CHHMA - EYE ON OUR INDUSTRY
Volume 16, Issue 18, May 11, 2016
Inside This Issue:
• Still Time to Register for Next Week’s CHHMA Quebec Golf Classic
• Join Us at the 47th Annual CHHMA Ontario Golf Tournament on May 31st
• Free Digital Marketing Webinar for CHHMA Members on June 9th or 14th
• CHHMA Scholarship Program – Deadline for Applications July 15
• Canadians Come Together at Maple Leaf Night in Las Vegas
• Quebec to Alter Language Laws to Require French on English Store Signs
• RONA Posts Loss But Higher Revenue in First Quarter Results
• Amazon Hits $1 Billion Milestone on B2B Marketplace; Takes Aim at YouTube
• Wal-Mart Brings Back its Iconic Greeters to Help Deter Theft
• Why We Shop Differently on Mobile Phones
• Economists Downgrading their Outlooks for Canada’s Economy as Alberta Fires Burn
• IMF Urges Canada to Continue Stimulus
• Pace of Canadian Housing Starts Falls in April; Ontario, Quebec Lead Decline
• Canadian Building Permits fall 6.9% in March
• Canada’s Labour Market Stuck in Neutral as Alberta Continues to Bleed Jobs
• U.S. Employment Gains Hit Seven-Month Low, Labour Force Shrinks
Association News
Still Time to Register for Next Week’s CHHMA Quebec Golf Classic
This year’s CHHMA Classique de golf / Golf Classic is is set for next Thursday, May 19 at the Club de golf Le Fontainebleau in Blainville, Quebec.
Registration and brunch will start at 9:00 a.m., with an 11:00 a.m. shotgun start.After golf, there will be dinner with wine followed by prize presentations.
For full details and to register, click here: French Registration English Registration
This event is always an industry highlight and a great opportunity to spend some quality time with colleagues and customers and get a start on the golf season – we hope you can make it out!
Join Us at the 47th Annual CHHMA Ontario Golf Tournament on May 31st
The 47th Annual Ontario Golf Tournament will take place at the Angus Glen Golf Club in Markham, Ontario on Tuesday, May 31, 7:45 a.m. shotgun start, limit of 144 golfers.
The event is open to CHHMA members and their invited customers. It includes breakfast, golf, an executive lunch, awards and prizes.
Proceeds from this year’s tournament will go towards the CHHMA Scholarship Program.
The CHHMA recognizes the importance of education, and therefore encourages children of employees of our association member companies to attend university or college.
To help offset the cost of a post-secondary education, the CHHMA is pleased to offer a Scholarship Program. Successful candidates receive $1,000 per year (CDN) for the first two years of study leading to a degree from an accredited community college or university. Since 2001, 80 scholarships have been awarded, totalling $160,000 to children of member company employees.
To help raise money for the Scholarship Program, we are looking for Hole Sponsors as well as donation items for a Silent Auction to be held during the Tournament. You can click here for PDF file which includes forms for registration, hole sponsorship and the silent auction.
Also, for all the details and to register online, click here.
So make some plans to spend a fun day on the golf course with your industry colleagues and customers.
Free Digital Marketing Webinar for CHHMA Members on June 9th or 14th
CHHMA members are invited to participate in a free educational webinar on Digital Marketing in June presented by Sofie Andreou of Sofie Andreou & Associates.
Sofie recently spoke at the CHHMA Spring Conference & AGM in April and we have now asked her to continue to work with CHHMA and COPA members through her Digital Marketing Education Series which includes webinars and possibly her Video Tutorials, as an added member benefit.
To accommodate your various schedules, we are offering the introductory webinar (approx. 45 minutes) at a morning and afternoon session: June 9th at 9:00 a.m. or June 14th at 1:30 p.m.
This introductory webinar will focus on the basics and a tip in each of Facebook, Twitter and LinkedIn.
Immediately following the webinar, a survey will be sent to you asking which topic you would like us to expand on in future webinars.
