HHIQ_3Q_17_Complete

REGIONAL SPOTLIGHT
FLE
COMMON GROUND FROM
THE ROCKIES TO THE PRAIRIES
BY SIGRID FORBERG
Each province that comprises Canada’s West has its own distinct geography, resources, and unique needs.
But one thing retailers across British Columbia, Alberta, Saskatchewan, and Manitoba share is the passion
and drive to uncover their customers’ specific needs and do their best to meet them.
J
osh Beusekom owns the TRU
Hardware in Fort Macleod, Alta.
It’s an old town; the community
of about 3,500 was founded as the North-
West Mounted Police’s (now the RCMP)
first settlement. In the foothills of the
Rocky Mountains, it’s a picturesque community
with a bustling hub of culture—it’s
home to multiple pottery clubs as well as
a local theatre—and there’s no shortage
of activities to keep people busy. But it
maintains a small-town feel, with a focus
on supporting local businesses.
Beusekom was 21 years old when he
opened the store with his brother and
father. New to the industry, he threw himself
into understanding both the business
and customer service sides of his new venture.
And it helps that Fort Macleod’s business
community is very supportive.
“When our customers come in looking
for something we don’t have, we send them
down the street to our competitors,” says
Beusekom. “It might seem counterintuitive
to some retailers, but I think as a smallbusiness
owner, we have a responsibility to
see money be spent in town.”
On the other side of the Prairies is Joel
Hartung, co-owner of The LumberZone, a
three-store chain in Manitoba. Hartung also
recently joined the industry, after having left
the automotive industry and working with
two partners to open a store in Steinbach in
2013. Since then, they’ve also acquired two
other stores in southeast Manitoba.
Like Beusekom, Hartung has invested
a lot of energy in engaging the tight-knit
community of Steinbach, and is now doing
the same in LumberZone’s new Stonewall
and Transcona locations. According to
Hartung, his shoppers are a mix of ultracontemporary
and old-fashioned sensibilities.
With an appreciation of that, he’s able
to cater to a wide array of needs.
“I think understanding who your customer
is helps you deal with them,” says
Hartung. “What the customer wants, we
will sell them.”
FOCUSING ON THEIR STRENGTHS
While the recession has been especially difficult
for Alberta, Saskatchewan has been
impacted as well. Mark Westrum, owner
of Westrum Lumber, with four locations in
Saskatchewan, says the decreased value of
the province’s natural resources has resulted
in a consumer reluctance to spend on things
that have been deemed non-essential.
“People are holding onto their money.
They’re making sure that they’re not spending
frivolously,” says Westrum. But that
doesn’t mean he expects them to close their
wallets completely. “I don’t think it’s going
to be as much new build, but there will be
a lot of renovations.”
With increasing competition for every
dollar, the best strategy these retailers
have is to focus inward, rather than on the
Josh Beusekom owns the TRU Hardware
in Fort Macleod, Alta.
competition. Lethbridge, which is about
30 minutes away from Fort Macleod, is
Beusekom’s biggest competition. But with
a focus on customer service and having
fun, he’s made the store just as much a
destination for his loyal clientele. “I have
a customer who’s about half-way between
here and Lethbridge, and when they need
something, they’ll come in to our store first
to see if we have it,” he says.
The same goes for Hartung. He says his
young, passionate team is excited to help
customers with their projects, whatever the
size or significance of the job—and that
earns a certain loyalty from their clientele.
“I think people buy from us because we
are a smaller operation with hands-on guys
and management,” says Hartung. “No job is
too unimportant for any of us to do.”
DIVERSE CHALLENGES
Of the four provinces in the West, British
Columbia is much more its own entity. The
coastal province boasts plentiful resources—
both agriculture- and tourism-related—that
42 THIRD QUARTER / 2017
Hardlines Home Improvement Quarterly
www.hardlines.ca