|
Welcome to the ToolBox, your portal to WRLA member news and information within the LBM market.
We invite you to learn more about what's going on within your association and the companies whose products and/or services you utilize.
Learn these 3 simple retailing lessons from Starbucks, and how they can be transplanted to work for your business.
CLICK HERE To Watch and Learn!
Brought to you by the WRLA in Partnership with NRHA Canada
For more information on the NRHA Benefit visit:
www.wrla.org/membership/membership-benefits
Are you a NexGEN?
Join us in Calgary for a fun night of Networking!
We'll have a private space where you can meet the WRLA Executive Committee and Buying Show Committee, plus enjoy delicious appetizers and over 100 different beers on Tap!
REGISTRATION OPENS: Thursday - April 16, 2015
Tickets ONLY $20.00!
EVENT DETAILS
Wednesday, May 13, 2015
6:00 – 9:00pm
Tickets Only $20.00!
CRAFT Beer Market | Restaurant & Bar
345 10th Avenue SW
Calgary, AB T2R 0A5
*Parkade across the street*
Contact Krista at the WRLA for details.
Commercial Gas Cards - Petro-Canada SuperPass
High security cards offering choices between single/multi users, vehicle or station assigned cards. Offering discounts on gasoline and diesel credit card purchases, a graded pricing system benefiting high volume users, flexible invoicing and payment options, and more!
|
"But as our numbers suggest, they're only a foot away."
The Business Beat survey, conducted between January 16 and March 6, also showed 51 per cent of Alberta SMEs say the success of their business was tied to the value of the Canadian dollar, 60 per cent depend on the availability of skilled labour and 86 per cent need a strong provincial economy to be successful.
As we reported last month, the ATB Economy Index, which measures optimism in the Alberta economy, dropped to a low of 22.7, while the ATB Business Index, which measures business owners' optimism in their own operations, scored 58.3. A score of over 50 suggests more respondents believe things will improve in the next six months. A score under 50 suggests more respondents feel things will get worse in the next six months.
Of the SMEs that believe their businesses will be worse off in six months, 36 per cent said the reason was the low price of oil.
"The majority of business owners are still optimistic about their own business' future despite their dependency on oil," adds Holbrook.
"It's their resiliency and a 'been there, done that' attitude that I think is unique to this province."
The ATB Financial Business Beat's purpose is to gain an understanding of the challenges faced by Alberta's small and mid-sized business owners and to track confidence in the Alberta economy.
Businesses that qualify for the survey have less than 500 employees and bring in less than $20 million in annual revenue. Margin of error for the survey is plus or minus 3.9 per cent.
SOURCE ATB Financial
For further information:
Please contact: Barry Strader, Corporate Reporter, ATB Financial, Cell: (780) 886-4398; Office: (780) 495-1343, Email: bstrader@atb.com
|
HARDLINES is pleased to announce the call for entries for the 2015 Outstanding Retailer Awards.
The Awards, which recognize the finest retailers in the hardware and home improvement industry, are national in scope and all Canadian home improvement retailers and managers who have operated under their current ownership for at least two years are eligible.
Dealers may submit their entries directly to HARDLINES or their chain or buying group head offices may select their best dealer(s) and prepare their entries for them, in collaboration with the dealer. Head offices may enter more than one store per category. In addition, vendors may identify specific outstanding retailers for entry. ORA submissions are due July 31st, 2015.
CLICK HERE to learn more about the ORA Categories
Visit www.oras.ca for more details
|
Here are some great takeaways:
- Get personal. Social media can result in positive engagement with customers and build their loyalty. Don’t simply share product information and promotions on social media platforms. Draw attention to your business by sharing stories and images related to the industry. By posting a mixture of product-related information and more personal content, your customers will likely feel more connected to your store. Consider sharing throwback photos from your store’s history, pictures of your staff or interesting how-to advice.
- Prioritize customer service. More often than not, when customers have problems with a business, their first step is to complain on social media. Clearly you want to avoid angry customer reviews, but if they happen, respond quickly and provide a resolution. It is recommended to respond to all queries within 12 hours. Be sure to promote the positive customer-experience posts your retail operation receives by sharing them on your social channels.
- Social and mobile go together. Nearly 85 percent of Americans say that mobile devices are a central part of their everyday lives. Be aware that a large percentage of your customers are almost perpetually using their mobile devices and browsing social media platforms. It is recommended that you provide instant purchasing options for the mobile shopper as well as offering product deals online that cater to your customers using their mobile devices.
WRLA IN PARTNERSHIP WITH NRHA
The goal of the North American Retail Hardware Association is to help independent hardware and home improvement retailers become better and more profitable merchants through a wide array of educational and training programs, financial management resources, and human resource tools that are all available online. WRLA members get unlimited access to a full range of training and management services when they join NRHA through the WRLA. Visit: www.wrla.org/membership/membership-benefits or CLICK HERE for more information about NRHA.
|
UPCOMING EVENTS
April 19 - 20, 2015
Federated Co-op Market
Prairieland Park, Saskatoon
April 11 - 13, 2015
TruServ Canada Spring Market
RBC Winnipeg Convention Centre, Winnipeg, MB
April 18 - 21, 2015
Home Hardware Spring Market
May 13, 2015
NexGEN Networking Night - Meet the WRLA Executive & Buying Show Committees
Calgary, AB
CRAFT Beer Market | Restaurant & Bar | Tickets $20.00
www.wrla.org/nexgen
August 18, 2015
WRLA Memorial Golf Tournament
The Links at Quarry Oaks – Steinbach, MB
August 27-29, 2015
Orgill Fall Market
New Orleans
September 3, 2015
WRLA Calgary Classic
Sundre, MB
September 16, 2015
WRLA Kenosee Golf Tournament
Kenosee Lake, SK
To view all upcoming WRLA events please CLICK HERE
|
Stay up-to-date on the latest industry news and events with our engaging new communication channel.
Have you watched the latest episode on our WRLA TV channel? Don't wait to take full advantage of this terrific media channel, one of the many benefits of your WRLA membership!
Check it out here!
|
|
|