If there is interest from the membership, we will also look to extend access to Sofie's online digital marketing tutorials called "Coffee Break Learning" in the fall. To find out more on Coffee Break Learning or Sofie click here: http://www.sofieandreou.com
For the GoToMeeting sign-in details for the webinar and links to a few of Sofie’s video tutorials which you might find useful, click here.
CHHMA Scholarship Program – Deadline for Applications July 15
The CHHMA is once again pleased to be able to offer the opportunity for children of employees of our member companies to apply for a scholarship to help offset the cost of post-secondary education. The Association recognizes the importance of education and therefore encourages children of our member companies to attend University or College. Five or six scholarships are awarded each year. Successful candidates receive $1,000 CDN per year for the first two years of study leading to a diploma or degree from an accredited community college or university.
The scholarship program is available to the dependents of any current full-time employees of the CHHMA or member companies. The program is only offered to Canadian companies or divisions of companies based in Canada which are members of the CHHMA. The member company must remain a member in good standing in order for the student to qualify for the second year of the scholarship.The student's parent or guardian must be an active full-time employee with at least one year seniority with the CHHMA or member company as of July 15th in the year of application. Applicants must be preparing to enter an accredited community college or university in the fall term, and attain a minimum average of 75% in the last year of high school (or CEGEP).The decision of the Selection Committee and the CHHMA is final and not open to appeals.The CHHMA reserves the right to withdraw a scholarship should the student's parent(s) or guardian(s) voluntarily leave the employment of the CHHMA or member company, or if employment is terminated for just cause prior to the start of the school year, or if the company terminates its membership in the Association.
Complete details, application forms and information sheets (for bulletin board postings) in English and French can be found at http://www.chhma.ca/Public/Scholarship-Program. Please print off and post these notices in your lunch room or high traffic area.
The CHHMA must receive applications from potential candidates no later than July 15th.
Since 2001, the CHHMA has awarded $160,000 towards scholarships and some 80 young people have benefited from the scholarship program.
Canadians Come Together at Maple Leaf Night in Las Vegas
Spirits were positive and it was another enjoyable evening at last week’s Maple Leaf Night held on May 4th at the Mirage Hotel & Casino in Las Vegas.
This event is held each year during the National Hardware Show and offers a unique opportunity for CHHMA members to enjoy some “Canadian bonding” over cocktails and hors d’oeuvres with fellow members and Canadian retailers in town for the show.
There was a strong showing of retailers who made it out to the event including Ace Canada, BMR, Canadian Tire, Federated Co-op, Home Hardware, Lowe’s Canada, Patrick Morin, Peavey Industries, RONA and Spancan.
We would like to thank everyone for attending and particularly the co-sponsoring companies (listed below) for making Maple Leaf Night such a success and worthwhile event:
Accent Fairchild Group, Big Time Products, Davidson Sales & Marketing, Garant GP, Henkel Canada Corporation, Honeywell Limited, Imperial Manufacturing Group, King Marketing Ltd., Knape & Vogt Canada Inc., LOCK Search Group, Masco Canada Ltd., RCR International Inc., Recochem Inc., Richelieu Hardware, Rust-Oleum Consumer Brands Canada & Task Tools.
We look forward to seeing you there next year!
Government & Legislative News
Quebec to Alter Language Laws to Require French on English Store Signs
The Quebec government has proposed a modification to the province's sign rules that would require Quebec businesses to add French to their outdoor signage, without altering registered trademark names.
Hélène David, acting minister responsible for the protection and promotion of the French Language, made the announcement last Tuesday afternoon.
Under the new rules, businesses with a trademark name that is not in French would be required to add a French word, description or slogan to their outdoor signage. The modification does not apply to trademarks which are names, for example McDonald's or Tim Hortons.
The French words will have to be positioned near the trademark to make them as noticeable as the non-French words. And if the non-French trademark is lit up on the sign, then the French words will also have to be illuminated.The French words do not have to be bigger than the non-French trademark name.
