Digital Issue - Home Improvement Retailing Magazine

Transcription

www.hirmagazine.com
[email protected]
A Powershift Publication l Volume 17, Number 6 l December 2011
17 th Annual Special Report
Who They Are • Where They Are • What They Are Doing
www.hirmagazine.com
PM NO. 40008000
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23
Private
Wealth
Ice
Melt
Maximizing
Tax
Deductions
A Profitable
Ice Melt
Season
26
Retailing
By Design
Enhancing
The Contractor
Experience
www.bmr.co
[email protected]
YOUR FUTURE IS GREEN
187 DEALERS IN 5 PROVINCES
4 LUMBER & BUILDING MATERIAL WAREHOUSES
1 HARDWARE WAREHOUSE
For more information, Please contact Al Holton
toll free : 1 800 361-0885 cell : 519 657-5808
www.bmr.co
HARDWARE
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www.hirmagazine.com
CONTENTS
A POWERSHIFT PUBLICATION
VOLUME 17, NUMBER 6
December 2011
EDITORIAL DIRECTOR & PUBLISHER
Dante Piccinin
EXECUTIVE EDITOR
Joe Hornyak
STAFF WRITER
Daniela DiStefano
ART & PRODUCTION
Keith Boa
VICE-PRESIDENT ADMINISTRATION
& CIRCULATION
Catherine J. McKerchar
ADVERTISING SALES
Dante Piccinin
(416) 494-1066
Fax: (416) 494-2536
HOME IMPROVEMENT RETAILING is published 6
times yearly by Powershift Communications Inc.,
245 Fairview Mall Drive, 5th Floor, North York, ON
M2J 4T1, Canada. Telephone: (416)494-1066,
Fax: (416)494-2536, e-mail: [email protected].
Advertising, and Editorial inquiries should be made
to the above address. Issue dates are: Jan/Feb;
March/April; May/June; September; October; Nov/
Dec. Yearly subscription rates: Canada: $76 plus
GST*; U.S. and other: $110/yr. Single Copy prices:
Canada: $15 plus GST* prepaid; U.S. and other:
$30 prepaid. HOME IMPROVEMENT RETAILING
assumes no responsibility for the validity of
the claims in items reported or for the opinions
expressed by our writers. All rights reserved.
Contents may not be reprinted or duplicated
without written permission. Publisher assumes
no responsibility for unsolicited manuscripts and
art. Published by Powershift Communications
Inc. PRESIDENT, D. Brian McKerchar; VICEPRESIDENTS, John L. McLaine, Dante Piccinin,
Catherine J. McKerchar.
CANADIAN PUBLICATIONS MAIL PRODUCT
SALES AGREEMENT NO. 40008000 *Goods and
Services Tax Registration Number R131006876.
ISSN: 1204-3044
Departments
10
5Editor’s View
Capabilities For Success
6Industry Update
7In Store
8It’s Your Money
9Private Wealth
Maximizing Tax Deductions
10Female Shopper
Female Leadership Great Asset
11Coach Your Team
13
Delegate Tasks To Reach Success
13Manager’s Mind
Time Management:
Challenging For Most Leaders
Looking Past Traditional
Customer Base
28Product Spotlight
29Calendar Of Events
29People
30Publisher’s Perspective
The ‘Buy Canadian’ Myth
Features
1417th Annual Special
Report On Banners
2011 Became Year To Refocus
23Preparing For A
Profitable Ice Melt Season
24Contractor Business
The Latest In
Windows And Doors
26Retail By Design
Enhancing The
Contractor Experience
24
Visit Our Website: www.hirmagazine.com
For all subscription inquiries,
fax to Cathy McKerchar at 416-494-2536
e-mail: [email protected]
3
HOME IMPROVEMENT RETAILING • December 2011
3
www.home-owner.ca
“We joined Home Hardware because of their wide selection of available products
– priced competitively for our market – and their reputation for quick and efficient
delivery. But what impressed us most was the service and support we received during
our transition. We couldn’t be happier with the decision we made – and we look
forward to many more years as Home Owners.”
Jim Robinson
Robinson’s Home Hardware
Barrie ON
To find out how you can benefit by joining Home, visit home-owner.ca – or talk to one of us.
Dunc Wilson, National, 519.498.1302 Georgette Carriere, Ontario, 519.501.5988 Luc Martin, Quebec, 819.357.0203
Andrew Parkhill, Western Canada, 604.751.3853 Kevin MacDonald, Atlantic Canada, 902.368.1620
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[email protected]
Editor’s View
Capabilities For Success
W
hat capabilities will drive
success for retail in 2012 and
beyond?
Booz & Company’s ‘2012
Retail Industry Perspective’ survey reveals
the thinking on this for the year ahead and
when we review the capabilities identified
in this report and compare them to the comments of industry executives in our annual
‘Banners’ (see page 14) and other recent
industry announcements, we can see that
some in the hardware and lumber and building materials retail industry in Canada are
already headed in the same direction.
Format Innovation
The survey suggests the first capability
is format innovation, the ability to manage new formats, optimize the existing
footprint, and strengthen capabilities in the
growing online channel. This means retailers need to continue the long-term task of
exploring store formats that will enable
them to penetrate new geographies and consumer segments. Wal-Mart, for example, is
now experimenting with Wal-Mart Express,
a scaled-down version of its core format
designed for space-constrained urban markets and low-population rural markets.
In Canada, we also see this happening in
the hardware and lumber and building materials retail sector. In fact, we see a blurring
of retail sectors with, for example, Canadian
Tire adding food to some of its stores.
Rod Baergen, general merchandise marketing and operations director for Federated
Co-Operatives Ltd., says its retail banners
continue to focus on expansion in the convenience store market. Plus, some of our
banners are looking at new store formats.
Bill Morrison, president of TruServ Canada
Inc., says it will launch three new brands in
2012 – Tru Hardware, Tru Building Centre,
and Tru Country and Garden.
Booz & Company also believes the
growth in online channels will remain the
big story in retail. To capitalize on this trend,
retailers need to go beyond the basics – such
as easily navigable websites and liberal
return policies – and develop new capabilities that will enable them to innovate and
gain competitive advantage. For instance,
Wal-Mart just announced its ‘endless aisle’
which allows its suppliers to bolster their
business by peddling a vast array of products online, more than they could ever
squeeze onto its shelves. Wal-Mart’s move
online is part of a wider strategic effort by
its U.S. parent to become a heavyweight in
cyber space, pitting it against Amazon.com.
Its initial effort is in two major holiday giftgiving areas – toys, which Amazon.ca does
not carry in Canada, and electronics. In the
next year, Wal-Mart says it will rev up its
e-Commerce offerings in home furnishings
and hardware as well as sporting and seasonal goods and apparel.
What is missing, however, is any suggestion of the next step, where shoppers
instore can access the online experience and
expand the product assortment available to
them. A shopper could be looking at chain
saws in the store and then access the online
portal with their smartphone or tablet to
see all the chainsaws it can get through
Wal-Mart.
Curated merchandising is another
capability that retailers will need to
explore. With consumers becoming
more frugal, driven in part by the necessity of retiring the debt they accumulated over the last decade, retailers
need to develop the capabilities required to
place the right product in the right store at
the right price. This is essential to fuel topline growth and profitability. Furthermore,
customers are demanding a more ‘curated’
selection. They want the right styles, prices,
and experience all in one format.
To get the most out of their stores, retailers will also need to tailor them to better
reflect local tastes and preferences. Retailers
will need to know how many and which
SKUs in each category they should carry,
what the base price of SKUs is in each category, and so on. In essence, they need to
localize their stores by collecting and analyzing data from store trait databases; promotion returns; and performance measurement.
Social Media
Finally, we are told forward-looking
retailers are already focused on social media,
which Booz & Company believes is likely to
become the next generation of e-Commerce
engines and a powerful new sales channel.
Almost all sizable retailers are already using
social media, such as Facebook and Twitter,
to connect with customers. Robert Dutton,
president and CEO of RONA Inc., tells us
that along with launch of a new website in
2012, it also has plans for social media and
mobile initiatives.
The specific capabilities that retailers
develop to address these four areas – format, merchandising, experience, and social
media – will differ among companies. Not
every capability is suitable for every retailer.
To decide which to pursue, you need to carefully consider how you differentiate from
your competitors and how to develop which
capability or capabilities to best take advantage of your unique strengths.
❖
The article is at http://hirmagazine.com/
reports/2012Perspective.html
Joe Hornyak
Executive Editor
[email protected]
HOME IMPROVEMENT RETAILING • October 2011
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www.hirmagazine.com/
home_improvement_news.html
Industry Update
Challenging Times Coming
For Canadian Business
Canadian businesses of all sizes are likely
to face challenging conditions in the months
ahead, says Scotia Economics. Domestic
prospects are being constrained by the much
slower and uneven pace of economic growth
in most advanced nations, amid increasing fiscal restraint and persistently high unemployment. A report says the current environment
favours firms whose products and services
are geared to corporate customers over those
that rely primarily on households. Small businesses also will continue to benefit from the
ongoing buoyancy in resource-related activity.
Beacon Purchases
Roofing Distributor
Beacon Roofing Supply has acquired The
Roofing Connection, a distributor of residential roofing products and related accessories
with one location in the Halifax suburb of
Dartmouth, NS. The company will be operated as part of Beacon Roofing Supply Canada
Co. Co-founders Cheryl and Pat O’Brien said
joining with the Massachusetts-based company will allow the distributor to expand product
offerings and grow throughout the province.
OGC Adds SpruceWare.NET
OGC has entered into a partnership agreement
with software company Spruce Computer
Systems for the commercial rights to its
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improvement_news.html
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new offering will enhance the company’s
product line so that it can better meet the specific needs of its customers in the hardware
and building materials industries. ❖
www.easyinstall.ca
SpruceWare.NET product in the Canadian
market. Through this agreement, OGC has
gained the exclusive rights to sell, implement,
and support SpruceWare.NET in Canada. This
www.taigaselectflooring.com
Royal Launches New Look
Royal Building Products, formerly Royal
Group, is launching a new look and feel to
complement the company’s successful history and to pave the way for future growth. Its
updated brand promise – ‘Working together
to build neighbourhoods of lasting value’ –
is articulated in a customer-focused video
that can be viewed on YouTube. A new logo
also was designed to retain the legacy of
the company’s original symbol – the crown
– while shifting emphasis from manufacturing to a focus on what its products do to
transform neighbourhoods. It manufactures
a broad range of building materials that go
on and around the home.
www.hirmagazine.com/
home_improvement_news.html
In Store
RONA Focuses On
Paper Consumption
RONA inc. has revealed its new ‘Paper
Products Use and Procurement Policy’ and
‘Sustainable Packaging Policy’ as part of its
initiatives in sustainable development. The
policies are to ensure all products sold and
used by RONA have the smallest impact
possible on the environment. By 2014, the
company plans to reduce paper consumption
by 15 per cent and by 2015 reduce packaging by 10 per cent on its private brand.
