HHIQ_2Q_17_Complete-low

SHOW REPORT
FLE
Nevertheless, according to many exhibitors,
dealers were there to buy. “The attitude
of and response from our customers and
potential customers is tremendous,” said
Steve Goulding, director of Canadian retail
sales at Hillman Group. He noted that he’d
seen a lot of key customers by mid-morning
on day one of the show.
Michèle Ashton, business development
manager for Topring, which produces compressed-air
products, was exhibiting for the
second time. “Last year was okay, but this
year is unreal busy,” she said enthusiastically.
“It’s a great way of meeting the banners
from across the regions.”
TIMBER MART CELEBRATES
50TH ANNIVERSARY WITH
CONVENTION AND TRADE SHOW
TIMBER MART kicked off its 50th anniversary
celebrations at its national annual
convention at the Grand Velas Riviera
Nayarit resort in Puerto Vallarta, Mexico,
from January 22 to 29. The event played
host to record attendance of more than 460
dealers, vendors, and staff, who celebrated
with a birthday party complete with fireworks
and birthday cake, dinners, live
entertainment, and excursions.
The convention also anticipated the buying
group’s annual national buying show,
which took place February 14 and 15 at
the Toronto Congress Centre. It managed
to draw about 350 dealers from across the
country, despite snowstorms in many parts
of the country, including conditions in
Atlantic Canada that prevented about 30
dealers from getting to the show.
The show featured 150-plus vendors in
225 booths. While the show is considered
a small one by the vendor community, it
appeared to draw enough customers to
make the effort pay off. One vendor noted
that attendance was “surprisingly good out
of the gate,” while another noted the quantity
and quality of attendees exceeded their
expectations.
TIMBER MART President Bernie Owens
views the intimacy of this event as an
Dealers gathered in Toronto for TIMBER MART’s buying
show in February.
important part of what TIMBER MART
is trying to accomplish with it: to offer a
forum for dealers to connect and for the
group to share and fortify the group’s culture
and range of services.
ORGILL SHOW DRAWS CANADIANS
FROM A RANGE OF BANNERS TO
NEW ORLEANS
Orgill’s latest show in New Orleans,
February 16 to 18, attracted 350 accounts
from across Canada despite poor weather in
parts of the Northeast that prevented some
dealers from completing their trek.
And with the opening of another distribution
centre to serve Canadian customers,
Memphis-based Orgill continues to
enhance its presence in this country and
Canadians got to
see a rental option
for the first time at
the last Orgill show.
its appeal for Canadian dealers.
(The new DC in Post Falls,
Idaho, will serve the Western
Canadian market.)
For dealers heading down,
the sheer size of the event
requires a rigorous schedule of
visiting the many vendors, the
new products, and—perhaps
most importantly—the “hot
buys” and other show specials
that make the show so attractive
to Canadian dealers.
The latest show featured
some upgrades to its model stores. Maple
Ridge Home Centre, aimed specifically at
Canadian customers, featured a full inventory
of Canadian-compliant products. It
also offered expanded sections of lawn and
garden, housewares, and paint. Another
model store, Walnut Grove Hardware &
Supply, featured 10,000 square feet of retail
space, with a focus on lawn and garden, outdoor
living, farm, and pet, while showcasing
a variety of merchandising techniques
to maximize floor space.
This was the second time the show was
held in New Orleans and Orgill received
positive response from customers. As a
result, the company has announced plans
to add the venue into its rotation of host
cities going forward.
44 SECOND QUARTER / 2017
Hardlines Home Improvement Quarterly
www.hardlines.ca