The goal is to have a "sufficient French presence" at every business in Quebec, whether it is a restaurant, factory, shop or hotel. Read More >>
Industry News
RONA Posts Loss But Higher Revenue in First Quarter Results
RONA inc. says it lost money in this year’s first quarter but overall revenue increased despite weak sales in the Prairies. The retailer is slated to become a subsidiary of Lowe’s following a friendly $3.2-billion takeover deal announced in February.
RONA posted a $16.5 million net loss or 15 cents per share for the quarter ended March 27. The quarter’s loss included $3.5 million or three cents per share of restructuring costs and $4.1 million or four cents per share of acquisition costs.
Revenue was $819.2 million, up 5.2% from $778.8 million a year earlier. Retail segment same-store sales grew 3.1% with strong performance in Ontario, British Columbia and the Reno-Depot banner in Quebec. The company saw a decline in Prairie same-store sales. Read More >>
Amazon Hits $1 Billion Milestone on B2B Marketplace; Takes Aim at YouTube
Amazon.com Inc. sold $1 billion (US) in goods on its new business-to-business marketplace begun last year, and customer purchases are growing about 20% each month, suggesting the company that changed the way people shop for household goods is starting to change the way offices stock up on paperclips.
Amazon.com also launched a service on Tuesday that allows users to post videos and earn royalties from them, setting up the world’s biggest online retailer to compete directly with Alphabet Inc.’s YouTube. The service, called Amazon Video Direct, will make the uploaded videos available to rent or own, to view free with ads, or be packaged together and offered as an add-on subscription. Read More >>
Wal-Mart Brings Back its Iconic Greeters to Help Deter Theft
Wal-Mart Stores Inc. will begin deploying employees to all its entrances and exits in a move to deter shoplifters and improve customer service, reviving a door-greeter program that had languished in recent years.
Greeters will return to Wal-Mart’s U.S. superstores in multiple forms, the company said last week. At two-thirds of locations, a standard greeter will be stationed at the entrance. Many of these stores had relocated the workers to other areas, such as the main shopping aisle.
The remaining stores, which the company has identified as having more theft, will get an employee focused on preventing shoplifting who will periodically check receipts. These workers, called customer hosts, will be younger than traditional greeters and better able to deal with an encounter that could turn hostile. They will be designated with a bright yellow vest and a radio. Read More >>
Marketplace Stats & Trends
Why We Shop Differently on Mobile Phones
Science is trying to decode how we make decisions when we use our mobile phones to shop. Tucked into a commercial park in Mississauga, Ontario, the consumer research lab at The Central Group marketing agency is where retailers come to test new ideas.
It looks like someone took a slice out of a grocery or drug store and transported it on a pallet into a warehouse, except all is not as it seems. The cash register and shelves are on wheels, so the 4,000 square-foot space can be shaped and reshaped. This is to test things such as what impact a narrow aisle has on shoppers and which packaging draws their gaze. Read More >>
Economic News
Economists Downgrading their Outlooks for Canada’s Economy as Alberta Fires Burn
A number of economists are cutting their second quarter outlooks for Canada’s economy due to the wildfires in Alberta.
The Bank of Canada had forecast that GDP would expand by 1% in the second quarter, but now economists at TD Bank and Bank of Montreal suggest that growth will be flat or even potentially negative.
Economists at BMO Capital Markets estimate that as oil operations remain offline, cutting one million barrels a day from distribution, the Canadian economy is seeing 0.05 percentage points shaved from monthly growth.
“At this point we’ve assumed that production will be down for a week, but given the massive uncertainty, we’ll be evaluating the impact on a weekly basis and our current call is really just a placeholder for now,” said Benjamin Reitzes, economist for BMO Capital Markets. Read More >>
IMF Urges Canada to Continue Stimulus
The International Monetary Fund (IMF) said Canada’s economy is “coping well” with the fallout from the oil shock, but cautioned that both fiscal and monetary policy should keep their foot on the gas as the fallout from oil’s collapse and, now, the devastating Alberta wildfires continue to cloud the country’s economic fortunes.
