Fabulous at 50

While Gagnon: La Grande Quincaillerie celebrates its golden anniversary this year, it continues to employ forward-thinking strategies

By Rob Blackstien

Gagnon: La Grande Quincaillerie (The Great Hardware Store) may be turning 50 this year, but don’t think for a minute that it’s settling into middle age and resting on its laurels. Au contraire.

In actuality, the Quebec-based, five-store chain has fully embraced constant change as a key strategy to remain relevant and a true leader within its industry. It’s a major reason why the company today is firmly independent, says president Geneviève Gagnon.

“We are a proudly independent company whose goal is to be able to adjust and adapt every single day, every hour, every minute to the customer’s needs.”

The agility that goes with being an independent was key here, she explains, as was sticking to the business’s core values and being true to themselves.

This philosophy has manifested itself in a commitment to never fall behind from a technology perspective. Gagnon recognizes that the hardware industry isn’t sexy, so recruiting younger staff into the fold isn’t easy. Therefore, the company has made a concentrated effort to increase technological initiatives related to their image, marketing, and employee tools.

She says this was another advantage to being an independent: it allowed the company the agility to expedite this process. As a result, it now boasts an IT team of three at its distribution centre whose full-time job is to develop technological tools.

Among these advancements are: a mobile-accessible program that provides staff with a knowledge base of product information that’s shareable with customers; a revised payroll/ scheduling system that allows employees to request days off and communicate with their co-workers; management videos to show appreciation for all the employees; and a program in which two employees per location are chosen monthly to take store photos and videos and post them on social media.

Sustainability is another area in which Gagnon: La Grande Quincaillerie has excelled. Over a decade ago, it opened its first eco-friendly location in Saint-André Avellin, and added a second one a few months later in Saint-Jean-sur-Richelieu. Employing green technologies to improve comfort and energy consumption, the stores feature:

• Low-VOC recyclable materials used in the construction of the stores;

• High-efficiency energy techniques that reduce consumption nearly 40 percent; and

• Natural light that reduces energy by 35 percent.

Gagnon says sustainability is a big part of her stores’ differentiation strategy going forward, but this extends beyond store construction. The retailer is currently developing a section in its locations to resell previously used items that customers have opted to upgrade—products that are perfectly sound, but would likely be ticketed for landfills otherwise.

“We want to give our customers purchase power, so that’s one of the ways we think we can achieve that,” Gagnon explains.

While Covid-related supply chain issues have finally cleared up, the after effects of the pandemic are still being felt in terms of new products, Gagnon explains. With no one allowed to travel to Asia to research and develop products over the last couple of years, she’s anticipating that the market will not exactly be flooded with new merchandise in 2023.

She believes this dynamic, combined with rising interest rates and a looming recession, will result in a competitive year in terms of promotions and pricing. Upscale products won’t be as popular as customers focus more on lower to mid-range merchandise. barbecues (featuring highly specialized brands that are unavailable elsewhere) and impressive garden centres.

“I think people will be more aware of what they buy, more conscious. They’ll want to have the right product for the right amount of money,” she predicts.

The pandemic ushered in greater demand for outdoor living products, plus a boom in renovation and new construction, although the latter is slowing down thanks to interest rate hikes, Gagnon says.

Given how involved Gagnon: La Grande Quincaillerie is within the communities it serves, the company is highly committed “to give back to our customers and our people,” Gagnon says.

Another fallout was that people took advantage of extra time to discover their love for DIY projects, an ongoing trend that she expects will continue in the years to come.

“So that’s a good side of the pandemic for us.”

In terms of ODL offerings, Gagnon says the chain offers a large selection of products across the segment, but the real gems are its line of

Therefore, as part of the 50th anniversary celebration, they decided to take their usual assortment of promotions and contests “and multiply it by 50.”

This included adding 50th anniversary products to their flyers with a vintage 1973 look; special events every weekend of June (the actual anniversary month) at every store with a special promotion every day of the month; a contest for over $25,000 in prizes for both customers and employees; other special events throughout the year geared for customers and employees; and running a supplement in various newspapers to highlight the retailer’s rich history.

Gagnon, for one, is extremely excited: “It’s going to be a hell of a year.”

For more of Gagnon’s takes on current outdoor living trends, see “Top 10 ODL Trends” on page 107.