Lowe’s Launches in Canada, Seeks Vendors

With retail locations in 49 states in the U.S., Lowe’s Cos. Inc. now looks to the northern border for its expansion plan. The home improvement chain broke ground Thursday on its first Canadian store in Hamilton, Ontario, and plans to open as many as 10 stores in the greater Toronto area in 2007, according to the company’s Web site.

“Today, we’re breaking ground on our first location in Hamilton, have identified additional locations in Brantford, South Brampton and Toronto, and have another nine locations approved through our real estate committee process,” said Doug Robinson, president of Lowe’s Canada, at a media briefing last week. “We have begun the search for potential store employees with home improvement know-how and a passion for customer service.”

Besides more employees, Lowe’s also has made the call-out for new vendors to serve the Canadian market through its retail channel. To begin the review process, the company points potential vendors to its Web site, www.lowes.ca.

The company may add another 100 stores to its roster in Canada in the coming years. Each store represents an investment of about $20.5 million Canadian, or roughly $18.5 million U.S. dollars, the company reports.
The initial four stores will likely open in the second half of 2007, each creating about 175 jobs.