September 4, 2017 Volume xxiii, #33

“There are no passengers on Spaceship Earth. We are all crew.”
— Marshall McLuhan, (Canadian communications theorist, English professor, and philosopher, 1911-1980)

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Orgill market offers merchandising programs for contractor customers

BOSTON — About 400 Canadians went down to Boston recently for Orgill’s fall dealer market. Organizers claim it’s the largest contingent from north of the border to attend in the 10 years that Orgill has been operating in this country.

One of the most visited areas of the market continued to be the concept stores. This year’s event featured two fully merchandised stores. An update to Orgill’s Walnut Grove Hardware and Supply model store presented space-saving techniques with categories geared towards the DIY and farm customer. The second model store was brand new to Orgill. Central Tool & Building Supply was focused on attracting contractors and builders. It featured merchandising innovations of its own, including “H-racking”, or warehouse-style fixturing (shown here), that lets dealers open up the storage area at the back of the store to better showcase products. All assortments within the store were 100% Canadian-compliant.

Philip Walker, Orgill’s senior vice president of merchandising services, said the concept can help dealers build a store-within-a-store concept that will offer a destination for contractors and builders. “But this is also a showcase of the other assortments that a retailer would want to feature to offer these customers a complete shopping experience,” he noted.

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Round one of NAFTA talks end on cautiously optimistic note



SPECIAL REPORT — Canada is preparing for the second round of negotiations for the North American Free Trade Agreement, this week in Mexico City. But rhetoric from the leader of NAFTA’s largest partner, United States President Donald Trump, is threatening to derail the talks.

Both Canada and Mexico prefer to speak in terms of a simple “modernization” of NAFTA, while the U.S. favours “renegotiation,” which has potentially more wide-reaching implications.

While the Canadian delegation is open to a swift resolution, a government source told the CBC it won’t sign off on a deal that gives Canada short shrift simply to meet a deadline. Both U.S. and Mexican officials are anxious to have a new deal in place ahead of elections in both countries next year.

Looming in the background of the trade talks is the ongoing dispute over softwood lumber between Canada and the U.S. With no deal before NAFTA talks began, the two sets of negotiations have proceeded on parallel but separate tracks. At the NAFTA table, Canada is fighting to retain the built-in dispute resolution process against U.S. wishes to scrap it and rely on domestic courts. The U.S. Lumber Coalition backs the White House’s preference for eliminating chapter 19, which provides for bi-national tribunals to make binding decisions.

Canada’s softwood lumber industry logged a temporary win last week in negotiations. The lifting of a 19.88% countervailing duty leaves most forestry firms paying anti-dumping tariffs at a rate of just 6.87%.

One of the more contentious issues addressed in the talks surrounded rules about country of origin for automotive and parts manufacturers. The Trump administration wants tighter regulations on the number of vehicles and car parts originating from outside of the free trade zone, and of the U.S. in particular. Auto industry brass from all three countries, however, stood with Canada and the U.S. against more specific regulations.

At the same time, despite Canada’s overall modest goals for the negotiations, Prime Minister Justin Trudeau and Foreign Affairs Minister Chrystia Freeland are pushing for a more expansive and ambitious view of NAFTA’s remit. Freeland has spoken of having a “progressive” deal that promotes “fair trade” as well as “free trade”. The Trudeau cabinet supports the inclusion of provisions protecting economic equality on the basis of gender, and protection for Indigenous communities, including action on climate change.
Opposition MPs have expressed scepticism about the Trump administration’s openness to such moves.

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Hardlines has a range of ways to inform and connect the industry—do you know them all?

WORLD HQ, Toronto — Knowledge is power, and Hardlines is in the business of providing just that, whether it’s in the form of one of our detailed industry reports, our conferences and events, or this newsletter that you’re reading now.

Here’s a rundown of the news, reports, and events that we provide to you, our Faithful Readers...

Daily and Weekly News: You are already reading this weekly HARDLINES e-newsletter, our flagship publication, but did you know we have free Daily News updates? Every morning (well, most mornings), Hardlines gathers the latest retail and industry news from around the world and sends it free to Daily News subscribers. Keep up to date on Lowe’s, Home Depot, Walmart, Costco, Amazon, and more every day. (Sign up for the Dailies here!)
 
Trade Magazine for Dealers: Hardlines Home Improvement Quarterly is an industry trade publication carefully designed to meet the needs of the modern home improvement decision maker. Each issue is mailed out to more than 11,000 dealers and managers across Canada. HHIQ regularly features the latest trends shaping home improvement retailing and shares stories about independent dealers who are winning in their local markets. (Click here to subscribe!)

Research & Reports: The annual Hardlines Retail Report includes everything we know about the industry, newly expanded with more analysis and data than ever before. This year’s report contains 200 PPT slides, featuring industry sales data as of year-end 2016 and up-to-date analysis of marketplace trends and the industry’s top retailers. The Hardlines Market Share Report provides an in-depth breakdown of the sales and store counts of every major banner in hardware and home improvement retailing in Canada. Our Who’s Who Directory has full listings of the buyers at all of the major home improvement retailers in Canada. A must for every sales rep, it includes company contact information, key buyers, and their categories.

