Boucherville, Quebec, 2017-Jun-24 — /EPR Retail News/ — Today (June 22, 2017), Lowe’s Canada opened its first store under the new model of Lowe’s stores in Canada which offers an enhanced shopping experience. The store, located at 9603 165 Ave NW in Edmonton was converted from the former RONA Home and Garden, and was designed by taking the best of Lowe’s and RONA’s offering, to create the new model of Lowe’s stores.
“The conversion of our Edmonton store marks the evolution of the Lowe’s Big Box in Canada, says Jim Caldwell, Executive Vice President, Lowe’s Big Box Retail. “We are thrilled to offer this new shopping experience for our customers by taking the best of what both banners have to offer to create a new Lowe’s Big Box model. The Edmonton North location marks many firsts for Lowe’s on the Contractor side that will significantly benefit our Commercial customers with enhanced offers in product, pricing, services and financing.”
The store underwent an extensive 16-week physical transformation from the former RONA which involved construction, departmental sequencing of new racking and re-merchandising, branding and IT conversion, as well as a significant investment in our people with extensive training that is focused on new product knowledge and customer service.
New Retail Experience
The new Edmonton North Lowe’s will offer a new retail experience including:
- A wider assortment of Seasonal products such as Patio, Holiday and Halloween including the latest fashion trends.
- The introduction of entirely new product categories including Appliances, Lowe’s private labels, and top brands such as John Deere, Husqvarna, and Cub Cadet.
- Broader selection of Fashion Plumbing products such as tubs, showers, toilets, vanities, sinks and faucets with the introduction of high profile brands such as Kohler and Grohe.
- Incredible floor displays featuring the latest fashions in wood flooring and tiles – larger displays allow customers to better visualize their projects. Also, eye level displays allow the customer to better experience the texture of flooring products.
- Access to more than 100,000 products on www.lowes.ca
Enhanced Contractor Experience
The new Edmonton North location marks an enhanced shopping experience for Commercial customers including:
- The introduction of the Contractor Rewards Program (i.e. loyalty and pricing program)
- Access to a drive through lumber yard – a first for Lowe’s in Canada – where contractors can load their vehicles directly to save time, as well as have access to a broader lumber assortment.
- The Edmonton North store will be the first Lowe’s store in Canada to introduce charge accounts that will allow Commercial customers to make purchases at any RONA Corporate store in Western Canada, as well as at this new model Lowe’s store in Edmonton. Customers will receive only ‘one’ monthly invoice for all purchases made from these stores.
- Introduction of corporately owned and operated delivery truck at the Edmonton North store to provide a more personalized level of service for deliveries to Contractors – another first for Lowe’s in Canada.
- Enhanced assortment in key contractor categories including lumber, building materials, millwork, tools, hardware, etc.
The new Edmonton North Lowe’s marks the company’s 57th store in Canada under the Lowe’s banner and the banner’s fifth Lowe’s location in the Edmonton market. The store represents an approximate local investment in excess of $8.6 million and created 46 new jobs – in total the store employs 143 permanent positions with an additional 30 seasonal roles.
The store will offer about 40,000 products in-stock to meet customers’ home improvement needs, and features approximately 73,000 square feet of retail sales space, an adjacent Garden Centre which includes approximately 28,000 square feet, a covered lumberyard of 14,000 square feet, and an additional outdoor drive thru lumberyard of 24,000 square feet.
Today, local dignitaries and Lowe’s executives joined employees from the store to celebrate the grand opening through an official board cutting ceremony and community grant presentation. Lowe’s donated $5,000 to the John Bosco Child and Family Services Foundation to support renovations and improvements to the rental facilities that are provided to select organizations and agencies concerned with the welfare of vulnerable children, youth and adults.
Grand Opening Events
Grand opening activities for the new store will continue throughout Monday where customers can enjoy free sessions, giveaways and contests including:
- Children’s Workshop for families on Saturday June 24th at 10:00 a.m.
- Interactive autograph signing and Q&A session with HGTV’s Bryan Baeumler on Saturday June 24th from 10am-12pm.
- Giveaways including: Purdy Paint Kit (first 100 customers Friday only), free Lowe’s $25 gift card (first 200 customers Saturday only), and a Sylvania A19 LED 60-Watt Light Bulb (first 1,000 customers Sunday only).
- Customers can also enter to win 1 of 4 Grand Prizes.
- Contractor exclusive VIP event on Monday June 26th from 12:00-2:00 p.m. There will be a draw to win 1 of 3 $250 Lowe’s gift cards and Contractors can fill out a ballot to win 1 of 4 Tool prizes. To register, Contractors can call the store at 780-406-8600 and ask to speak with the Contractor Specialist to request an invite.
About Lowe’s Canada
Lowe’s Companies, Inc. (NYSE: LOW) is a FORTUNE® 50 home improvement company serving more than 17 million customers a week in the United States, Canada and Mexico. With fiscal year 2016 sales of $65.0 billion, Lowe’s and its related businesses operate or service 2,365 home improvement and hardware stores and employ over 290,000 people. Based in Boucherville, Quebec, Lowe’s Canadian business, together with its wholly owned subsidiary, RONA inc., operate or service over 600 corporate and independent affiliate dealer stores in a number of complementary formats under different banners. These include Lowe’s, RONA, Réno-Dépôt, Marcil, Dick’s Lumber and Ace. In Canada, the companies have more than 25,000 employees, in addition to nearly 5,000 employees in the stores of RONA’s independent affiliate dealers. For more information, visit Lowes.ca.
For more information, please contact:
Valérie Gonzalo
Media Relations
Lowe’s Canada – RONA
Tel 514.626.6976
media@rona.ca
Source: Lowe’s Companies, Inc.