Lowe’s Uses
iPhones In-Store
Lowe’s has rolled out iPhones to more than
60 per cent of its stores where they are used
as sales tools and scanners. Rick Damron,
executive vice-president of store operations,
says the devices are customized with retail
applications based on Apple’s iPhone technology. They are expected to be rolled out to
all stores by the end of the year. Each store
will have about 25 of the iPhone devices.
Because employees no longer have to walk
to a fixed terminal about 400 times a day, it
makes them more productive, he says.
Sixth Canadian
Flooring Location
Lumber Liquidators is growing again with a
location in Cambridge, ON. This store opening is part of the brand’s continued expansion
into Southern Ontario and the sixth Canadian
location. Lumber Liquidators offers more
than 300 varieties of flooring including hardwood, bamboo, laminate, vinyl, and cork.
Castle Adds
Seven Members
Castle Building Centres Group is expanding its network of independent dealers with
seven new locations. The independent dealers are Materiaux Manic – Baie Comeau, QC;
Saumarez Quincaillerie Ltee – Saumarez,
NB; Provincial Partitions Ltd – Mississauga,
ON; Materiaux De Construction Jean Guy
Dube Inc – Mont-Joli, QC; New Concept
Walls and Ceilings Supply – Edmonton, AB;
Custom Walls & Ceilings Supply – Prince
George, BC; and Ian Roberts Building
Materials Ltd – Portage La Prairie, MB.
is spending up to $10 million per store to
upgrade the existing locations it is taking
over from Zellers.
Home Hardware Wins
Healthy Workplace Award
PayPass Will Ease
Holiday Line Ups
Sears Canada Inc. will introduce MasterCard’s
PayPass contactless payment technology
in its retail stores across the country. The
PayPass option speeds up the transaction,
reducing customer wait times, says Peter
Kalen, senior vice-president. Consumers
with a PayPass-enabled credit card or mobile
phone quickly and securely pay for their purchases with a tap of their card or phone on a
PayPass point-of-sale payment terminal and
the transaction is confirmed within seconds.
1,500 Attend Expo
Chalifour Canada’s first annual ‘Retailer
Buying Expo’ attracted more than 1,500
retailer and vendor attendees. ‘We mean
business’ was the theme of the national Expo
and was chosen to convey the message that
the show is relevant to many segments of the
retailers’ business. Attendees could gather
information on not only hardware and LBM,
but plumbing, electrical, paint, and seasonal.
It also offered special features such as a
‘Store on the Floor,’ featuring merchandising and planograms in core categories.
Target Aims For Unique
Canadian Experience
Target Corp. will strive to make its stores
as “Canadian” as possible when it begins
opening in this country in 2013, says
John Griffith, executive vice-president of
property development. In a speech to the
International Council of Shopping Centres
Canadian convention, he said the mass
merchandiser merchant sees Canada as the
best opportunity for international growth
and hopes to become Canada’s favourite retailer. More than 70 per cent of
Canadians are already familiar with the
brand and 11 per cent have shopped at
the retailer in the last year. The company
Home Hardware Stores Limited has
been awarded Waterloo region’s Healthy
Workplace Gold Award. The program
recognizes and celebrates workplaces in
Waterloo region who demonstrate a strong
commitment to improving the health of their
employees. In 2011, the company launched
its ‘Good For You! Wellness Program’ to
promote health and wellness among corporate staff. The company’s wellness initiatives also include flu clinics and heart clinics
at each of its distribution centres. From left
to right are Stew Gingrich, vice-president,
human resources, and Deb Benham, recruitment and communications manager, Home
Hardware Stores Limited.
Canadian Tire Maintaining
Sustainable Operations
Canadian Tire Corporation completed 84
initiatives in the third quarter towards its
sustainable business practices. As a result
the retailer says it is forecasted to annually avoid more than $1.1 million in costs,
596 tonnes of waste, and more than 1,200
tonnes of greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions
– equivalent to the energy use and emissions
from powering more than 138 Canadian
homes each year.
❖
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It’s Your Money
Fastenal
Fastenal Co. had sales and earnings gains
both in excess of 20 per cent in the third
quarter ending September 30. The company’s net sales increased 20.4 per cent to
$726.7 million, while net earnings increased
29.1 per cent to $96.8 million. The distributor and retailer of specialty building products
and fasteners slowed down its aggressive
store growth plans. However, it still opened
94 stores in the first three quarters.
Zep
Zep Inc.’s fiscal fourth quarter net income
rose 93 per cent, helped by higher revenue
from acquisitions and price increases and
the fact that year-ago results include restructuring charges. Revenue rose eight per cent
to $173.8 million from $161.4 million
last year, helped by acquisitions and price
increases. For the fiscal year, its net income
rose 29 per cent to $17.4 million from $13.5
million in 2010. Revenue rose 14 per cent to
$646 million from $568.5 million.
Valspar
Valspar Corp. had net sales of $1.05 billion
for its fourth fiscal quarter, a 19.4 per cent
increase from the fourth quarter of 2010.
The company posted a net loss of $295.7
million for the quarter, which ended October
28, 2011. This compares to a profit of $51.3
million for the same quarter in 2010. Fiscal
year 2011 sales totaled $3.95 billion, a 22.5
per cent increase from fiscal year 2010. Net
loss for fiscal year 2011 was $138.6 million.
Williams Sonoma
Williams-Sonoma Inc.’s third quarter net
income rose 19 per cent as shoppers picked
up more home goods at its stores. Net
income in the August/October quarter was
$43.4 million, up from $36.5 million in the
same period last year. Revenue rose six per
cent to $867.2 million from $815.5 million.
Target
Target Corp. had a 3.7 per cent increase in
third quarter profits, helped by solid spending and improvement in its credit card business. The discounter earned $555 million
in the three-month period ended October
29. That compares with $535 million in
the year-ago period. Revenue rose 5.4 per
cent to $16.05 billion. Revenue at stores
opened at least a year rose 4.3 per cent in
the quarter. Target’s sales have rebounded
8
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as it expanded its offerings of food and
emphasized its low prices in advertising.
The retailer is also wooing shoppers with a
five per cent discount program it launched
in October 2010 for customer who pay with
Target branded credit and debit cards.
Sears Canada
Sears Canada Inc. posted a net loss of $46.6
million in the three months ended October
30, down from a profit of $20.8 million
a year ago. Same-store sales fell 7.8 per
cent over the same period last year. Calvin
McDonalds, its president and CEO, says
the company has significant work ahead
to overcome lagging sales as the Canadian
marketplace faces increased competition.
Revenue was off 7.1 per cent to $1.11 billion from $1.2 billion.
Wal-Mart
Key sales at Wal-Mart Stores Inc. U.S.
discount stores rose more than expected,
reversing a string of nine quarterly declines
in quarterly profit growth. Wal-Mart earned
$3.34 billion in the third quarter ended on
COMPANY
Canadian Tire Corp.
Dow Chemical Co.
Fastenal Co.
General Electric
Home Depot
Louisiana-Pacific
Lowe’s Cos
Masco Corp.
Newell Rubbermaid
Owens Corning
Richelieu
RONA
Sears Canada
Sherwin-Williams Co.
Stanley Black & Decker
Taiga
Trex
USG Corp. Wal-Mart
West Fraser
As of December 14, 2011
HOME IMPROVEMENT RETAILING • December
2011
October 2011
October 31, compared with $3.44 billion a
year earlier. Net sales rose 8.2 per cent to
$109.5 billion. Sales at U.S. discount stores
open at least a year rose 1.3 per cent.
Home Depot
Home Depot Inc.’s profit rose to $934
million in the third quarter ended October
30 from $834 million a year earlier. Sales
rose 4.4 per cent to $17.33 billion. Sales at
stores open at least a year rose 4.2 per cent
globally, including a 3.8 per cent rise in the
United States.
RONA
RONA Inc. had a net income of $50.1 million in its third quarter. Net income was up
from $48 million last year and revenues were
$1.3 billion, up $27.9 million. President
and CEO Robert Dutton says economic
uncertainty continues to impact consumer
confidence and purchases and the circumstances were felt by the retailer. RONA had
a 5.1 per cent drop in same-store sales due to
more cautious spending by consumers and a
decline in residential housing starts.
❖
SYMBOL
OPEN
HIGH/LOW 52-WEEK
CTC
DOW
FAST
GE
HD
LPX
LOW
MAS
NWL
OC
RCH
RON
SCC
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SWK
TBL
TREX
USG
WMT
WFT
72.17
25.38
40.25
16.34
39.37
7.2
24.16
8.9
14.94
25.81
28.77
9.77
12.2
83.73
64.65
0.63
22.24
8.72
57.73
39.61
77.4 – 61.01
42.23 – 20.61
43.04 – 25.805
21.65 – 14.02
40.93 – 28.13
11.625 – 4.41
27.45– 18.07
15.03 – 6.6
20.38 – 10.87
38.94 – 18.67
31.75 – 24.35
15.4 – 8.64
20.69 – 11.9
87.87 – 69.47
78.19 – 47.07
1.15 – 0.58
34 – 14.53
19.906 – 5.75
59.395 – 48.31
62.86 – 34.9
INDEX
TSX
NYSE
NASDAQ
NYSE
NYSE
NYSE
NYSE
NYSE
NYSE
NYSE
TSX
TSX
TSX
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NYSE
NYSE
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Private Wealth
Maximizing Tax Deductions
Y
ear-end means the thoughts of
many small business owners turn
to tax season, especially what
they can do which will pay dividends come tax time.
Cathy Pin, vice-president,
commercial banking, BMO
Bank of Montreal, says
“While 2011 may be a year
remembered most for its economic challenges, many small
business owners we talk to are
cautiously optimistic and confident about their ability to finish
2011 on solid ground.
However, she adds, now is
also the time to sit down with your
business advisors and accountant
to do a quick financial check-up
and to put in place strategies to
help minimize the amount of 2011
income tax payable.
Year-end Strategies
For small business owners in Canada
(most commonly a sole proprietorship or
partnership), there are a number of yearend strategies that can be applied to reduce
the amount of income tax payable.
To start, do a financial check-up.
Professional business advisors can help you
have a clear understanding of your current
financial situation. These professionals can
also help develop or adjust existing plans
based on new needs or changing circumstances.
