Lowe’s closing 31 Canadian properties, 20 stores in the U.S.
Closures include nine Ontario Rona stores as Lowe’s moves to streamline its business
BOUCHERVILLE, QUE.— Lowe’s Companies Inc. says it plans to close 31 Canadian stores — including four in the GTA — and other locations as part of a plan to focus on its most profitable operations.
The closures include 27 mostly Rona stores in Canada including nine in Ontario, nine in Quebec, six in Newfoundland and Labrador, two in Alberta and one in British Columbia.
Lowe’s also plans to close its regional support centres in Mississauga, Ont., and St. John’s, N.L., as well as a truss plant in St. John’s, N.L., and a block plant in Kamloops, B.C.
Sylvain Prud’homme, chief executive of Lowe’s Canada, said the changes will allow it to improve collaboration between its banners to better serve customers.
“Everything will be done to ensure a smooth transition until the stores are closed, and Lowe’s Canada will support impacted employees, including by transferring eligible employees to other locations within our network whenever possible,” Prud’homme said in a statement.
Lowe’s says it expects to close the impacted stores by the end of the company’s 2018 financial year, Feb. 1, 2019.
The company also said it is closing 20 stores in the United States.
The U.S. retailer acquired Rona Inc. in Canada in 2016 in a deal valued at $3.2 billion.
Based in Boucherville, Que., Lowe’s Canadian business has more than 630 corporate and independent affiliate dealer stores.
It includes Lowe’s, Rona, Reno-Depot, Dick’s Lumber, Contractor First and Ace.
British Columbia
Block plant, Kamloops Rona New Westminster (Colombia Square)
Alberta
Rona Calgary (Douglasdale) Reno-Depot Calgary West
Ontario
Regional support centre, Mississauga
Rona Mississauga (Westdale Mall)
Rona Mississauga (Lakeshore) Rona Sault Ste. Marie Rona Sudbury Rona Peterborough Rona Kingston (Bath Road) Rona Lakefield Lowe’s North York (Centerpoint Mall)
Lowe’s Sault Ste. Marie
Quebec
Rona Sainte-Clotilde Rona Iberville Rona L’Assomption Rona Granby Moeller Rona Sainte-Rose Rona Riviere-des-Prairies
Rona Rouyn-Noranda (Mantha) Rona Ange-Gardien Rona Saint-Elzear
Newfoundland and Labrador
Regional support centre, St. John’s Truss plant, St. John’s Rona Conception Bay South Rona Goulds Rona St. John’s (Topsail) Rona St. John’s (O’Leary) Rona St. John’s (Torbay) Rona Bay Roberts