Rona grows through expansion

Rona, a Canadian home improvement and builders’ merchant group, reports sales of C $ 4.7999 bn in its last financial year (to 26 December 2010), which amounts to a 2.6 per cent increase year-on-year. Sales remained unchanged in same-store terms. The retail and commercial segment accounted for a total of C $ 3.6244 bn, or an increase of 2.4 per cent. The trade segment saw growth of 3.4 per cent to C $ 1.1755 bn. “We now have a market share of 19 per cent, compared with 17.5 per cent at the beginning of the year, and are aiming for our 20 per cent target by the end of 2011,” said Robert Dutton, president and CEO. Rona has already reached its goal for 2011 when it comes to the share of private-label products, which have increased from 19 to 24 per cent.