“The Canadian economy and financial system overall are coping well,” considering the depth of the impact of the oil slump on business investment, said the IMF’s mission chief to Canada, Cheng Hoon Lim. The IMF estimated that oil-sector spending will decline about 30% this year, on top of a 40% plunge in 2015 – about in line with the latest estimates from the Bank of Canada. Read More >>
Pace of Canadian Housing Starts Falls in April; Ontario, Quebec Lead Decline
The pace of Canadian housing starts slowed in April to the lowest level in three months. Most regions of the country saw increases in urban areas on a seasonally adjusted basis but there were declines in Ontario and Quebec.
The Canada Mortgage and Housing Corporation (CMHC) said on Monday that the seasonally adjusted annual rate (SAAR) for housing starts last month was 191,512 units – down 5.4% from 202,375 units in March and 9.9% from 212,594 units in February.
The trend measure of housing starts in Canada was 195,064 units in April compared to 196,103 in March, according to CMHC’s six-month moving average.
“While the trend for Canada remained stable in April, there were off-setting differences at the local level, notably in Vancouver and Montréal,” said Bob Dugan, CMHC chief economist. “Condo construction is slowing down in Montreal as builders are managing inventories by channelling demand to units that have been completed but remain unsold.” Read More >>
Canadian Building Permits fall 6.9% in March
The value of Canadian building permits issued in March fell by 6.9% to $6.9 billion as construction intentions in oil-producing Alberta dropped following a big jump in February, Statistics Canada reported last Thursday.
The decline – the second in three months – was greater than the 5% retreat forecast by analysts in a Reuters poll.
The value of permits issued in Alberta – hard hit by a slump in crude prices – fell by 41.3%. This followed a 43.3% increase in February on the back of a big commercial project in the city of Edmonton. Read More >>
Canada’s Labour Market Stuck in Neutral as Alberta Continues to Bleed Jobs
Job growth came to a virtual halt last month, leaving Canada’s unemployment rate unchanged from March at 7.1% and offering little impetus for interest rate movements any time soon.
Hiring was basically flat across the country in April, with little movement in full-time and part-time positions, Statistics Canada reported last Friday. There was also only marginal change in the level of private and public job activity.
Canada’s employment declined by 2,100 positions in April. The jobs loss follows a gain of 40,600 in March, Statistics Canada said. Economists surveyed by Bloomberg News projected a 1,000 job increase and a jobless rate of 7.2%.
It was a similar story across most provinces, with only Alberta — still struggling for growth following the global collapse in oil prices — seeing any significant change in employment levels. Read More >>
U.S. Employment Gains Hit Seven-Month Low, Labour Force Shrinks
The U.S. economy added the fewest number of jobs in seven months in April and Americans dropped out of the labour force in droves, signs of weakness that cast doubts on whether the Federal Reserve will raise interest rates before the end of the year.
Non-farm payrolls increased by 160,000 jobs last month as construction employment barely rose and the retail sector shed jobs, the Labor Department said last Friday. That was the smallest gain since September and below the first-quarter average job growth of 200,000. Read More >>
Upcoming CHHMA Events
CHHMA Quebec Golf Classic
Thursday, May 19, 2016
Club de golf Le Fontainebleau, Blainville, Quebec
CHHMA Ontario Golf Tournament
Tuesday, May 31, 2016
Angus Glen Golf Club, Markham, Ontario
Digital Marketing Webinar – Sofie Andreou Presenter
Thursday, June 9, 2016, 9:00 a.m. – 9:45 a.m. or
Tuesday, June 14, 2016, 1:30 p.m. – 2:15 p.m.
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CHHMA Industry Calendar
To register for all events visit our website at www.chhma.ca or call Pam Winter at (416) 282-0022 ext.21.
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"Eye On Our Industry" is published by the CHHMA as an information resource for our members. Member input regarding content and format is welcomed. Please contact Michael Jorgenson by email: mjorgenson@chhma.ca, or call at (416) 282-0022, ext. 34. CHHMA is located at 1335 Morningside Ave., Suite 101, Scarborough, ON, M1B 5M4 www.chhma.ca
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