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| ► | At Home Hardware Stores Ltd., Julie Pouliot has been appointed chair of the board. She succeeds Christine Hand, a dealer-owner in Conception Bay South, N.L., who is retiring after 22 years on the board, including 13 of them as chair. Pouliot owns and operates three Home Hardware Building Centre locations in Northern Ontario. She has served on the Home Hardware board for 10 years, where she has held positions such as chair of the Corporate Governance and Nominating Committee and chair of the Human Resources and Compensation Committee. |
| ► | Home Hardware Stores Ltd. has strengthened its focus on commercial and institutional sales through a new partnership with Canoe Procurement Group of Canada, a non-profit public-sector buying group. As a preferred supplier, Home Hardware dealers now have access to Canoe’s 6,000 public service partners nationwide, opening new opportunities for local government and institutional contracts. This move builds on Home’s decade-long commercial program aimed at supporting dealers in servicing public sector clients. Dealer-owner Allison Kilby, part of the pilot, noted the partnership enables dealers to fulfill RFPs and meet daily maintenance needs efficiently for Canoe members |
| ► | RONA is expanding its private brand portfolio to meet growing consumer demand for value-driven options, a trend highlighted in EY Canada’s Future Consumer Index. New labels like VALU+, Landon & Co., Laflamme & Co., and Célébrations by Landon & Co. offer affordable quality across home improvement, décor, and outdoor living, while the RONA brand continues to provide core products at competitive prices. The company also recently expanded its exclusive Tilley Tuff workwear line to include women’s apparel, addressing a gap in the market. These moves align with a broader retail shift toward affordability, as both high- and low-income consumers prioritize value. |
| ► | Recession fears and high interest rates are causing 67% of Canadians looking to buy a home to wait for conditions to improve, with many holding out for rates below 3%, according to BMO’s latest Real Financial Progress Index. Affordability remains a major barrier, leading some to consider relocating or co-owning homes with non-romantic partners, especially among Gen Z and Millennials. Housing market confidence continues to decline, particularly in B.C. and Southern Ontario, as sales weaken, inventory grows, and economic uncertainty persists |
| ► | At a recent symposium hosted by the Canadian Home Products Trade Association in Toronto, industry retail leaders examined the challenges of the Buy Canadian movement in light of tariffs and their impact on vendor-buyer relationships. Panelists from TIMBER MART, Canadian Tire, Staples, and others discussed how retaliatory tariffs can make Canadian-made products more expensive, complicating efforts to promote them. Chris Parsons noted that customers may hesitate to switch from familiar U.S. brands if Canadian alternatives come at a premium, while Tracy Platt highlighted how inaccurate “Made in Canada” claims at the store level can damage consumer trust. Chris Saniga added that, on the B2B side, clients are demanding immediate transparency on product origins, often tying it to procurement decisions. |