You should also consider ways you
can defer income. Depending on a number of factors (e.g. future tax rates, projected profit or loss for 2011, cash flow),
small business owners may be able to
reduce the current taxes they will be
paying by deferring some of the income
they expect to receive in December into
January 2012. You should also start gathering business receipts. Income tax deductions can
be maximized by ensuring all allowable
receipts for business-related expenses
(e.g. gas, stamps, customer lunches, coffee for the office) are itemized. Over the
course of a year, those receipts for the
little things can add up. Consult the guide-
and your accountant about the tax
rules that apply to your particular
situation.
lines available from the Canada Revenue
Agency or speak to your tax advisor to
determine which are eligible business
expenses.
You can also increase some expenditures
now on things you will need early in 2012
in order to maximize 2011 deductions. For
example, consider accelerating the purchase
of new equipment or other depreciable
assets before the end of the year so you can
benefit from a claim for tax depreciation in
the current year. A drop in the value of inventory may
also provide an opportunity for an additional
income tax deduction for the current year.
However, before you write off any inventory, you need to speak to a banking advisor
RRSP Contribution
For unincorporated small
business owners, income
earned by the business
becomes personal income
when filing taxes using the
T1 form. However, many
small business owners fail
to take full advantage of
one of the best income tax deductions available to Canadians – the Registered
Retirement Savings Plan (RRSP). RRSP contributions are deducted from annual income,
thereby lowering income tax payable at the
individual’s marginal tax rate. As a business
owner, if you have been paying yourself a
salary, setting up a new RRSP or maximizing your annual RRSP contribution enables
you to benefit from the tax-deferred growth
right away.
Clearly, there are ways to maximize your
tax deductions to minimize the tax you pay.
Sitting down with your business advisors
can help you identify the maximum benefits
you can get when it comes to tax time. ❖
Source: BMO Bank of Montreal
(This article is provided for information purposes only
and should not be construed as advice. For advice,
please consult your professional advisors.)
9
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F emale S hopper
Female Leadership Great Asset
W
omen lead differently than men
and in the world of business
it’s a great asset, says Susan T.
Spencer, an entrepreneur and
business professional. Spencer has navigated her way through male-dominated industries such as law, professional sports management, and food distribution and over the
years has expanded her business empire to
three successful companies with combined
annual revenues of $50 million.
She attributes her success to the natural
talents that all women possess, and includes
them in her book, ‘Briefcase Essentials,’
to educate women on the skills they need
to utilize to succeed in male-dominated
workplaces.
Here are the top skills women can employ
to lead and succeed in their careers:
Perceptive Communication
Women are natural communicators; men
listen and women talk … to everyone. A
women’s ability to communicate is not just her
ability to talk, they are aware of what others
are thinking. All of women’s senses contribute to their special talent (touch, smell, taste,
vision, and hearing), giving them a decided
advantage in evaluating a business situation.
These traits, along with other observations
that women instinctively notice – such as
body language, facial expressions, tone
of voice, and body movements – collectively represent what women in business uniquely possess – the ability to
be perceptive communicators.
Being Engaging
Have you observed the way most businessmen greet each other? They immediately extend their hand and wait for the other
person to do the same; then they grasp hands
firmly and give a shake or two. Generally,
they don’t make eye contact with each other
and if they exchange words, they’re often
mumbled or perfunctory.
When women greet each other, they hug,
they smile, and they look each other in the
eye and say how good it is to see the other
one. This is true even if they’re business colleagues. These gestures are more than symbolic, it’s how women use body language to
communicate the importance of relationships.
When you meet a businessperson in the
ordinary course of business, being engaging
includes the way you meet and greet other
businesspersons. It begins the moment you
extend your hand and continues throughout
the greeting. Don’t miss an opportunity to
make a great initial impression by using
your natural skill of being engaging.
Being Empathetic
The ability to identify with and
understand someone else’s feelings
or difficulties is a female leadership
skill that engenders employee loyalty
and trust. It’s a rare moment when most
executives or leaders show this side of
themselves, but if it’s sincere, it’s a moment
that will be appreciated forever by everyone
who witnesses it. Communicating openly
and honestly with employees, customers,
and colleagues is a great trait to use wisely in
business situations.
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Being Inclusive
Businesswomen are ‘people persons,’
they fill this role naturally because they
are comfortable relating one-on-one with
people at all levels of an organization. They
make it a point to know the names and
faces of people they are working with. They
want to know them and feel comfortable
with them as well. Sometimes, they make
customers or suppliers feel so comfortable
with them that they share personal information which brings the relationship closer and
gives them the opportunity to be candid and
straightforward with them about business
problems when they arise.
Businessmen tend to act impersonally
and do not interact at all levels; in other
words, they are exclusive not inclusive. For
women, the term ‘inclusive’ carries with it
an implicit acknowledgement that ‘people
come first.’ By being inclusive with every
business contact – whether customer, supplier, or employee – the natural talents
that women apply to business give them
a decisive edge. Never underestimate the
strength of leadership that women possess by championing the maxim
of being inclusive which carries
with it an implied understanding that people come first.
Being
Resourceful
Every business has its
ups and downs. One of
the most important business skills – and a talent
that women seem to be
able to handle better than
men – is juggling lots of
balls in the air at one time.
Women problem solve the
same way. They think about
several options instead of
zeroing in on one, toss
them around in their head,
weigh alternatives, consider several points of view,
and come up with more
than one way to proceed.❖
Coach Your Team
Delegate Tasks To Reach Success
T
oo often, small business owners
unwittingly stall the growth of
their own companies. Doug and
Polly White, management consultants who guide small and mid-sized businesses, say they are intrigued by why some
companies attain great success while others
constantly struggle to take their business to
the next level.
Their book, ‘Let Go to GROW,’ shares
their 50 combined years of experience working with entrepreneurs and owners in human
resources, people management, finance, and
consulting.
Here the Whites share their advice for
defining the principal’s role in the business
and utilizing the right tools for hiring and
managing staff to reach profitability.
Know What You
Have To Offer
Smaller companies often struggle against
larger organizations that might be able to
offer more pay or benefits, and end up feeling
like they do not have a lot to offer. However,
the Whites say they need to re-think what it
is they can offer an employee. Many times
a small business can offer a more personal
relationship with the owner of the company,
maybe some coaching or mentoring from the
owner, and the opportunity to have a greater
variety of responsibilities to enhance work
experience. These benefits can create a more
open and inviting workplace environment
and improved company morale.
On Hiring Staff
The Whites say the first step is to know
what you need before doing any hiring. This
means going out to look for someone that
will fill more than just a job title. Take the
time to think about what makes for the right
person to fill the position, whether it is an
inventory clerk, cashier, or manager.
Many small business owners just put
out an ad, get a bunch of resumes, and only
really look to see if the applicant has done
this job before. Or they turn to family and
friends to fill their staff positions which is
rarely the best choice.
Instead, they say owners should hire
behaviours and train skills, which means
they can take on someone with a good
work ethic who can learn and evolve within
the position.
As well, it is best for small business
owners to leverage multiple methods of
opinions during the hiring process instead of
taking the entire task under their control. It
is much more effective to have other people
help with the interviewing, maybe peers or
an outside HR professional, who might have
valuable insights that could be missed.
“Hiring and managing people is not
something you are born knowing how to do,
it is a learned skill,” says Doug White.
They also encourage owners to do thorough background checks for criminal history
when hiring all new employees as a safeguard. Many entrepreneurs are reluctant to do
it just because there is an extra cost involved
in having a background check, but it could
save thousands of dollars down the road.
Letting Go
As the business grows, the principal has
to let go. What the Whites find most often
stalls the growth of small businesses is that
the business has reached a point where the
principal needs to let go, but he or she has
not been able to do so.
Owners need to understand where the
business is in its growth. Is it a microbusiness, a small business, or a mid-size
business? Are you treating the business
accordingly? If you are in a small business,
are you concentrating on hiring and training
and managing employees, and not trying to
do everything yourself anymore?
And, when the small business owner
transfers from small to mid-size, they need
to delegate the decision-making authority.
Delegating authority is something many
owners are often reluctant to give up because
it means losing some control, but it is imperative for success. The Whites say the owner
must understand they cannot be involved in
everything that goes on within the business
after a certain point. When entrepreneurs
try to hang on to all the decision-making
authority, most often they become overwhelmed by every task and unable to give
all their time and energy.
Having good managers in place, having
processes documented, and having good
metrics can help with the process. Owners
need to be clear with all management staff
about how things need to be done to ensure
consistency. Without the documented processes, it is inevitable
things will end up
being done in very
different ways which
can lead to setbacks.
The Whites say the
number of startups
that actually fail is
huge because many
ignore the fact that
they may not possess the skill set
to do every single
business initiative to the maximum potential. Good,
qualified professionals are easy to find
to help fill consulting, coaching, marketing, and other business functions and this
wide counsel can make all the difference in
growth and sustainability in the long run.❖
11
13
11
www.truserv.ca
If we weren’t such polite Canadians we’d boast
that we have about six times the buying power,
almost twice the SKUs and a better pricing
guarantee than our American wholesaler friends.
But they do squeeze great orange juice, eh?
TRUSERV CANADA has been supplying the hardlines needs of
independent dealers, on a low-cost, no frills basis, for almost 100 years.
Now we are part of the largest hardware and LBM distribution company
in Canada. Which means that we can confidently beat any hardware
distributor’s Canadian pricing, coast to coast, every time, guaranteed.
Note: Offer does not apply to citrus products. Scan for complete details.
www.truserv.ca/priceguarantee
The landscape has changed.
Call us toll free 1.800.665.5085
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TRUSERVCANADA_ad-HIR.indd 1
12
11-12-06 11:53 AM
Manager’s Mind
Time Management:
Challenging For Most Leaders
I
f time is money, finance executives may
have something to worry about, says
a survey by Robert Half Management
Resources. More than one-third (38 per
cent) of the 1,400 U.S. chief financial officers interviewed cited time management due
to competing priorities as their biggest work
challenge. Keeping up with technology and
accounting regulations garnered 30 per cent
and 19 per cent of the response, respectively, and achieving a work/ life balance
was cited by 13 per cent.
“The current business environment is
exerting greater pressure on executives and
their teams to do more with less,” says
Paul McDonald, senior executive director
of Robert Half Management Resources. “As
CFOs revive projects postponed during the
downturn and build out plans for business
growth, they’re having difficulty allocating
time, technology, resources, and staff to
these initiatives.”
Some tips to help get more value out of
your workday include:
◆ Identify the ‘mosts’ – When every project seems to be top priority, focus efforts
on those that will save the most money,
grow the most revenue, or open doors to
the most new business. Encourage your
staff to use this same approach to manage their time.
◆ Be realistic about internal resources
– Delegating another major project to
your staff may bring already overloaded employees to the breaking point.
