The U.S. big-box giant Lowe's will open its first Canadian store on Barton Street, just down the road from Home Depot. Construction of the 148,000-square-foot store and garden centre is expected to start as early as autumn 2007.
Lowe's, which is more focused on home decor than Home Depot, is looking to build as many as 10 stores in Canada over 2007 with a majority slotted for the Greater Toronto Area. Home Depot is ahead in the home improvement game and has already surrounded Hamilton with stores in Ancaster, Stoney Creek and Burlington. There are also plans to build another store in Hamilton.
Hamilton and the surrounding Toronto area have been identified as key market for home improvement by Home Depot. Lets face it we are a city of half a**ed handymen and do-it yourselfers.
Home Depot is the largest home improvement retailer in North America with 138 stores in Canada and more than 2,000 in the U.S. The Atlanta-based company announced Wednesday it plans add 18 Canadian stores this year.
That came just days after Lowe's announced it would open as many as 10 stores in this country. It appears the two American giants are going to battle for Canada's $28-billion-a-year home improvement market.
In Hamilton, Lowe's future location at Barton Street East and Woodward Avenue is a vacant, contaminated brownfield site. That's close to the Home Depot on Centennial Parkway near the QEW. The big box store says it will revitalize the area, bringing about 100 more jobs badly needed to Hamilton.
Lets hope this US led box war won't end in disserted store fronts and unemployment like the war that saw Walmart destroy most of its Canadadian competetion. Hopefully Canadian Tire has learned how to tred in this sea of American prosperity unlike Eatons who was drowned by Walmart. Hamilton can't take another hit like that.
Later,
Kenaz
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