September 11, 2017 Volume xxiii, #34

“If more of us valued food and cheer and song above hoarded gold, it would be a merrier world.”
—J.R.R. Tolkien (British writer, poet, English professor, and philologist, 1892-1973)

IN THIS ISSUE:

• Canadian softwood suppliers enjoy strong sales as NAFTA talks move slowly

• International garden show spoga+gafa closes with record number of exhibitors

• Analysis, consulting among the ways Hardlines helps the industry

• Home Depot acquisitions help it target pro, MRO business better

• PLUS: Home Depot and Google Express, Stamford Home Hardware celebrates, HomeSense adds U.S. locations, CanWel to acquire Hawaiian pressure treater, RCR aligns its sales team, BoC raises target rate, Home Depot must pay settlement, residential construction, and more!
  
  

Canadian softwood suppliers enjoy strong sales as NAFTA talks move slowly

WASHINGTON — Canada’s softwood lumber industry logged a temporary win last week in negotiations over the latest incarnation of its perennial dispute with U.S. counterparts. The lifting of a 19.88% countervailing duty leaves most forestry firms paying anti-dumping tariffs at a rate of just 6.87%.

But even that was not enough to slow sales to the U.S., where a booming housing market is driving sales that exceed Canadian demand. U.S. production has not increased since last year, and current output is not enough to satisfy that demand. Hence the healthy sales by Canadian suppliers, who have raised prices to absorb the tariff. U.S. suppliers have raised their prices to match the Canadian increases, so the biggest loser may well be the American consumer. That effect will likely be exacerbated by the demands of rebuilding in Texas after Hurricane Harvey, while Hurricane Irma, now making landfall in the Southern U.S., could wreak even greater destruction.

The National Association of Home Builders in the U.S. even issued a statement to that effect recently, urging its government to resolve the issue. “This crisis makes it more important than ever that the United States quickly achieve a lasting trade agreement regarding U.S. imports of Canadian softwood lumber,” said the NAHB.

Meanwhile, NAFTA talks continue. U.S. Commerce Secretary Wilbur Ross announced that a final decision from his department on the duties would be postponed, expressing his optimism that the “extension could provide the time needed to address the complex issues at hand” and arrive at a negotiated settlement.

International garden show spoga+gafa closes with record number of exhibitors

COLOGNE, Germany — After three successful days, spoga+gafa, the world’s largest garden fair, came to a close on September 5. The organizers boasted that the event had a record number of exhibitors, with 39,000 trade visitors from 113 countries.

Innovation was one of the reasons for this year’s success, says Katharina Hamma, COO of Koelnmesse GmbH, which owns and operates the show. “In addition to formats such as the Outdoor Kitchen World, and due to the new concept of the Smart Gardening World and the IVG Power Place Battery, we have offered the industry important trend platforms that met with a very positive response.”

The show hosted 2,131 exhibitors from 59 countries, presenting new products and innovations in the categories of garden living, garden creation and care, garden barbecue, and garden innovation.

Exhibitors praised the quality of the trade visitors. John Herbert, general secretary of the European DIY-Retail Association (EDRA), said, “We have drawn a very positive balance: This year’s spoga+gafa was the best ever.” He noted that the show attracted more than 200 key buyers from all over the world, including a delegation from Japan and representation from “one from the most important DIY store groups worldwide.”

Besides top business contacts, spoga+gafa once again offered a diversified supporting program that included five POS Green Solution Islands. Here, the organizers presented ideas for the actual design of retail space for garden centres and DIY stores. The focus lay on cross-selling and curated shopping to create appealing environments for the end user.

Analysis, consulting among the ways Hardlines is helping the industry

WORLD HQ, Toronto — While best known for the newsletter that you’re reading right now, Hardlines has a whole stable of research and information products to help you run your business better.

Besides our annual reports (see last week’s mind-boggling issue—Editor), Hardlines can customize information and presentations to help your company understand the market—and your customers—better. For example, Hardlines has already spoken at the largest hardware conference in South America this past summer, and will speak to a group of dealers from a large Western-based banner later this year.

Here are three important ways Hardlines can help your business…

Custom Publishing: Do you want to target a specialized customer base or dealer group? Hardlines’ publishing experts have decades of experience in creating print magazines, brochures, and catalogues that deliver your company’s message in a professional and accessible fashion. Our expertise will help you with your online message, as well. (Contact David Chestnut, VP Business Development, for more information.)

Research Studies and Analysis: Do you have specific market intelligence needs? Hardlines can create custom research and presentations for your team. We offer: in-depth analysis of key home improvement retailers; specialized industry intelligence; and targetted analysis and market-share research. (Contact Michael McLarney, Editor-in-Chief, for more information.)

Presentations & Events: We can develop a customized seminar or event to educate and inspire your executive team, board of directors, sales force, or your top customers. Let the experienced business event organizers at Hardlines help you put together your full event. That includes locale, venue, menu, marketing, as well as speakers! (Contact Katherine Yager, Marketing Director, for more information.)

Home Depot acquisitions help it target pro, MRO business better

ATLANTA — The Home Depot continues to grow its sales in both the contractor and maintenance, repair, and operations (MRO) segments. And recent acquisitions have helped it on both those fronts.

Last year, the retailer bought Interline, an industrial supply company. During the first quarter of 2017, it closed the acquisition of Compact Power Equipment, a national provider of equipment rental and maintenance services. Home Depot had already been contracting with Compact Power to provide rentals of large jobsite equipment in about 1,000 Home Depot stores since 2009. The deal simply brings the business in-house.