Understand their limitations in terms of
time, knowledge level, and experience
– bringing in outside experts
to manage the project may
result in faster execution and
fewer errors.
◆ Avoid micro-managing – Set
milestones and regular checkins, but otherwise let staff run
the initiative. Getting mired in
details will slow the process
for you and others.
◆ Practice the golden rule
– Show respect for others’
time. Avoid scheduling meetings that, on closer inspection, aren’t really necessary.
Don’t keep staff waiting for feedback
and approvals.
❖
Looking Past Traditional Customer Base
R
etailers often focus their merchandising, branding, marketing,
and advertising campaigns on the
perceived needs of a hypothetical
‘core customer.’ Given the prevalence of
cross-shopping and channel-blurring across
many segments of retail, some chains would
do well to broaden their horizons by looking past these carefully crafted composite
characters, says Joseph R. Bona, president
of the retail division for global branding
firm CBX.
Bona describes how timeworn retail
channels are blurring today in interesting
ways. Malls that once relied on upscale,
fashion-forward tenant lineups, for example, are now welcoming the likes of Costco
and Target to backfill vacated department
store spaces. Walgreen’s, which has been
looking more like a convenience store with
each passing year, now aims to put e-vehicle fueling stations in its parking lots, making that resemblance even more striking.
Given these changes, Bona says many
retailers could discover new opportunities by reaching out to the heterogeneous
mix that is their customer base. While he
acknowledges the value of data-driven
customer profiles, he also points to the
rarely discussed limitations of drawing
up vivid descriptions of a core customer
and then basing all subsequent campaigns
on the perceived needs of this composite
character.
This single-minded focus on one type of
shopper tends to ignore the reality of channel-blurring. Over time, however, more
retailers have learned to appreciate that
their stores are not necessarily for one type
of person alone. “Cross-shopping among
store formats and price-points is rare only
among the very rich and the very poor,”
he says.
Indeed, savvy retailers have already
prospered by reaching out to new shoppers.
Bona says Walmart did this by ramping up
quality and cleanliness while preserving its
emphasis on price. In the ‘new normal’ of
today’s economy, Bona explains, shoppers
will continue to be circumspect about how
they spend, and this will make cookie-cutter
approaches even more outdated.
“Embracing complexity – or even, at
times, paradox – is a must,” he says. “While
your brand might have been founded on
other attributes, it is still possible to introduce, say, more value or convenience.” ❖
13
13
FEATURED ARTICLE
17 th Annual Special Report
2011 Became
Year To Refocus
V
olatility has become an economic reality for Canadian retailers in recent years, as waning consumer confidence, political
upheaval, and U.S. competition form new challenges for independent dealers. After a bumpy ride in 2010, many used this
past year to refocus on growing their image, to strengthen their support
to dealers and their customers, and to secure long-term opportunities and
relationships for future success.
Looking back it was a busy year highlighted with new ownerships,
acquisitions, and growing team members, store renovations and brand
launches, and significant investments in new programs, services, and
technologies.
Home Improvement Retailing’s ‘2011 Banners Report’ reveals how
groups are making the most of today’s retail climate to stay committed to
dealers and customers.
Ken
Jenkins
President
Castle
Building Centres
Group Ltd.
Another successful year for Castle saw the
addition of 25 new member locations, with
growth in both the LBM and Commercial
segments. President Ken Jenkins says
the company’s business model in Quebec
gained significant momentum in 2011 with a
number of new members in the region.
“Our hardware distribution solution is in
high gear and we continue to grow the hardware opportunities of our members,” he says.
Global economic uncertainty continues
to swirl, but Jenkins says Castle is excited
about new opportunities in 2012. The group
forecasts its largest annual increase of new
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14
members based on current talks with independents. “We will continue to focus on
the ‘transparency’ of Castle meaning our
members have full exposure to our rebate
programs, operating costs, and strategic
plans,” says Jenkins. “Our focus on strong
buying programs combined with an increasingly efficient business model makes Castle
a formidable competitor.”
Paul
Straus
President
& CEO
Home Hardware
Stores Limited
Home Hardware’s success during uncertain times is attributed to the commitment
and passion of its dealer/owners, says Paul
Straus, its president and CEO.
“They focus on long-term relationships
with their employees, customers, service
providers, and their community, and it is
these relationships that carry them through
tough times.” As the economy slowly recovers, the retailer has used its dealer network
to take advantage of new growth opportunities and has expanded with 88 new stores in
the last three years.
“As always, our attention has been on
delivering the best program for independents and we have not changed our focus on
helping our independents do what they can
in good times and in bad times,” says Straus.
Home dealers are adjusting to capitalize on
both aging boomers and the expectations of
a new generation of homeowners by ensuring they can offer knowledge and a wide
selection of products at competitive prices.
This year, Home Hardware launched
a new intranet system for dealers to stay
connected with the company, fellow dealers, and customers. “The tool allows users
to join groups, search for information, and
customize their experience to suit their specific needs,” Straus says. It also introduced
a more versatile point of sales system to
FEATURED ARTICLE
accommodate collecting sales information,
as well as launching a mobile site with customer service in mind for shoppers to locate
stores, search products, view flyers, and create shopping lists.
Robert
Dutton
President & CEO
RONA Inc.
Robert Dutton, president and CEO of RONA,
says a tough economy has given it the opportunity to increase its market share. Dealers
have reinvested more than $50 million in
store relocations and renovations, and with
the help of the company’s marketing program,
have been able to attract and retain customers.
This year saw the continued integration
of the TruServ banner, which was acquired
in 2010, with more than 100 new TruServ
clients and the launch of three new banners
along with a revamped sales and marketing
team. “It is a challenging time for us, it’s a
time of opportunities, and it is a time where
creativity and passion have their place to
build confidence for the future,” he says.
RONA has been preparing for the 2012
launch of its new website as well as social
media and mobile initiatives.
Priorities for next year include continuing
to grow its private label program and investing in new advertising platforms with new
flyer programs and rebates for dealers. The
company has also been heavily involved in
programs supporting young members and
future dealers with training programs, mentoring, youth retreats, and summer camps.
“Next year is the year of the youth at
RONA, and we are developing individuals
who will become good managers and good
leaders, and take their place in the business,” Dutton says.
Yves
Gagnon
President
& CEO
Groupe
B.M.R. Inc.
Groupe BMR took a step forward in the
integration of its services this year by creating the BMR credit card operated by its new
financial services company. “The creation
of this affiliated company together with the
launch of our very own BMR training facility and the inauguration of our fourth LBM
distribution centre has truly made 2011 a
milestone in the company’s history,” says
Yves Gagnon, its president and CEO.
The training facility will welcome BMR
dealers and employees from across Canada,
offering professional education through a
new program that puts the needs of dealers
and their customers at the forefront.
Looking forward to 2012, BMR will continue to grow with the launch of five new
stores that will be built according to the new
‘BMR Eco’ concept, with the first opening
expected for April. Customer approach will
also be a key focus for next year as ongoing
re-merchandising plans will be put in place
to strengthen the emotional aspects of the
consumer shopping experience.
Tim
Urquhart
President & CEO
TIM-BR MART
Ltd.
TIM-BR MART kicked off the year by
integrating its team with Chalifour Canada
and continued that process with the agreement to acquire IRLY Distributors Ltd.
Coming to the close of 2011, Tim Urquhart,
its president and CEO, says it has been
gratifying to see a national team that understands retailing and is delivering full-scale
distribution and sales support to the independent retailer.
“The industry support for the first TIMBR MART National Buying Show in March
was incredible and told us we hit the mark
and delivered an exclusive show dealers and
vendors could really get behind from a buying and selling perspective,” says Urquhart.
The team is well into the planning of the
next show and is looking forward to the
same positive support and response.
Next year, TIM-BR MART celebrates
its 45th anniversary and Urquhart expects
the momentum from 2011 to continue. “In
just over a year, our company underwent
significant strategic changes that made us a
more powerful partner for the independent
retailer in Canada. The transition demands
both an immediate and long-term vision, and
we will be continuing our efforts to refine
processes and deliver programs that are of
exceptional value to dealers and appropriate
for their markets.”
Bill
Morrison
President
TruServ
Canada Inc.
This year was year one of TruServ’s new
ownership under RONA, and a year of
change, learning, and adjustments, says Bill
Morrison, its president. “ It was a year, from
our view, of positives and just a tremendous
year of new directions and new relationships
with customers. Busy and exciting would be
the quick view from a TruServ lens,” he says.
As the market continues to undergo
fluctuations, Morrison believes the industry
will see fewer and stronger players emerge
in the next few years. From the challenges
of new U.S. competitors to adapting to new
technologies, political upheaval, and an
uncertain consumer, the industry is learning
to deal with new realities.
TruServ will launch three new brands in
2012 – Tru Hardware, Tru Building Centre,
and Tru Country and Garden – across the
country. “Busy and exciting will still hold
strong for 2012,” he says. The role of
e-commerce continues to be important and
TruServ is investing in new websites to fulfill the research needs and product demands
of customers.
Steve
Buckle
Vice-president &
General Manager
Sexton
Group Ltd.
Steve Buckle, Sexton Group’s vice-president and general manager, says the outcome
of 2011 shows its members have had a successful year in their local markets despite
challenging industry times. Nine new members joined the group over the last year as
the western Canada-based company continues to concentrate on growing membership
in the Ontario and Atlantic markets.
“The Canadian market has held up very
well in most regions and I would say the
2012 outlook is mostly the same,” says
Buckle. “The focus of our buying group really is purchasing and working with our members on that very key part of their business.”
15
15
FEATURED ARTICLE
In the last two years, Sexton Group has
also been focusing on growing its image
as not just a building materials company,
but also a supplier of hardlines. It has been
growing in this category and connecting
members with the most competitive pricing to strengthen its opportunities, he says.
continue to strengthen in 2012, as national marketing, loyalty programs, and an
increased product offering will help dealers
grow and boost sales.
Despite lagging consumer confidence,
Robinson says growth activity in the north
and in the lower mainland of British Columbia
will see IRLY continue to develop and remodel stores, and increase membership in 2012.
Susan
Robinson
Rod
Baergen
President & CEO
IRLY
Distributors Ltd.
Federated
Co-Operatives Ltd.
Overall, 2011 is set to be a record year for
Federated Co-Operatives Limited (FCL)
and its divisions. The company’s retail banners continue to focus on expansion through
to 2012 in the convenience store market and
with its banners Co-op and ValuMaster in
rural areas.
General merchandise marketing and
www.dumondchemicals.com
This year started out soft for IRLY, but
gained strength as it progressed, says Susan
Robinson, president and CEO.