Conferences & Events: We’ve got two big events remaining this year. Our second annual Home Improvement eRetailer Summit, in Orlando, Fla., from September 13 to 15, is an opportunity to connect manufacturers, distributors, and pre-qualified online retailers who are specifically interested in increasing online sales of home improvement products through collaboration and partnerships. The 22nd Annual Hardlines Conference will be held at the Sheraton on the Falls in Niagara Falls, Ont., November 14 to 15. What can we say? Two action-packed days with top leaders of the home improvement industry!

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WD-40 assists grizzly bear research


EDMONTON — A University of Alberta biologist seeking to prevent grizzly bears from killing cattle found an unlikely weapon in an ordinary can of WD-40.

Andrea Morehouse’s 15-year study, dubbed the intercept feeding program, attempted to change grizzly behaviour by collecting roadkill during the winter. The carcasses were then distributed by helicopter drop at various locations in hopes that bears emerging from hibernation would choose to feed on them instead of descending into cattle pastures.

Morehouse explained to the CBC that to track the number of grizzlies who went for the roadkill, her team chose “two trees that were near [each] site and we sprayed those trees with WD-40 and wrapped them in barbed wire. For whatever reason, that I don’t know, WD-40 elicits a rub response from bears and so they would come into the sites, feed on the roadkill and then rub on these artificial rub trees that we had collected.”

WD-40 is in fact a lubricating water-displacement product (hence the “WD”) and has, over the years, been subject to a lot of myths and misinformation. It has been considered ideal bait for fishing and a cure for arthritis, claims the company takes great pains to deny.

While WD-40 has proven effective as a bear rub, in the end, the grizzlies in the study took up the researchers’ roadkill offer, but only to whet their appetites. The number of cattle they kill has held steady.

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Igor Halencak has been named senior vice president, central merchandising and global sourcing at Lowe’s Canada. In this capacity, Halencak will oversee a new centre of excellence responsible for leveraging merchandising best practices across the entire Lowe’s Canada network of banners and supporting divisional merchandising teams. The new structure will also simplify vendor-relationship management through the establishment of a single contact point for vendors supplying more than one of Lowe’s Canada’s banners. Halencak joined Lowe’s Canada in 2013 as head of merchandising and marketing, Lowe’s big box. Most recently, he was vice president, central merchandising, procurement and global sourcing. 

Steve Jones is no longer with Task Tools, where he had been VP of sales. He joined the Delta, B.C.-based company in 2014. (sjones0127@rogers.com; 416-446-1786)

Paul Taylor has joined ShopCity.com as Operations Manager. He was formerly Corporate Marketing Supervisor for the Napoleon Group of Companies. ShopCity.com is a web platform that creates a shared showcase for businesses in local communities.

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CLASSIFIED ADS

Taymor Industries Ltd. is now recruiting for a National Sales Coordinator for their Retail Channel – located out of their Mississauga location.

Family owned since 1948, Taymor is a leading designer and manufacturer of architectural hardware.

If you would like to receive a detailed job description for this role or have any questions, please submit your request to careers@taymor.com.

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Job Title: Territory Manager (Retail) - Ontario

Company Profile:
Allegion Canada, a market leading manufacturer of door hardware and access control products with key brands such as Schlage, LCN and Von Duprin.

Position Summary:
Reporting directly to the National Sales Manager, the ideal candidate is a self-motivated, driven sales professional with a passion for excellence. The Territory Account Manager, Schlage Canada, is part of an energetic team responsible for developing our growing Schlage residential business across Canada. They are detail oriented, strategic and analytical with the ability to think outside the box.

Responsibilities:
• The successful incumbent will be responsible for managing the sales growth of the sales region through effective account management and account expansion. This includes, store conversion, store resets, new store coordination, store walks, event implementation and special projects.
• Grow market penetration by developing strong relationships with assigned accounts Buying team, store level associates, Department Managers and Store Operators and Managers.
• Develops a territory business plan and customized business plans for assigned accounts, promotional activity, shelf management programs, product training, investment strategies, and revenue goals.
• Utilizes existing marketing programs to maximize market-share growth and ensures that selling strategies align with revenue and profit goals outlined in Annual Operating Plan. Responsible for meeting budget and expense parameters for optimizing operating profit.
• Supervises and manages the development and execution of the regional field sales team.
• Represents Allegion Canada with the highest integrity. Conducts regular business reviews and other analyses to be able to make recommendations that will improve our business performance.
• Represents Allegion Canada at national, regional, and local dealer and builder shows as required.

Knowledge/Experience Required:
• 3-5 years’ experience in a sales and marketing role
• University or college degree in Sales and/or Marketing
• Good attitude and good work ethic and willing to learn
• Exceptional computer skills
• Strong communication and written skills (Bilingual is an asset)
• Must possess a valid driver’s license
• Must be willing to travel up to 45% of the time
• The ability to multi task and handle various priorities
• Strong ability to work in a collaborative, supportive way
• Experience with both electrical and mechanical door hardware an asset
• We are committed to providing accommodations for persons with disabilities. If you require accommodation, we will work with you to meet your needs.

If you believe you have the skill set that matches our position requirements please apply using the links below. For more information please visit Allegion.com

https://allegion.wd5.myworkdayjobs.com/en-US/careers/job/Remote-Location-Canada/Retail-Territory-Manager_JR7067-1

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