“Our investment in Interline and the MRO customer is another avenue to better serve the needs of our pros,” said Home Depot CEO and Chairman Craig Menear, in a call to analysts following the release of the company’s Q2 results. Interline’s catalogue of products has been implemented in 1,000 Home Depot stores and another 458 stores can provide two-day delivery of Interline products. In addition, Interline customers have been given swipe cards so they can shop at a Home Depot store, while the card links that customer to their Interline account.

“Our deeper level of engagement with the Interline customers has helped to drive sales growth that outpaced the company average in the quarter and we remain very excited about the MRO opportunity going forward,” Menear added.

DID YOU KNOW…?

...that our website has been updated? You can now purchase our Retail Report or seamlessly auto-renew your annual HARDLINES subscription with a credit card, letting us process and respond to your order quickly. You can also now manage your HARDLINES subscription yourself. That’s right: you can make changes to the users on your subscription by adding or removing addresses through your own password-protected access to ensure that you and your team stay current with HARDLINES each week. Click here for more information!

RETAILER NEWS

ATLANTA — The Home Depot will join Google Express this fall, adding the ability for its customers to shop through voice with the Assistant on Google Home. The Assistant can be accessed on Google Home or on the Google Express website or app.

NIAGARA FALLS, Ont. — Stamford Home Hardware celebrated the grand reopening of its store this past weekend. The business reopened under new ownership in March of this year. Brian and Shannon Parr, the new dealer-owners, made renovations to the space, including upgrades to the kitchen and bath display area.

FRAMINGHAM, Mass. — TJX Companies, which owns T.J. Maxx and HomeGoods in the U.S., has introduced a new big-box chain in Massachusetts that is “more reminiscent of a Home Depot or Lowe’s,” according to CNBC. HomeSense has a showroom for furniture and home décor, and contains a “General Store” that sells cleaning supplies, hardware, outdoor fixtures, and other home improvement items. The retailer plans a total of four HomeSense locations for the U.S. in 2017. The next one will open in September in New Jersey. TJX already operates HomeSense stores, as well as Winners and Marshalls, in Canada.

ATLANTA — The Home Depot will pay $5.7 million to the U.S. government as a settlement for selling recalled products. From April 2012 to November 2016, the U.S. Consumer Product Safety Commission says the retailer sold recalled products, including motion-activated lights, smoke and carbon monoxide alarms, space heaters, and other products. Some of these products, the Commission says, could pose fire, shock, or cutting dangers. Home Depot did not admit guilt in the sale of these products, but agreed to pay up.

SUPPLIER NEWS
VANCOUVER — CanWel Building Materials Group Ltd. has made a deal with Colorado-based Grey Mountain Partners to acquire the Honsador Building Products group of companies for US$80 million ($100 million) in cash. Founded in 1935, Honsador distributes building products and electrical supplies. It is a producer of pressure-treated wood in Hawaii, with 14 facilities across the Big Island, Maui, Oahu, and Kauai serving the residential, commercial, and military markets. The transaction will result in Honsador becoming an indirect wholly-owned subsidiary of CanWel and will combine Honsador’s operations with CanWel’s North American platform.

PEOPLE ON THE MOVE
RCR International, a maker of weather-stripping and insulation, has realigned its team of territory managers and regional partners. Reporting to Stephen van Kampen, the director of sales for Ontario and Western Canada, are Michael Jackman (north) and Nick Dion (south) in Ontario; and Christopher van Beek (British Columbia), Kevin Khakh (Alberta); with Harvey Dyck and Larry Bryant of Dy-mon sales representing the company in Saskatchewan and Manitoba. Under André Ouellet in Quebec are Serge Pellerin, Sebastien Tessier, Eric Maltais, and Michel Dauphinais. In Atlantic Canada, where Mike Hachey is head of sales, KM Agency represents RCR’s brands. Peter Merrill heads that dossier.

Dotan Philip is leaving Innovak. He joined the Pointe-Claire, Que.-based hand tool company in 2013, where he worked as senior vice president sales and marketing since that time. His last day is September 13. (phido013@yahoo.com; 514-865-9595)

ECONOMIC INDICATORS
The Bank of Canada has raised its target rate to 1%, up a quarter of a point, putting the bank rate at 1 1/4% and the deposit rate at 3/4%. The increase, the second in two months, comes amidst a strong Canadian economy, healthy consumer spending, and strength in exports, even as inflation stays below 2%. The housing market continues to cool, however, in response to the rate hikes and new laws on foreign ownership of real estate. The announcement caused the loonie to climb to 82 cents US. (Bank of Canada)

Residential construction investment in Canada totalled $33.2 billion in the second quarter, up 7.7% from the same quarter in 2016. Higher investment in every component except cottages contributed to the total quarterly increase. Investment in renovations totalled $15 billion (up 6.6%) and accounted for almost 40% of the year-over-year change at the national level. Ontario posted the largest gain, up $1.2 billion and accounting for 52.0% of the total national increase. Investment rose 7.9% in British Columbia, while Newfoundland and Labrador was down 9.3%, and New Brunswick dropped by 2.0%. Investment in single-family dwellings was up 12.9%. (StatCan)

Shipments of asphalt shingles totalled 3.4 million metric bundles in July, down 20.6% from the previous month. In comparison with July 2016, shipments were 14.9% lower. (StatCan)

OUT & ABOUT
Our Publisher Beverly Allen, Marketing Director Katherine Yager, and Editor-in-Chief Michael McLarney are heading down to Orlando, Fla., this week for the second annual Home Improvement eRetailer Summit. And yes, we’re watching the weather!

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