growth strategy. The site, featuring the buying group’s new visual identity, includes shareholder distribution pages, membership information and supplier information, and a profile of TORBSA’s head office team. Alongside the new features, the membership portal will continue to keep shareholders connected.

Castle Building Centres has another new member in Ontario. Peel Hardware & Supply in Caledon is a family-owned business offering building materials, hardware, and garden supplies, and provides feed to the local farming community. Owner Bill Hewson founded the store in nearby Brampton in 2013 and expanded to the 20,000-square-foot Caledon facility in 2016. His daughter, Jennifer Hewson, manages the business.

IN MEMORIAM

Keith Moffatt, who co-founded Moffatt & Powell in 1956 and Watford Roof Truss in 1972, died at his home on March 7 at the age of 87. In recognition of his career in the industry, Moffatt, along with partner David Powell, received a lifetime industry achievement award in 2008 from the Lumber and Building Materials Association of Ontario. He is survived by his wife, Marion (Beaumont), their two children and their spouses, Mary (David) and John (Jennifer), and two grandchildren, Andrew and Benjamin.

SUPPLIER NEWS

CanWel Building Materials Group reported that its Q4 revenues increased by 37 percent to $402 million, compared to $293.4 million in the same period in 2019. The gain was attributed to strong home improvement activity and strong housing starts. Net earnings for the quarter amounted to $15 million. Revenues for the fiscal year rose by 21 percent to $1.61 billion, from $1.33 billion in 2019, with earnings of $59.6 million.

Quebec industry association AQMAT held its annual Recognition Gala virtually this past weekend, honouring outstanding performers in the home improvement industry in Quebec. Retailers and suppliers were recognized in 16 categories.

SUPPLIER NEWS

German trade show organizer Koelnmesse has rescheduled this year’s spoga+gafa event for Aug. 8 to 10, as it works to develop digital platforms to support a hybrid format. The organizers of Europe’s garden and leisure trade show said that most exhibitors were willing to go ahead in the spring, but the public appetite for business travel remains low. August’s event will be the show’s first hybrid edition.

Intertape Polymer Group reported Q4 revenues of $344.1 million, up 18 percent thanks to higher demand for products like water-activated tape and protective packaging. Adjusted net earnings increased $18.8 million to $32.4 million primarily due to an increase in gross profit, partially offset by an increase in income tax expense. Revenues for fiscal 2020 rose by 4.7 percent to $1.2 billion, while earnings increased by $31.9 million to $89.7 million.

ECONOMIC INDICATORS

Sales of existing homes climbed by 6.6 percent between January and February 2021 to set another new record. The seasonally adjusted activity was running at an annualized pace of 783,636 units in February. The month-over-month increase in national sales activity from January to February was led by the Greater Toronto Area and other Ontario markets, along with Calgary and a number of markets in British Columbia. These offset a considerable decline in sales in Montreal. (Canadian Real Estate Association)

February’s seasonally adjusted annual rate of housing starts fell by 13.5 percent to 245,922 units, compared to 284,372 units in January. The SAAR of urban starts decreased by 14 percent in February to 231,042 units. Multiple urban starts declined by 15.8 percent to 163,757 units while single-detached urban starts were down 9.3 percent to 67,285 units. (CMHC)

U.S. housing starts fell by 10.3 percent in February to a seasonally adjusted annual rate of 1.42 million units. Building permits dropped by 10.8 percent, offsetting January’s gains. (U.S. Commerce Dept.)

February’s U.S. retail sales were estimated at $561.7 billion, a decrease of three percent from January but 6.3 percent above February 2020. LBM and garden dealers racked up $30.3 billion in sales for the month, compared to $32.02 billion in January. (U.S. Commerce Dept.)

NOTED

More than 75 percent of Home Depot Canada store managers started as hourly associates.

OVERHEARD…

“The past year has inspired us to think differently and adapt quickly to ever-changing situations. The diversity of our business lines and our commitment to all work together have helped guide us through this crisis. We must continue to focus on the long-term opportunities and consider what the future looks like beyond this pandemic to serve our Western Canadian communities.”
—Scott Banda, CEO of Federated Co-op, during the company’s 92nd, and first virtual, AGM last month.

Starting today, Alexandre Lefebvre, president of Lefebvre & Benoît, steps into the CEO role at BMR Group. He replaces Pascal Houle, who has led BMR since 2015 and moved back to BMR’s parent company, Sollio Cooperative Group, as COO.

Along with the CEO role, Lefebvre will serve as EVP at Sollio.

BMR reached a deal back in the summer of 2019 to acquire a stake in Lefebvre & Benoit and has remained its main shareholder ever since. Established almost 60 years ago, Lefebvre & Benoît is a major supplier of building materials to builders and contractors in Quebec, with more than 600 employees. Both companies are members of the Independent Lumber Dealers Co-Operative buying group (ILDC).

