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F LE
FAMILY STORE MAINTAINS LEGACY
BY STAYING TRUE TO ITSELF
BY GEOFFREY McLARNEY
The Deane family has been active in lumber retail in Surrey, B.C., for years, but the smaller community of
Delta is their home. When the local hardware store in Delta shut its doors, they seized the opportunity to put
their business knowledge to work closer to home.
K
evin Deane and his siblings all grew
up in the industry. There was never
any doubt about where they were
going to end up after school. “We all came
out of school after graduation to work at the
store,” he recalls.
Working for their father, Terry, in the
family’s Surrey, B.C., store, they had to
start out in the lumber yard before they
could work inside the store. According to
Deane, it was their father’s way of making
sure they were familiar with all aspects of
the operation. “It gave us an appreciation
of what they do out there,” he says.
While their workplace was in Surrey,
B.C., home was in the more intimate surroundings
of Delta, which was served by a
Home Hardware. Deane has fond memories
of that store and the personal connections
the owners had formed with their
small-town customers. When the Home
Hardware decided to close its doors, Terry
Deane, who by that point had owned his
Surrey store for about a decade, saw the
opportunity to keep that legacy alive.
“We owe a lot to our dad. Without him,
we’re not here doing what we’re doing,” says
Deane, who also stresses that their mother
“always held down the fort” and deserves
credit as well. Today, Terry Deane is semiretired
after working in the industry since
his teens, and the family owns and operates
Southridge Hardware in their hometown
alongside the Surrey store.
COMPETING ON SERVICE
The Lower Mainland region was already
well-served by big boxes, and customers have
no shortage of options for an impersonal
shopping experience with large selection and
bargain price points. Yet many customers
continue to choose Southridge because the
Deanes are serving people they’ve known
all their lives. While the area is by no means
rural—Delta was designated a city just this
year—it still provides “a lot of small-world
moments,” Deane says.
The family’s feel for the community also
allows them to meet its unique needs. Deane
gives the example of a local cobbler who ran a
popular side business sharpening skates until
his store closed. “We bought the machine
and hired him to sharpen skates,” explains
Deane. “People still sometimes ask him to fix
their shoes, but he doesn’t do that anymore!”
Southridge is “a hardware store first,”
says Deane. “I’ve tried the small appliance
business but wouldn’t do it again. I’m
going to be true to what I am.” He hopes
that by continuing to focus on customer
service and a hands-on, personal approach,
the store can maintain its appeal. Still, he
acknowledges that younger shoppers are
The Deane brothers—
Jamey, Tony, and
Jeremy—never had
any doubt where
they’d end up working
after school.
Sister and brother store managers
Kristina and Kevin Deane.
often “more cost-oriented” and willing to
sacrifice customer service to that end.
“It’s tough not to be dejected when you see
companies like Sears going under. Retail is
definitely changing. I’m just going to keep
doing what I do—focusing on service and
letting people know they’re appreciated. I tell
people, ‘We will look after you. You’re going
to leave my store with a smile: that’s my goal,
even if you didn’t buy anything.’ ”
50 FIRST QUARTER / 2018
Hardlines Home Improvement Quarterly
www.hardlines.ca