Home Hardware’s ‘Homecoming’ Event A Success

More than 5,000 independent dealer-owners, store employees, suppliers, business partners, and corporate staff attended Home Hardware Stores Limited’s first in-person dealer market since the fall of 2019. Called ‘Homecoming,’ the event was held off-site for the first time at the Enercare Centre in Toronto, ON. Since 1963, the events have mainly taken place in the distribution centre at the retailer’s headquarters in St. Jacobs, ON. The event was “phenomenal,” says Marianne Thompson, chief commercial officer at Home Hardware. “It’s been 18 months in planning and provided a great opportunity to get back together and reconnect with our dealers. When we couldn’t come together in person, we used a virtual platform because our markets, historically, have always been such an important buying event to support our dealers, their growth, and their profitability.” With the event back to its original in-person form, the retailer decided to go offsite because it needed a larger footprint. The new location is also efficient in terms of dealers’ and other attendees’ travel needs with two airports, many hotels, and world-class transit system nearby. “We are so excited with our dealers’ reception to the new merchandising strategy and the layout of ‘Homecoming’ these past few days. And so, what I can tell you for sure, is it is going to be held in Toronto, at the Enercare Centre for the foreseeable future,” she says.