“The finalization of our acquisition by
TIM-BR MART/Chalifour was a big help
to our distribution and retail businesses
in British Columbia and we see a tremendously powerful relationship in our TIM-BR
MART/Chalifour partnership,” Robinson
says. The benefits of the relationship will
General Merchandise
Marketing & Operations
Director
16
16
operations director, Rod Baergen, says the
company is currently upgrading facilities
and revamping stores with things such as
new fixtures and racks. It aims to have all
stores re-merchandised in the next few years.
“We are preparing our stores for a successful future with new merchandising and
new POP materials to bring them up-to-date
in light of the continued expansion of the
big box competitors,” Baergen says. “Our
focus continues to be selling to any independent that wants to purchase from us,
even under their own banner which is most
common in the secondary markets where
our strengths lie.”
❖
FEATURED ARTICLE
BARGAIN BUILDING
MATERIALS LTD.
125, rue du Carrefour, Saint-Antonin, QC
G0L 2J0
Phone: 418-868-0404 Fax: 418-868-0567
eMail: [email protected]
Website: www.mabp.ca
Retail Banners: Matériaux à bas Prix ltée /
Bargain Building Materials Ltd.
Member Stores: 4
Outlets In: Quebec (Lachute, Gatineau,
Saint-Antonin), Ontario (St-Isidore)
Affiliates: Castle Building Centres Group
Consumer Sales: 93 per cent
Contractor Sales: 7 per cent
Marketing Strategies: Business model provides, among other things, strict cost control
and high stock turnover. This model is based
on purchasing and pricing policies. It offers
its clients two concrete ways to save money
– by using quality materials at low prices
and industry seconds at even lower prices.
Contact for Membership Information:
Jean-Guy Quann, general manager
CANADIAN TIRE
CORPORATION
2180 Yonge St., Toronto, ON M4P 2V8
Phone: 416-480-3000
Website: www.canadiantire.ca
Retail Banners: Canadian Tire, Mark’s,
PartSource, Sport Check, Sports Experts,
Atmosphere, Hockey Experts, Fitness Source,
S3, Nevada Bob’s Golf, Intersport, Athlete’s
World, National Sports, The Tech Shop
Outlets In: All provinces and two territories
Private Label Lines: NOMA, Yardworks,
Mastercraft, Motomaster, Debbie Travis
Collection, Hero, Blue Planet
Marketing Strategies: Weekly flyer to 11.5
million homes across Canada, radio and
television advertising, credit card statements, newsletters to credit card members,
online at www.canadiantire.ca, eFlyers,
direct email campaigns to eFlyer subscribers, launched new ‘Bring It On’ campaign
in 2011, social media
CASTLE BUILDING
CENTRES GROUP LTD.
100 Milverton Dr., Ste. 400, Mississauga,
ON L5R 4H1
Phone: 905-564-3307 Fax: 905-564-6287
Website: www.castle.ca
Retail Banners: Castle Building Centres,
CBS (Commercial Building Supplies),
Castle Specialty
Member Stores: 284
Outlets In: All provinces and territories
New Members in 2011 (As of September 1):
25 new member locations
Affiliates: Epic Alliance Group
Private Label Lines: Castlegard, All Install,
Castlecare, Castlegreen
Marketing Strategies: Focused buying
approach ensures member profitability is
industry leading; diversified business model
that appeals to the LBM, commercial and
specialty segments of the industry; focused
on core building materials and hardware
Les Gillespie, British Columbia; Alan
Schoemperlen, Prairies; Bruce Holman,
Ontario; Robert Legault, Quebec;
Sandy Welsh, Atlantic; Ron Craighead,
Commercial (CBS)
DELROC INDUSTRIES LTD.
5955 205A St., Langley, BC V3A 8C4
Phone: 604-533-0599 Fax: 604-533-9192
Website: www.delroc.com
Member Stores: 116
Outlets In: British Columbia, Yukon, Alberta,
Saskatchewan, Manitoba, Ontario, USA
New Members in 2011 (As of September 1): 1
Affiliates: ILDC, Spancan
Marketing Strategies: The company’s main
objective is to provide maximum buying
power for its members at a minimal cost and
this approach has served its members well
over the last 37 years. The company is a member of ILDC – one of Canada’s national buying co-operatives with a combined volume of
more than $4.5 billion and more than 1,000
outlets coast to coast. Through its membership in ILDC, the company is also a member
of Spancan, a hardlines buying group. These
strategic alliances will further strengthen the
company’s buying power, provide greater
access to a range of products and suppliers,
and continue to better position its members in
an ever-increasing competitive marketplace.
John Physick, general manager
FEDERATED
CO-OPERATIVES LTD.
401 22nd St. E., Saskatoon, SK S7K 3M9
Phone: 306-244-3311 Fax: 306-244-3403
Website: www.coopconnection.ca
Retail Banners: Co-op and ValuMaster
Member Stores: 360
Outlets In: Western Canada
Affiliates: Spancan, ILDC
Private Label Lines: Shopmaster, Rialto,
Co-op, Turf-Care, Sportster, Sonic, Harmonie
Marketing Strategies: 60 flyers created for
Co-op stores
Doug Knowles, general merchandise sales
& retail manager.
GROUPE B.M.R. INC.
1501, rue Ampere, Ste. 200, Boucherville,
QC J4B 5Z5
Phone: 450-655-2441 Fax: 450-655-1766
Website: www.bmr.co
Retail Banners: BMR, BMR Hardware,
Potvin Bouchard
Member Stores: 187
Outlets In: Quebec, Ontario, New
Brunswick, Nova Scotia, PEI, and St. Pierre
and Miquelon (France)
Affiliates: OCTO
Private Label Lines: BMR, EZE Tool,
Evolution, Torkk, Eco Attitude, and
Inspiration brand names
Marketing Strategies: Flyer program, radio
campaigns, regional advertising, and buying
shows
Major New Customers: Winchester BMR
(Winchester, ON), Matériaux Pineault
(Saint André, NB), Matériaux Nomelbro
(Plessiville, QC)
Bruno Baldessari, director of retail projects
HOME HARDWARE
STORES LIMITED
34 Henry St. W., St. Jacobs, ON N0B 2N0
Phone: 519-664-2252 Fax: 519-664-1260
Website: www.homehardware.ca
Retail Banners: Home Hardware, Home
Hardware Building Centre, Home Building
Centre, Home Furniture
Member Stores: 1,071
New Members in 2011 (As of September
1): 19 new Home locations to the end of
October
Affiliates: Alliance International LLC
Private Label Lines: Beauti-tone Paint,
Woodshield Stain, Weather Shield, Designer
Series Paint, Tech-Stone Granite, Flexrock,
Benchmark, Home Handyman, Home
Gardener, Natura, Survival, Mark’s Choice,
Home Pak, Home Builder, Home Security,
Home Crete, Professional, River Trail,
Active, Home Plumber, Classic, Home
Electric, Kitchen Value, In Style, Value,
Unival, Kuraidori
Marketing Strategies: Home Hardware Stores
Limited supports its independently owned
stores through a national advertising program
that includes flyers, catalogues, a commercial
catalogue, and television and sports venue
advertising. It is a marriage of a total marketing program and the dealer’s entrepreneurial
17
17
we train the
LEADERS of
TOMORROW
At RONA, we are the only ones who think not only of your present,
but also of your future, by training the leaders of tomorrow.
PRESIDENT CAMP
TALENT AND LEADERSHIP DEVELOPMENT
RONA’s president and senior management believe that investing directly in young people
is crucial. Every year, some 60 participants (merchants’ children and future owners)
from all across the country come together to cultivate their talents. We are proud to
have been the first to provide young leaders with such a unique mentorship opportunity
starting three years ago.
Work sessions, coaching workshops, and
meetings with inspiring entrepreneurs
Tours of new concept stores
(New York, Montreal)
Training on emerging
market trends,
leadership, and
consumer habits
YOUNG LEADERS NETWORK
EXCEPTIONAL NETWORKING OPPORTUNITIES
Sharing information on trends and
business opportunities
Networking gatherings
18 & 19
Building a network of RONA merchants
on Facebook via the New World Group
FEATURED ARTICLE
strengths. The program provides the retail
tools to effectively and efficiently compete.
Home Hardware continued as Aeroplan’s
exclusive home improvement retailing partner in 2011. This partnership provides Home
dealers with a significant competitive advantage, attracting new customers and providing
added value to existing customers’ shopping
experience. Home Hardware also continued
its partnerships with kitchen expert Anna
Olson and gardening expert Mark Cullen,
who brings the exclusive Mark’s Choice line
of lawn and garden products to consumers
and helps dealers grow their lawn and garden
category with a focus on product knowledge,
customer service, and further strengthening
their selection of live goods.
Dunc Wilson, director, national dealer
development
INDEPENDENT LUMBER
DEALERS COOPERATIVE
(ILDC)
596 Kingston Rd. W., Ste. 100, Ajax, ON
L1T 3A2
Phone: 905-428-0700 Fax: 905-428-0690
Website: www.ildc.com
Retail Banners: 23
Member Stores: 855
Affiliates: Spancan
Marketing Strategies: The members
exchange flyer programs, etc., for information purposes
Contact for Membership information:
Andrew Battagliotti, general manager
IRLY DISTRIBUTORS LTD.
7846 – 128 St., Surrey, BC V3W 4E8
Phone: 604-596-1551 Fax: 604-597-3693
Website: irlybird.com
Retail Banners: IRLY Building Centres
Member Stores: 43 (IRLY); 100 (Western)
Outlets In: BC
Affiliates: TIM-BR MART, Spancan, BSIA
(Building Supply Industry Association),
WRLA
Consumer Sales/Contractor Sales: Varies
by location
Private Label Lines: Numerous and all
branded IRLY and TIM-BR MART
Marketing Strategies: IRLY Distributors provides a centrally driven flyer program, radio
advertising, merchandising program, IRLY
Building Centres credit card, gift card, onhold messaging, and a Special Events Trailer.
Brad Dixon, director of business development, purchasing & branding
20
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LA COOP FÉDÉRÉE
4225 rue St-Joseph, Trois-Rivières, QC
G9A 5L9
Phone: 819-379-8555 Fax: 819-379-5252
Website: www.unimat.ca
Retail Banners: La Coop, Unimat, PlusVert, Unijardin
Member Stores: 177
Outlets In: Quebec, New Brunswick, Ontario
Affiliates: Spancan, ILDC, Interprovincial
Co-op
Private Label Lines: Home and garden, hand
tools, automotive, paint and thinner, animal
food, building materials, farm products.
Marketing Strategies: Conversion of all La
Coop flyers to Unimat flyers for year 2011;
agricultural, horticultural; and maple grove
flyers; customer strategies support by radio
and television advertising programs.
Consumer Sales: Distributors Hardware
and Building Material
Major New Customers: Unimat
Jean-Claude Dionne
RONA INC.
