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MERCH MATTERS:
Getting ready for spooky season 

Halloween seems far away, but it is just around the corner.

With cooler weather and autumn insight, customers will be looking at decorating for the holidays. This is a great opportunity to get creative with displays. A popular item from last year was the 12-foot skeleton that was sold at Home Depot. Although the 12-foot skeleton made a statement in stores, it became a sensation online.

Last year, the skeleton sold out long before Halloween. With news of the giant skeleton making a comeback, the item is already sold out in some areas. In-store displays are important for sales, but the Instagram famous skeleton proves that social media is also important.

Use social media for marketing, and remember that it’s a great source to stay connected with your community.

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IN OUR STORE:
Putting together the World’s largest Muskoka chair

Nothing says Canadian summer more than a giant Muskoka chair. The six-and-a-half-metre yellow Muskoka chair lives in Gravenhurst, Ont., attracting summer cottagers to climb up and take a seat.

But the chair that now sits outside a local brewery is not original. In August 2009, a tornado ripped through Gravenhurst, destroying the chair that sat outside of the local Home Hardware.

Gravenhurst Home Hardware owner, Rob Clark, promised to replace the chair and to increase its size. Clark hired Craig Johnson, then an inmate at Beaver Creek Institution, a nearby federal prison, as part of a work-release program.

“He knew what my skills were, and he asked me if I could build him the world’s largest Muskoka chair,” Johnson told TVO. “And I said yes.”
The new chair was completed in April 2010 and now resides at Sawdust Brewery.

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PRODUCT SPOTLIGHT:



 New colours for laminate

Belanger Laminates is offering its countertops in 29 new laminate surface colours and nine exclusive shades this season. The new palette is inspired by European trends and highlights the visual elements that create the ambiance and decors defining great design. Belanger’s slender Tivoli countertop profile exemplifies the current trend to sleek simplicity in design.
  

Railing for the perfect evening view

Regal ideas’ 10 mm Crystal Rail tempered glass panels have crystal-clear clarity and produce elite strength. Evening views with Crystal Rail become even more stunning combined with the LED lighting feature, adding the perfect ambiance for entertaining or relaxation.

 




 

  

September 2021 | vol. iv, #9

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HELPING THE COMMUNITY WITH A VACCINE POP UP

If the pandemic has shown us anything, it is how important community is. Kingdon TIMBER MART in Peterborough, Ont., decided to help their community out by hosting a vaccination pop-up.

On Aug. 24, the store offered up their parking lot to Peterborough Public Health. The store’s location was the perfect spot since they are on a busy corner.


“I didn’t know what to expect,” said Kevin Dyck, operations manager at the TIMBER Mart. “But I asked them how it rated compared to other ones. And they said this was a very successful outing.”

Dyck said the idea came from the staff's own needs. Many of them have long commutes and busy personal lives, making it tough to find time to get vaccinated.
“We thought about it, we were like, ‘okay, these are taking place, we're a good location. It would make it easy for our staff if they haven’t had the ability [to get vaccinated] and it would be a positive thing for the community,’” said Dyck. “Our region is also older, and so they don't always have the same comfort level or ability to get to these different clinics.”

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CANWEL'S AMAR DOMAN DISCUSSES HIS TAKEOVER OF THE BC LIONS

Futura Corp.’s Amar Doman, whose holdings include CanWel Building Materials, is the new owner of the CFL’s BC Lions.

Doman acquired the team from the estate of David Braley, who was also the former owner of the Toronto Argonauts and the Hamilton Tiger-Cats. Braley lived in Burlington, Ont. He died in October 2020, in the middle of negotiations. However, Doman was able to continue discussions with Braley’s estate and completed the deal in early August. “I’m very, very happy about this,” he says.

Doman talks about the reasons why securing the team was important. His answer goes well beyond personal ambition. He talks about the need for a strong sports presence for the province—and especially for young people.

He agrees that the team is strong, and the fans loyal. But the Lions have seen attendance at games drop by 30 percent from the highs it enjoyed 15 years ago. Doman says the team needs a boost by the attention of a local owner.

Doman would like to see the team actively involved in personal appearances and signings to connect with and inspire youth.

He also sees a lot of opportunities in the existing LBM business as well. “Yes, for the CanWel building materials division, our largest division in Canada, we have so many thoughts about how to utilize the BC Lions asset.”

Those opportunities include bringing customers and employees in to watch the games, inviting rivals from other provinces, and having some “great banter” among the rival teams.

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NEWFOUNDLAND DEALER THE LATEST TO JOIN ACE CANADA

Pike’s Building Centre in Salt Pond, N.L., is the latest dealer to join the Ace Canada banner. While there have been Ace dealers in Atlantic Canada in the past, this new member, on the Burin Peninsula, re-establishes the banner as the first Ace location east of Quebec since Peavey Industries took over the Ace licence for Canada last year.

Pike’s Building Centre is already a member of the Sexton Group. The assumption of the Ace banner reflects a strategic alliance between Peavey and Sexton.

Brothers Harvey and Jerry Pike first opened Central Video and Sound in 1984 and later branched out with the addition of convenience ite
ms, Canada Post, and a Sears pickup location. In 2009 Harvey’s son, Albert, joined the business and suggested expanding the store’s small hardware space. They bought up an old school on four acres, became a member of the Sexton Group, and in 2010 Pike’s Building Centre was born. The 6,500-square-foot went on to serve customers throughout the Burin Peninsula.

The video store was sold two years later and a 2,400-square-foot showroom was most recently added to provide space for furniture and appliances.

Albert Pike sees the alliance as “the best of both worlds.” He was especially attracted to the digital options. “The e-commerce feature available with Ace was a driving factor for me. E-commerce grew exponentially recently and is expected to remain a big draw for customers after retailers can fully open up again.” He says the ability to continue offering a fully online program to customers even as retail opens up “will put me ahead of some of my competitors.”

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Hardlines Dealer News is published monthly by
Hardlines Inc.
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© 2021 by Hardlines Inc.
www.hardlines.ca
Phone: 416.489.3396

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