Houle and Lefebvre have been working closely together since the buyout and Lefebvre will report directly to Houle in this new role. Lefebvre will also hold a seat on the Sollio board and retain his position as chair of the board of Lefebvre & Benoît.

“I am happy to welcome Alexandre Lefebvre to our team and have complete confidence in his ability to succeed me as CEO of BMR Group,” said Houle in a release. “Alexandre has extensive experience in management and has been head of the family business since 2012.”

Lefebvre’s CV includes an MBA from Queen’s University and a BA in Business Administration from the University of Ottawa. He sits on the board of ILDC and is a member of the board of governors of the Conseil du patronat du Québec (CPQ). In 2017, he was named one of Canada’s Top 40 under 40.

In his new role, Lefebvre will ensure BMR Group’s continued growth in alignment with the company’s strategic plan. His brother, Marc-André Lefebvre, will now serve as president of Lefebvre & Benoit.

“I am very proud to join BMR Group—a local company that values entrepreneurship and regional development. Having headed the Lefebvre & Benoit family business for close to 10 years, the time has come to take on a new challenge,” said Alexandre Lefebvre.

What’s the best part about being an Outstanding Retailer Award winner? Oh sure, there’s the engraved plaque, the promotion of the award within one’s community, and being celebrated in person at the Hardlines Gala Dinner.

But winning owners and managers tell us over and over that it’s the sense of pride they have for their staff that really highlights their experience. That sense of pride is shared by all winners and by the industry at large, as ORA winners represent the very best qualities of retailing, leadership, and humanity that make this industry so great.

That’s why Hardlines is pleased to announce the call for entries for the 2021 Outstanding Retailer Awards.

The awards, which are national in scope, are open to all Canadian hardware and home improvement retailers and managers who have operated under their current ownership for at least two years.

Dealers may submit their entries directly to Hardlines. Alternatively, their chain or buying group head offices may select their best dealer(s) and prepare their entries for them in collaboration with the dealer. Head offices may enter more than one store per category. In addition, suppliers may identify specific outstanding retailers for entry. ORA submissions are due June 25.

While the state of the world remains uncertain, right now we are planning to award the winning dealers in person during our Gala Dinner at this year’s Hardlines Conference, which will be held Oct. 19 and 20 at the Queen’s Landing Hotel, Niagara-on-the-Lake, Ont. We are committed to providing a safe and comfortable environment in which to host the conference and the awards and will keep you updated as we draw nearer to the date. (Click here to see a full list of categories and entry details, et en français ici.)

Winners will receive a trip for two to Toronto, plus two nights’ accommodation at the Queen’s Landing Hotel in nearby Niagara-on-the-Lake, Ont. The winning dealers will attend the Hardlines Conference on Oct. 19 and 20 and participate in the ORA Gala Dinner on Oct. 19, at the end of day one of the conference.

In addition, winners will receive an inscribed plaque, a write‐up in Hardlines Home Improvement Quarterly magazine, and a customized video and photo ready to be sent to local media.

(To fill out the ORA application, please visit www.oras.ca; or contact our Editor, Christina Manocchio, for further information. Le formulaire est également disponible en français.)

A recent online conference focusing on retail and marketing in the digital world provided some valuable insights into the direction of one of Canada’s leading hardware retailers.

Cynthia Wong is the associate vice president of digital product management at Canadian Tire Corp. She sat on a panel at the Dx3 conference to share her company’s online challenges as it adapted to the demands created by the pandemic. She noted that the company, across all its retail banners, saw online sales rise by 183 percent in 2020. The Canadian Tire Retail business was up an astonishing 250 percent.

It happened fast last April. Literally overnight, sales on the Canadian Tire website increased by almost 25 percent. “All of a sudden, we had so much [online] volume that we had a huge and extended blackout on the site, which will live forever on BlogTO,” she said, referring to the notice that one popular Toronto site took of the technical difficulties.

Behind the scenes, changes had to be made to various functional areas, including digital, supply chain, and merchandising. Budgets had to be reallocated to meet the demand for fixes in different parts of the company.

Through it all, she added, her team worked to track the pulse of the customer, something that was done daily. Going forward, “the focus will be on stability, performance, and keeping an eye on the retail experience.”

Hardlines is pleased to announce the appointment of Christina Manocchio as editor. In this role, she is responsible for the full range of Hardlines products, including the weekly Hardlines newsletter, Hardlines Dealer News and our various reports. She is also the main lead on editorial production of our print magazine for dealers and managers, Hardlines Home Improvement Quarterly. Her byline will appear on the Editor’s Message page of the next issue HHIQ.