220, chemin du Tremblay, Boucherville, QC
J4B 8H7
Phone: 514-599-5900
Website: www.rona.ca
Retail Banners: RONA, RONA L’Entrepôt,
RONA Le Régional, RONA L’express,
RONA Le Rénovateur, RONA Le
Quincaillier, RONA L’express Matériaux,
RONA Lansing, RONA Cashway, RONA
Home & Garden, RONA Home Centre,
RONA Hardware, RONA Building Centre,
Réno-Dépôt, STUDIO par RONA, TOTEM,
Botanix, Curtis Lumber, Chester Dawe,
Matériaux Coupal, Dick’s Lumber, TruServ
Member Stores: 900
Outlets In: Across Canada
Private Label Lines: Close to 5,000 products
Marketing Strategies: National TV ads;
nationwide weekly flyers; national sponsorships with Maple Leaf Sports &
Entertainment (Toronto Maple Leafs –
NHL, Toronto Raptors – NBA, Toronto FC
– MLS, and the Toronto Marlies – AHL);
the CFL; the Canadian Olympic Committee;
partnership with the Vancouver Canucks;
partnership with the Calgary Flames
Serge Vezina (Quebec), John Penner
(Western Canada), John Longo (Ontario &
Atlantic regions)
SEXTON GROUP LTD.
46-1313 Border St., Winnipeg, MB R3H 0X4
Phone: 204-694-0269 Fax: 204-694-4507
Website: www.sextongroup.com
Retail Banners: Sexton Group Ltd.
Member Stores: 280
Outlets In: Across Canada and France
Affiliates: ILDC, Spancan Buying Group
Marketing Strategies: The focus is on having
an immediate impact on member’s bottom
line and making sure members are able to
competitively purchase a full range of building materials and hardlines products, backed
up by one-on-one relationships that also
address local market issues as they happen.
Contact for Membership Information: Steve
Buckle, vice-president & general manager
SPANCAN (1999) CORP.
596 Kingston Rd., Ste. 100, Ajax, ON L1T 3A2
Phone: 905-428-0700 Fax: 905-428-0690
Email: [email protected]
Website: www.spancan.com
Retail Banners: TIM-BR-Mart (includes
Chalifour Canada), La Coop Federee,
Federated Coop, ILDC
Outlets In: Across the nation
Contact for Membership information: Mike
Daniels, general manager
TIM-BR MART
705-1601 Airport Rd. NE, Calgary, AB T2E
6Z8
Phone: 403-717-1990
Website: www.timbrmart.ca
Retail Banners: TIM-BR MART, ACE, PRO
Member locations: 768
Outlets In: 10 provinces, Nunavut
New Members in 2011 (As of January 1):
13 new dealers and 20 new locations
Affiliates: ACE Hardware
Private Label Lines: Insulation, house wrap,
select hardware, moulding/trim, doors, and
windows; private ACE-brand products
Marketing Strategies: Air Miles Rewards
Miles, national flyer programs, (conventional and electronic), in-store digital advertising, consumer website, Timberclub direct
e-marketing, home/garage/cottage plans,
consumer credit and gift cards, project
financing, multi-media national advertising, EcoChoice, consumer and industry
tradeshows (e.g. Cottage Life and TIMBR MART Contractor Show), Timbrkids
Charitable Foundation, World Juniors Video
Challenge, Hockey Canada sponsorship
Contact for Membership Information: Jon
Irwin, director, marketing & merchandising
TORBSA LIMITED
2 Marconi Ct., Unit 13, Bolton, ON L7E 1E5
FEATURED ARTICLE
Phone: 905-857-5811 Fax: 905-951-9923
Website: www.torbsa.com
Member Stores: 50
Marketing Strategy: Flyers, radio and TV
advertising, and retail technology are handled by individual dealers
Contact for Membership: Bob Holmes,
general manager
TSC STORES L.P.
1950 Oxford St. E., London, ON N5V 2Z8
Phone: 519-453-5270 Fax: 519-453-6068
Website: www.tscstores.com
Retail Banners: TSC Stores, TSC Villager
Outlets In: 44 in Ontario and 2 in Manitoba
Private Label Lines: TSC, Rolling Acres Feed
Major New Customers: 200 wholesale
accounts signed up as customers to TSC
Country Pro Services; launched in 2011, this
is TSC’s wholesale division.
Contact for Membership Information: Kim
Gillis
WINDSOR PLYWOOD
20039 – 96th Ave., Langley, BC V1M 3C6
Phone: 604-455-9663 Fax: 604-455-5043
Website: windsorplywood.com
Retail Banners: Windsor Plywood
Member Stores: 62
Outlets In: British Columbia, Alberta,
Manitoba, Ontario, Washington, Montana
Marketing Strategies: Marketing materials are centrally produced at the head
office to ensure continuity of the appearance
and message delivered to the consumer.
In-house production allows promotions to
be tailored to specific regions and stores
giving dealers control of content and their
advertising budgets.
Contact for Membership Information: Curt
Crego, chief operating officer
❖
www.dumondchemicals.com
TRUSERV CANADA INC.
1530 Gamble Pl., Winnipeg, MB R3C 3A9
Phone: 204-453-9511 Fax: 204-452-6615
Website: www.truserv.ca, www.truhardware.ca
Retail Banners: TRU Hardware, TRU
Building Centres, V&S, Country Depot;
Launching in 2012 – TRU Country &
Garden, UNIQ Quincaillerie, UNIQ Centre
de rénovation
Member Stores: 725
Affiliates: Part of the RONA dealer network
Private Label Lines: For TRU Banners: pri-
vate label paint; Tools/Plumbing: FACTO,
ProPulse, HAUSSMANN, UBERHAUS
Marketing Strategies: To provide strong
national flyer and catalogue programs to
banner customers, as well as provide custom advertising options to independent
customers; dealers can take advantage
of a customized gift card program and
a dealer loyalty program that rewards
TruServ Canada dealers for working on
their business
Major New Customers: 34 new customers
(hardware, variety), 59 new LBM customers
Bonnie Birollo, director, sales & business
development (west); Serge Vezina, director, sales & business development (east);
Wilf Gerhardt, national manager, business
development
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www.hirmagazine.com
22
[email protected]
Preparing
For A
Profitable
Ice Melt
Season
By: Ken Johnston
W
hen it comes to consumer
ice melt products, fall can be
a missed opportunity. Many
retailers figure that all salt is
the same, so they stock a few kinds of basic
ice melt products to arm homeowners for
winter. And most homeowners just grab the
first bag of ice melt they see after the first
snowfall.
All ice melt products melt ice, but some
have superior melting capacity or other
features, which means they do a better job
for homeowners and command a premium
price. An educated store owner is better
equipped to guide homeowners toward the
most appropriate ice melt products for their
needs, generating increased customer loyalty and profits.
Educate Yourself
The variety of ice melt products available
can be simplified into three main categories:
rock salt, salt blends, and salt alternatives.
Rock salt (sodium chloride) is very
popular among homeowners because it’s
reliable and economical for keeping walkways clear and safe. It melts down to
minus 15 degrees Celsius, so it works well
in moderate climates and is safe to handle
and store. But homeowners should manage
it properly if they use it around landscaping as too much sodium chloride can harm
vegetation.
As rock salt melts ice, it creates brine that
refreezes at a higher temperature compared
with other ice melt ingredients or blends.
This freeze/thaw cycle can cause damage to
concrete driveways and walkways. To limit
any concrete damage, you can recommend
that your customers remove slush and brine
before it has a chance to refreeze.
Salt blends are also very popular. They
typically contain sodium chloride mixed
with magnesium chloride, calcium chloride,
and other additives to provide additional
benefits such as fast-acting melting power,
extended freeze/thaw cycles to protect concrete surfaces, safety for pets and vegetation, and colouring to assist with even
application. Depending on the blend, they
can melt ice in temperatures as low as minus
31 degrees Celsius.
Salt alternatives offer increased melting
power and other benefits compared with
sodium chloride, so, like salt blends, they
can be better suited for colder climates or
for customers who have landscaping or
concrete concerns. Two popular choices
include magnesium chloride and calcium
chloride.
Magnesium chloride is an excellent
choice for homeowners. It melts down to
minus 26 degrees Celsius and is friendly
to landscaping and concrete when used as
directed.
Calcium chloride also has superior melting power and can melt ice down to minus
32 degrees Celsius. However, pure calcium
chloride can burn skin, so homeowners
should wear goggles and gloves when working with it.
It can also harm landscaping and concrete. Studies have shown that improperly applied calcium chloride can cause
significant damage to concrete by chemically ‘attacking’ it, even before freeze/thaw
cycles take place.
Retailers’ Challenge
The variety of ice melt products benefits
customers and retailers alike. The challenge
for retailers is to guide their customers to the
ice melt choices that are best for them.
Talk to your suppliers about which product mix will work best to meet the needs of
your customer base and understand the specific needs that each product meets. You’ll
be able to ask the right questions when customers enter your store and guide customers
toward the right solution.
Place ice melt displays near the entrance
and exit for better visibility and for customer convenience. Heavier bags of ice melt are
easier to carry shorter distances to parking
lots. Many successful retailers also leave
shipments of ice melt products on pallets,
both inside and outside the store.
Consider late fall as the ice-melt preseason. Don’t wait until after the first storm
hits. If you do, your customers will likely
buy the first bag of ice melt they see.
Instead, start merchandizing your ice melt
products and educating your customers in
late fall. This allows homeowners to stock
up on premium ice melt products that meet
their specific needs before winter.
You’ll generate advance, rather than lastminute, sales while increasing customer
loyalty and profits.
❖
Ken Johnston is director of consumer and
industrial sales at Sifto Canada Corp.,
which manufactures and markets the Sifto
line of residential de-icers.
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[email protected]
The Latest In Windows And Doors
An oversized custom front door incorporating window design and upgraded hardware
makes for an inviting and appealing entranceway.
By: Daniela DiStefano
H
omeowners know upgrading
doors and mouldings is a simple
and cost effective way to add
visual impact to the home. “Those
slight changes in moulding, panelling, and
door styles can really make a house into a
home and alter the look and feel of a room,”
says Peter Branidis, branch manager for
Moulding and Millwork Ontario’s moulding
division. Implementing different styles of
paneled doors and trim adds the value and
competitive edge to a project that will attract
homeowners looking for quality extras.
Demand for windows and doors, especially in the residential building market, is
forecast to rise to 6.8 per cent each year
to $192 billion globally by 2015, says a
study from the Freedonia Group. And with
increasing consumer awareness and government support in the form of tax credits, the
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demand for energy-efficient products will
be the fastest rising category in the market.
