More than 470 Lowe’s Canada locations are located across the country to serve the requirements of both home improvement enthusiasts and contractors. In addition to RONA, Reno-Depot, and Dick’s Lumber, Lowe’s is part of the wider Lowe’s Canada retail group.
Founded in Toronto in 2006, the firm now employs more than 700 Canadians at its offices and stores. Employees at Lowe’s are still being hired for its new locations, and the company is offering a wide range of perks for both regular full and part-time employees.
Beyond its retail sites, Lowe’s commitment to the local community extends far beyond those of the company. YMCA of Greater Toronto has received a $500,000 donation from the Lowe’s Charitable for Camp Pine Crest and other Toronto-area initiatives.
Today we will be discussing the recent happenings in Lowe’s Canada stores and the new revolving around it.
A little background about Lowe’s in Canada
There are roughly 20 million people that shop at Lowe’s Companies, Inc. (NYSE: LOW) each week. More than 2,200 Lowe’s and allied businesses operate or provide service to more than 300,000 workers, generating almost $90 billion in sales in the fiscal year 2020.
Over 450 Lowe’s stores are operated or serviced by Lowe’s and its subsidiary RONA inc. in several complimentary formats. RONA employs over 26,000 people in Canada, with an additional 5,000 working for independent affiliate dealers who operate under the RONA brand. banner.
Lowe to close down certain stores in Canada
34 Canadian Lowe’s locations will be shut down, the company revealed. With a base in North Carolina, Lowe’s paid $3.2 billion to acquire Rona, a Quebec-based retail chain. Founded in 1939, Rona was a group of hardware stores that referred to itself as “The Hardware Merchants” in French.
To prevent Rona Lowe’s from being taken over by the United States, Quebec has vowed to resist the takeover of Rona Lowe’s. A hostile takeover proposal from Lowe’s sparked a political storm in Quebec, where Rona was founded in 1960, and the company’s name is derived from the first letters of their first names.
Failure of the Canadian stores
The $1.8 billion bid was rejected, but four years later, the American powerhouse returned with a far larger one, snatching up its Canadian rival.
An uproar over the acquisition led to the resignation of a Quebec cabinet minister. Jacques Daoust resigned as economics minister because of his suspected role in approving the sale of Rona.
On the face of it, Daoust claimed to have been unaware that Rona’s institutional investor Investissement Quebec had decided to sell its nine percent stake in the company. Three years later, Lowe’s ordered the closing of 65 Canadian shops, igniting new dissent in a province wary of foreign takeovers.
Who decided on the closure of these Canadian stores?
Leader of the Quebecois decried the closure and demanded the federal government to publish details of a deal with Lowe’s defining the terms of employment and a Canadian headquarters.
As he highlighted, “it’s a private corporation — what we can do is restricted.” his Economy Minister will contact Ottawa to ensure the company is not violating any rules.
Ad Standards Authority, recommended earlier this month that Lowe’s should cease using the terms “truly Canadian” and “proudly Canadian” on its retail signage because they were deceptive. The corporation stated that it “seriously disagrees” with the result, but agreed to delete the terms from the statement.
Campaign launched by Lowe’s Canada
However, another incredibly successful Heroes campaign has been announced by Lowe’s, one of Canada’s largest home improvement shops. Eight distribution centers and 71 RONA-connected dealer shops joined Lowe’s stores for this year’s campaign, which saw the most involvement from the Lowe’s Canada network yet.
A total of $1.5 million would be given out to more than 235 Canadian non-profit organizations thanks to the tireless work of employees and the generous donations of consumers.
Conclusion
With the help of the Home Ownership Affordability Partnership (HOAP) and the Lowe’s Loop fitness track in Brantford’s Fordview Park, Lowe’s workers have already volunteered on home remodeling projects. Thus, they would continue operating in Canada, but in limited numbers.
Is Home Depot a subsidiary of Lowe’s?
Home Depot does not own Lowe’s, but rather both are publicly held and operate in the retail equipment and home renovation sector as separate entities.
What is the reason behind Lowe’s failure in Canada?
Despite Marvin Ellison’s short tenure at the helm of Lowe’s, he blamed the company’s sluggish sales in Canada for the company’s lack of growth in the United States. The Canadian division of the corporation is not included in the company’s financial reports.
When Lowe’s was founded, why was the company renamed, Rona?
A hostile takeover proposal from Lowe’s in 2012 sparked a political storm in Quebec, where Rona was founded in 1960 by Rolland Dansereau and Napoleon Piotte, and the company’s name was derived from the first letters of their first names.