Christina has already proved herself a creative and integral part of the Hardlines team. She has also been deeply involved in the development of new editorial products at Hardlines as the company evolves new ways to serve the retail home improvement industry coming through the pandemic.

She brings solid editorial background to her new role. She worked as a copy editor at The Hamilton Spectator and the Toronto Star, on its daily news beat. Her experience in the B2B world includes a stint as associate editor at Food in Canada magazine. Her wide-ranging experience includes co-ordinating communications for community and not-for-profit organizations. She is also a Brownie leader with Girl Guides of Canada since 2019.

Christina graduated with a BA in journalism from Wilfrid Laurier University and is currently working toward a marketing diploma at McMaster University.

We look forward to working with Christina as she connects with dealers and executives across the country in her ongoing coverage of the retail home improvement industry in Canada.

DID YOU KNOW…?

… that you don’t have to wait another week to get industry news from Hardlines? Our free Daily News is an important way to keep up every single day. And it’s free. You get the deep dive on Mondays, but until then make sure you’re signed up for our free Daily News updates. (Did we mention that they’re free?)

RONA affiliate dealer Fraser Valley Building Supplies (FVBS) has acquired a new store in Terrace, B.C. Terrace Builders Centre will be FVBS’s sixth location.

Castle Building Centres has added two new members in Ontario. Daro Vinyl Products, in Val-Caron, is owned by Roy Gareau and his son Joel. The store has served residential and commercial customers in Sudbury’s north end for almost 25 years. Tri-County Building Supplies is in Coboconk, in Ontario’s Kawartha Lakes district. Owned by Larry Cobbledick and managed by Renee Lee, the building centre has served the local area for almost 40 years.

Home Hardware is participating in Tim Hortons’ 2021 Roll Up To Win contest. Tim Hortons customers will have the chance to win one of 1,000 Home Hardware eGift Cards valued at $100 each. Roll Up To Win runs from March 8 to April 4 via the Tim Hortons mobile app and online at www.rolluptowin.ca. Tim Hortons’ iconic beverage cups will also feature the Home Hardware logo.

TORBSA will host its inaugural Virtual Vendor Expo May 18 to 21, replacing its Annual Vendor Appreciation Event. The expo will showcase the buying group’s preferred suppliers, with the final evening dedicated to an invitation-only virtual Vendor Appreciation Event.

Home Hardware dealer-owners Hugues Nepveu and Isabelle Patry have acquired Centre de Rénovation St-Augustin in Mirabel, Que. They joined the Home Hardware banner seven years ago. The Mirabel store is their fifth in the province. Their other Centres de Rénovation are in Pine-Hill (Brownsburg-Chatham), L’Epiphanie, Fabreville (Laval), and Sainte-Marthe-sur-le-Lac.

GMS Inc. reported Q3 sales of $751.2 million, a 1.3 percent decline from $761.4 million in last year’s comparable period, due to the continued impact of the pandemic on markets. Organic net sales declined 1.9 percent. Adjusted earnings rose to $25.9 million from $22.2 million.

Costco Wholesale Corp.’s Q2 net sales rose 14.7 percent to nearly $43.9 billion, from $38.36 in Q2 of 2020. Total revenues reached $44.77 billion, from $39.07 billion a year ago. Sales through the online channel soared by 75.8 percent, while comp sales in Canada grew by 13.4 percent.

David Dingwell died at the age of 77 in Souris, P.E.I. His career in home improvement retail dates back to the 1970s and included working for hardware wholesaler Cochrane Dunlop, and later Sodisco-Howden. More recently, David was named business development manager at TIMBER MART in 2007 and became TIMBER MART’s regional director of member services for Atlantic Canada in 2014. In 2017, the ABSDA conferred on him its first-ever Industry Lifetime Achievement Award. He is survived by his wife of 55 years, Dessie (Creamer), their three children, and six grandchildren, as well as his brother Roger and several nieces and nephews. A celebration of life will be held when circumstances permit.

SUPPLIER NEWS

Door and window maker ATIS has announced the closures of its Terrebonne, Que., plant and 19 outlets in the province as it seeks creditor protection. Its management says it has not thrown in the towel but is working to restructure to return to profitability.

OVERHEARD…

“Throughout his career, Dave formed many lasting relationships and was a personal friend to a number of TIMBER MART dealers, vendors, and staff. He had the rare ability to make everyone he met feel special and always had TIMBER MART members’ best interests at heart. He has touched so many people in a positive way and will truly be missed.”
—Bernie Owens, TIMBER MART president and CEO, on the passing of Dave Dingwell, who had represented the group in Atlantic Canada since 2007.

“We’re all now technology companies.”
—Cynthia Wong, associate vice president, Digital Product Management at Canadian Tire Corp. She was speaking at this year’s Dx3 conference about the digital shift that retailers are making to adapt during the pandemic.