Trends And Demands
Textured doors have been popular in the
market for some time, but Brandis says he
has been seeing a strong shift to smooth
products as homeowners seem to be more
attracted to the finish and aesthetics. Solid
core doors or sound reducing products are
also being requested as the market shifts
from solid wood doors.
Fibreglass doors are another popular
option. Brad Lowes, marketing manager
at JELD-WEN Windows and Doors, says
higher-end fibreglass composite doors are
growing in demand. The company’s custom
fibreglass door products emulate the look
and feel of wood. “I’ve been in the industry
for more than 20 years and I can’t tell the
difference between the fibreglass door and
the wood door,” he says.
With the implementation of higher ceil-
ings in today’s home construction market,
there has been a dramatic rise in the demand
for eight-foot interior doors in Canada from
the standard six or seven foot offerings.
“Whether the customer chooses to stick
with a standard door height and add a tempered window above the door or go with an
extended door height, these projects create
focal points for the home,” Lowes says.
These options are also extended to front
doors where customers will most likely be
looking for a piece that will shape the curbside appeal of the home.
Custom and non-traditional door offerings
represent almost limitless opportunities for
contractors and designers to assist their clients in making a statement that will complement their design visions. Mix and matching
materials, colours, and textures can bring
natural light into the home and make it feel
warm and inviting. Gaining in popularity are
French or Shaker style double doors used to
divide the dining room, den, or family room
from the rest of the home which are making a
comeback from the Victorian era, Lowes says.
The double door system is also prevalent for
bedrooms to add a double entry system to the
master suite with decorative glass patterns
and textures to add additional emphasis.
Contractors and even DIY homeowners
also appreciate the abundance of pre-assembled or pre-hung door options available for
Large windows let in more natural light
and can create a more spacious feeling
inside the home.
their project needs. These offerings emphasize greater variety and design and save a
considerable amount of time for busy professionals as they include the doors and frames.
Pre-hung packages are most popular for
basement renovations and replacing existing
doors around the home. “They can be purchased at virtually any building centre and
come almost entirely put together. They’re
hinged, put in a frame, and have a hole for
the doorknob,” Brandis says. “The package
just needs to be installed in the opening.”
Moulding details add an extra distinguishing feature to any door design and easily enhance the overall impact to the home.
Crown moulding is becoming a popular
request and Brandis says medium-density
fibreboard (MDF) products are most widely
used. Professionals were reluctant to choose
MDF, but changes in the composition have
it far lighter with a more consistent finish
than wood.
Window Offerings
For years contractors and builders could
only choose between wood and vinyl windows, but now the option of hybrid window materials are giving professionals more
offerings to pass on to clients. “Hybrid
windows are a combination of two different
materials, whether it be a vinyl and aluminium or a wood and aluminium blend,” says
Lowes. As material selection has grown so
has exterior colour choices and window pallets have grown from basic white to meet
the market demands and design preferences
of homeowners from British Columbia to
Quebec and beyond.
Homeowners are becoming far more educated on industry offerings and options when
embarking on their renovations and, Lowes
says, professionals need to keep up the trends
and changes their clients want. “Home renovation shows are quite popular and homeowners are doing their research so they can make
informed renovation decisions,” he says.
Historically what are known as slider or
glider windows have been the most popular, but Aaron Latimer, vice-president of
marketing at All Weather Windows, says
casement windows are the best choice today.
“They are cranked open and then cranked
shut and locked, making them the most
energy-efficient operating window available
for keeping heat in or out,” he says.
Upgrading glass options to tri-pane from
dual pane windows is another upgrade customers are willing to make to improve overall performance and increase thermal sound
insulation in the home.
Just as the demand for taller interior doors
continues, Latimer is keeping his eye on the
rise of larger window requests. “Customers
are looking to let in natural light and want the
Casement windows are a popular choice
for customers looking for functionality
and energy efficient upgrades.
outdoors to be visible from inside the house
for better views so the trend is growing,” he
says. Bay windows are still widely popular in
kitchens and living rooms and do an excellent
job of making the room feel spacious.
In rooms where homeowners are looking
to keep the natural light but increase privacy, typically in bathrooms or basements,
textured or patterned glass give the protection they are looking for without having to
add window treatments. Contractors can
also suggest custom windows of unique
shapes and sizes as a way to create visual
interest both in and outside of the home.
New Look For Garages
The garage door is also getting more con-
sideration. Once the place to store junk and
old sports equipment, today it has become
an alternative living space as the home for
the Hot Rod or ‘man cave.’ “The garage
is much more of a predominant living area
and the garage door is a big part of that,”
says Travis Reynolds, national marketing
manager at Steel-Craft Door Products Ltd.
As most homebuilders are constructing
the garage attached to the front of the home
rather than detached at the rear, the garage
door has become the largest face on the front
of the house. As a result, homeowners are
looking for garage door systems that will not
only do their job, but also compliment the
exterior look of their home. Reynolds says in
the last decade consumers have become much
more specific about incorporating doors that
are more customized than the standard raised
panel of years gone by. They are looking to
match their brick colour, vinyl siding, stucco,
or front door and the industry has responded
by producing a multitude of colour options to
meet their needs.
“From door colours to handle designs,
decorative hinges, and textures, we are seeing a larger demand for decorative options,”
he says. The garage door has evolved and
Reynolds says homeowners are looking for
something that will distinguish their home
from their neighbour’s, plus they are willing
to pay for a product they feel will add value
and character to their home.
❖
Daniela DiStefano is staff writer for Home
Improvement Retailing (ddistefano@power
shift.ca).
The garage door is typically the largest face at the front of the home, and today’s offerings provide the overall look and feel homeowners are looking to achieve.
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[email protected]
Enhancing The Contractor Experience
By: Daniela DiStefano
W
hen
Marie-Claude
and
Mario Audet took over the
RONA store on Père-Lelièvre
Boulevard in Quebec City, QC,
in 2010, it was important for them to diversify the products and services available to both
homeowners and professional contractors.
The third-generation dealers, and owners of
a second RONA affiliate store in Saint-Marcdes-Carrières, QC, expanded to 4,000 square
feet with more than $1.4 million in investments to enhance customer experience.
One of the most drastic changes was the
design of a specialized paint department
catering solely to contractors. “Before the
renovations, we had one paint department
serving retail and contractor customers, but
we decided separating into two departments
would ensure we could take better care of
contractors’ needs,” says Eric Cyr, general
manager. As Sico brand experts, the store
already had strong relationships with many
local contractors, but the team was looking
for ways to improve the quality of service
and attract new clients.
New Initiatives
Designing specialized database soft-
Materiaux Audet’s specialized paint department was renovated in 2010 to exclusively
service professionals in Quebec City, QC.
ware specifically for contractors has been
one of the most successful new initiatives
of the contractor paint department. “We
give the in-house software to our professional customers and they can install it
on their personal computers,” Cyr says.
Four full-time employees ensure the department is always ready to answers contractor questions and fill their requests in store.
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www.atlaspolar.com
“From there, they can directly place their
product orders to be picked up at the store
the next morning.” Utilizing the database
to place orders means contractors have the
flexibility to request materials from their
home or office on their own schedules,
even if the store is closed and have them
ready when needed.
Since launching the database earlier this
year, 80 professional customers have started
using the service and Cyr hopes the number will continue to grow. “Contractors are
still calling and coming into the store to
place their orders, but many are finding
this database option convenient.” Utilizing
the database also eliminates administration
duties for contractors as the program stores
order information that would be needed
for accounting purposes – an added bonus
for many of the small companies and selfemployed professionals who would typically have to take care of all the paperwork
themselves.
During the renovation process,
Matériaux Audet hired two team members from a competitor to bring in additional expertise for the new department.
“We have four full-time employees for the
department which is a big part of its success,” Cyr says. “Some of them have more
than 30 years of experience working with
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professionals and all department staff has
been trained to answer contractor questions and give them advice based on their
project needs.”
Specific Needs
Opening the store at 6:30 a.m. is another
way the paint department tends to the specific needs of contractors. The specialized
department has been open for a little over
six months now and Cyr says it has brought
an increase in business to Matériaux Audet.
“I would say the local market has gone down
10 to 20 per cent in the last little while, but
we’ve seen an increase in sales of almost 15
per cent,” he says.
Providing prompt and attentive service
to painting professionals has brought in
about 10 new regular customers, expanding
the department’s clientele from one or two
person operations, to companies with more
than 20 professionals. “Big or small, businesses know they can come here and that we
are going to deliver,” Cyr says. “We’ve been
able to decrease wait times and increase
one-on-one service to stand out in the local
market.”
❖
Daniela DiStefano is staff writer for Home
Improvement Retailing (ddistefano@
powershift.ca).
New initiatives such as an online order
database, longer operating hours, and
tailored service have drawn new clients
to the store.
P roduct S potlight
Short Work Of Pumping
The Slide-N-Pump
makes short work of
pumping or siphoning water anywhere,
all without the need
of or danger associated with electricity
and water. Attach to
a standard garden
hose to both ends,
insert the open hoseend into any volume
of water or other liquid, and it will start it flowing.
Number Of Cuts Doubled
IRWIN Tools’ 4-Point Snap Blade snaps on
the score to create four cutting points, doubling the number of cuts made by standard
carbon blades. Combining the toughness of
a traditional utility blade with the versatility
of a snap blade, it gives tradesmen instant
access to a sharp new point without the hassle of having to constantly change blades.
Cleaver, Chef’s
Knife Combined
The Granton Edge Santoku Knife is made
by Victorinox Swiss Army. It combines
features of a cleaver and a chef’s knife. The
ice-tempered, high-carbon stainless steel
blade retains sharpness and carries a lifetime
warranty against defects.
Tape For
The Holidays
Duck Brand’s EZ Start
Printed Packaging Tapes
are now available in
festive holiday patterns,
‘Reindeer
Games’ and ‘Cinnamon
Snow’ for packaging
holiday gifts as an
alternative to traditional paper and ribbon.
Wall Mount Frees Up
Counter Space
Moen Canada’s 90 Degree Rothbury and
Waterhill wall mount faucets pair well with
vessel sinks and provide extra counter space
in the bathroom. The faucets are certified
to meet WaterSense criteria and offer a 5.7
litres per minute flow rate for water savings.
Bulky Tool Belts
Eliminated
Napoleon
Adds To Grill Line
stubborn packaging and ties with ease and
includes a snap-in combination screwdriver
for prying open small compartments. It is part
of the ShopBoss line of multipurpose tools.
Colours For Men
CIL Paints’ Ultimate Man Caves colour
collection is designed to appeal to male
customers. The collection features 20 of
the most popular paint colours for men
with names such as ‘Iced Vodka’ and ‘Beer
Time.’
Deck Line
From Recyled Content
Trex’s Enhance Decking is a high-performance composite decking line manufactured with 95 per cent recycled content
including reclaimed wood, sawdust, and
plastic bags. Each deck board is offered in
both square and grooved profiles measuring 1” x 5½”. It is available in Clam Shell,
a deep charcoal, and Beach Dune, a warm
honey brown.
Wooster
Expands Plush Line
Napoleon Gourmet Grills has made some
new additions to the Prestige 500 Series line
of barbeques for 2012. The series consists
of two editions, the Prestige I and the PRO
models available in stainless steel or a black
porcelain.
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The ToolVest eliminates bulky tool belts
with 20 pockets and 14 quick access pockets to keep tools ready for use. It zips on
and off like a jacket and the vest frame is
made from breathable and durable mesh
fabric for superior strength and circulation.
Fluorescent panels keep workers visible and
safe in the dark.
Tools Opens Packages
Fiskars’ Package Opener cuts through
Wooster is expanding its Micro Plush line
to include microfibre options of 9⁄16” and ¾”
nap heights. Micro Plush rollers are made
with soft white microfibre that delivers a
very uniform, even finish with all paints and
enamels.
❖
www.castle.ca/freedom
[email protected]
Calendar
Of Events
March 10-13 – The International Home
+ Housewares Show, McCormick Place,
Chicago, IL. Visit: www.housewares.org
JANUARY 2012
Jan. 10-12 – International Horticultural
Lawn and Garden Trade Show and
Conference, Toronto Congress Centre,
Toronto, ON. Visit: www.canadanursery.com
March 16-25 – Canada Blooms Flower
and Garden Show, The National Home
Show, Direct Energy Centre, Toronto, ON.
Visit: www.canadablooms.com
March 30-31 – The 2012 TIM-BR MART
National Buying Show, Toronto Congress
Centre, Toronto, ON. Visit: www.timbrmart
show.com/
APRIL
April 24-26 – The Kitchen & Bath Industry
Show, McCormick Place, Chicago, IL. Visit:
http://www.kbis.com/
MAY
May 1-3 – The National Hardware
Show, Las Vegas Convention and Visitors
Authority, Las Vegas, NV. Visit: http://www.
nationalhardwareshow.com
❖
Jan. 14-17 – Canadian Home Furnishings
Market, International Centre, Toronto, ON.
Visit: www.tchfm.com
Jan. 18-20 – WRLA’s 2012 Prairie
Showcase Buying Show & Convention,
Prairieland Park, SK. Contact: ckelly@wrla.
org
MARCH
March 4-7 – International Hardware Fair,
Koelnmesse Convention Center, Cologne,
Germany Visit: http://www.eisenwarenmesse.com/en/iem/home/index.php
People
and represents the majority of new home
builders, renovators, land developers, trade
contractors, building product suppliers, and
other professionals.
Masco
Keith Allman is group president, responsible
for Brasstech, Delta Faucet Co., Hansgrohe,
Liberty Hardware, Masco Bath, Masco
Canada, and Mirolin Industries Corp. Most
recently, he was president of Delta Faucet Co.,
a position he took over in 2007. He joined
Masco in 1998 as vice-president, manufacturing, at cabinet maker Merillat Industries.
CHBA
Ron Olson, general manager of Boychuk
Developments, is president of the Canadian
Home Builders’ Association (CHBA), the
voice of the Canadian residential construction industry. He has been a member of
the association since 1974. He will serve
a 20-month term. Established in 1943, the
CHBA has more than 8,000 member firms
MasonryWorx
Jack Prazeres is president of MasonryWorx
and will lead the board and executive committee. He succeeds Dante Di Giovanni who
will remain on the executive committee as past
president. MasonryWorx
represents manufacturers, suppliers, and skilled
professionals from across
Ontario, providing government information
about the use and benefits
Jack
of brick, block, and stone
Prazeres
masonry products.
Richelieu
Antoine Auclair is vice-president and chief
financial officer of Richelieu Hardware Ltd.
Prior to joining the company, he was vicepresident and controller at CAE Inc.
IKO
Malcolm Orr is national accounts manager
for IKO’s Canadian residential sales group.
He was previously sales manager for Quebec
and Atlantic Canada. Colin Rancier is sales
manager – one step distribution for Western
Canada. He was formerly national accounts
manager (Western Canada). Vince Carrier
is sales manager – one step distribution for
Western Canada. Previously, he had been
a sales representative in British Columbia.
Vincent Chicoine is sales manager for
its Quebec operations. He had been sales
supervisor for Montreal, QC.
Habitat Council
Henry Banman, senior executive vice-president and founding partner at All Weather
Windows, has accepted an advisory position with Habitat for Humanity Canada’s
National Leadership Council. The National
Leadership Council is a group of Canadian
business and community leaders who believe
that building stronger communities depends
upon safe, affordable, and accessible housing. “When you’ve been a part of Canada’s
building industry for as long as we have, you
see first-hand that there’s a tremendous need
to provide critical resources for thousands of
people,” says Banman. ❖
29
29
[email protected]
Publisher’s Perspective
The ‘Buy Canadian’ Myth
W
hat would happen if
Canadians started to ‘Buy
Canadian,’ or more likely
‘Buy North American?’
Earlier this year, Diane Sawyer, the
anchor of the ABC World News television
program, did a week-long special report
focusing in on just that. The gist of the series
is that Americans don’t buy many U.S.made products anymore and are, therefore,
responsible for the persistent and relatively
high rate of unemployment in the country. In
one report, they took a typical middle-class
American’s home and removed all the items
that were not made in the USA. When the
moving trucks were done, the only thing left
was the kitchen sink.
The conclusion Sawyer drew was that if
every American spent just $64 more than
normal on USA or Canadian made items, it
could create up to 200,000 new jobs.
Grass Roots Campaign
Of course, this prompted a grass roots
30
30
campaign on both sides of the border with
Americans and Canadians demanding that
we start buying nationally to bring jobs
back.
Forbes magazine quickly took exception
to the Sawyer report. It accused the network
of selling dangerous, nationalistic propaganda. For example, it noted one of the points
made in the Sawyer report is that in 1960,
foreign goods made up just eight per cent of
Americans’ purchases. Today, nearly 60 per
cent of everything Americans buy is made
overseas. However, back in the ‘golden age’
of the 1960s, when imports were oddities,
the per-capita U.S. income was $2,914. In
2009, per-capita income was $46,411 which
in real, inflation-adjusted terms, even with a
U.S. population increase from 181 million
to 307 million, is almost triple what it was
in 1960, about $42,277 versus $15,669 in
2005 dollars. So while Americans are buying more overseas goods, their income has
soared during the same period.
In fact, the magazine contends U.S.
manufacturing is thriving and leading the
world in terms of value of output. While
Americans today are less likely to find
products manufactured in the United States
in their homes, this is because U.S. manufacturers have moved on to producing
higher value products. Instead of being
focused on products that consumers find in
retail stores (furniture, hand tools, sporting
goods, flatware, draperies, carpeting, and
clothes), American factories are producing
the highest value products – pharmaceuticals, chemicals, airplanes, sophisticated
componentry, technical textiles, and other
items often sold directly to other businesses.
The one area where U.S. manufacturing is
not thriving is employment. Manufacturing
employment peaked in 1979 and has been on
a downward trajectory ever since. However,
that is the point of economic growth – making more with less is the goal.
It is not that there are no jobs out
there, it is that skilled workers are in
short supply. Consider, a recent report from
Deloitte and the National Association of
Manufacturers (NAM) says U.S. manufacturers have 600,000 unfilled positions
because of a lack of qualified skilled
workers and most manufacturers expect
the problem to worsen in the coming years.
Similar concerns about shortages of skilled
workers, especially with the growing number of Baby Boomers who will soon be
leaving the labour force, have been voiced
throughout the continent and in most of the
developed world. So if ‘Buy American’ or
‘Buy Canadian’ campaigns did gain traction,
where would we find the workers?
And, those who point to immigration as a
solution are way off base because the countries with the highest populations often have
the lowest levels of education. The competition for skilled workers is global, with every
developed economy facing shortages going
forward.
Uneducated, Unskilled
There is a labour supply out there. When
you look at the demographics of the unemployed, it is the uneducated, unskilled who
cannot find jobs. Often, these are primarily young people. That these people are
unable to find jobs is not a failure of the
manufacturing industry, it is a failure of the
education system which could not motivate
them to stay in school and our social system
that was unable to get a large chunk of our
youth to get the training they need to fill
these jobs.
And, if they are motivated, we fail to
provide them with access to the education
they, and our economy, need unless they
are willing to spend years digging out from
under a mountain of debt.
The sad thing is as our world gets faster
and we need more productivity from fewer
people, the demand for skilled workers will
grow even more.
However, it is a lot easier to blame offshore manufacturing for economic woes than
address the real issues, the real problems. ❖
Dante Piccinin
Publisher and Editorial Director
[email protected]
www.regalideas.com
[email protected]
Aluminum Railing
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Contact: Ernie Couillard, VP Sales and Marketing
(303) 681-3104 - [email protected] - regalideas.com
31
Full Page: 8.125" wide x 10.875" high - v.18 - September 23, 2009
Three piece
powder coated
column wraps
around existing
posts or can be
used instead of
wood posts.
www.castle.ca/revolution
Name:
Vicki Hagel
Occupation: Owner of Cook Street Castle Building Centre.
Successful, independent business woman.
Revolutionary behaviour: Embraces change. People oriented.
Free to run our business our way. We deliver knowledge,
solutions, hardware and lumber – every day.
M.O.: Service. Service. Service. Our staff is knowledgeable
and experienced. Our store is a city-block long with a
drive-thru lumberyard, located in the heart of
downtown Victoria.
Fears: Losing our freedom. Losing our independence.
On being a Revolutionary: We buy whatever we want
from any vendor we choose. Since our store has a large
hardware footprint, the Castle/Orgill focus on “North
American Pricing” has been beneficial to us. Our buying
group does not dictate what we do, or how we do it.
It’s our free will, business acumen and independence
that have made us successful.
For more detailed information: www.Castle.ca/Revolution
Warning: Independence is not for everyone. Do you have the passion to lead?
& hardware
Your trusted building supply partner®
Retail. Commercial. Specialty.
32
Contact your Business Development Manager
West
Alan Schoemperlen (204) 771-1509
BC
Les Gillespie
(250) 469-4744
Ontario Bruce Holman
(647) 228-1414
Quebec Robert Legault
(514) 208-4158
Atlantic Sandy Welsh
(902) 471-7113
[email protected]
[email protected]
[email protected]
[email protected]
[email protected]
castle.ca/freedom

Digital Issue - Home Improvement Retailing Magazine

Transcription

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