"The Bullet", July 2021
- Jul 21, 2021
- 4 min read
This month's Bullet is short & sweet. Btw, you can view last month's and prior issues by clicking HERE.
In This Issue
New Dealer-Owners
New Dealer-Owners
As you are now aware, Jeff and Sarah purchased the company shares from Peter and Jill and officially became dealer-owners on March 1, 2021.
Unfortunately, due to COVID, this announcement came much later and much differently than was originally planned. As the gathering restrictions continued and Ontario entered a third wave, it became evident that we could no longer delay the announcement in the hopes of restrictions being lifted and being able to properly bid farewell to Peter and Jill, and plan for a special event in store.
Please wish Peter and Jill a happy retirement if you see them in the store!
I would like to thank everyone again for the commitment shown in continuing to work through the pandemic, although we are not out of the woods yet. As provincial numbers decrease every day, Grey-Bruce is recording the highest number of positive cases since the beginning of the pandemic. Please continue to take all necessary precautions and show diligence in making this a safe and comfortable workplace for all. If we continue to do our part, there are much better times ahead!
Under new ownership, the store will not see any major changes to staffing, hours etc. However, we do look forward to bringing in some new ideas over the coming months. Stay tuned!
- Jeff
Covid-19 Update
Ontario has moved to the third step of its summer reopening plan on Friday, July 16th. This mean Ontario has reopened indoor dining, indoor fitness activity, cinemas and nightclubs for the first time in months, but capacity restrictions will remain for a minimum of 21 days.
We will be open to customers with a store capacity of 330, based on the calculation formula set by the Retail Council of Canada. Obviously, we don't have to worry about reaching that number, so we will be discontinuing the practice of counting customers.
All customers are still required to wear masks and practice social distancing.
Prior to every shift, staff are required to have read & intialled the Covid questionnaire at the Rentals entrance. The questionnaire does get updated periodically, so it's important to ensure that you read over the questions every few days.
From The Floor
A reminder from Floor Manager, David Yule, that staff need to be aware of the potential for heat stress and to ensure that they have adequate water at all times for hydration. Obviously, the yard staff are more at risk, but everyone should be aware of the potential for heat stress and prepare accordingly.
E-COMMERCE
A reminder that all eCommerce orders must go through cash so they can be finalized. When handing an eCommerce order to a customer, please inform them that the order is paid for, however they must take the order through cash in order to complete the transaction.
When customers place an order, this is only a pending charge on their credit card until the order is physically picked up. If we are not properly picking the order up in Prism and reconciling with the online platform, we are not receiving funds for the product going out the door.
New Delivery System
Home Hardware Stores Limited has introduced a new Warehouse Management System (WMS) at the St. Jacobs distribution centre. This new system is replacing a long outdated one, with the expected results being more accurate and timely deliveries. Unfortunately, as they work through some unforeseen issues, they have acknowledged we may see delays in our weekly delivery for the next few months. Please keep this is mind when committing to customers the availability of incoming product or special orders.
Product Showcase
Supply issues due to Covid 19 continue to cause problems for manufacturers, and bbqs are no exception. In fact, Napoleon is expecting shortages to continue for some time, and as a result, they are no longer accepting orders for any bbqs for the rest of 2021. To ensure that we aren't caught short, we've already booked our order for 2022.
If you or your friends or family are thinking about getting a new bbq, now would be the time, as we expect the other manufacturers will be in the same boat and unable to fulfill orders for new ones any time soon.
Home Installs on Social Media
As you are likely aware, the store is on Facebook and Instagram, where we post about sales, product features and other store stuff. We've now added a new FB page and Insta account for Home Installs. We're currently running a contest to win a $100 HH gift card as a promo in order to help build audience for them. Staff are not elgible to win, but friends can, so feel free to share the promo post to your own news feed.
Getting To Know You
Jeff & Sarah.
Jeff was born in Scarborough, and was raised in Napanee, Ontario. At the time, Peter managed the Canadian Tire in Napanee and Jeff spent many evenings and weekends helping out (or building forts) in the warehouse. In 1999, the family moved to Miramichi, New Brunswick where they lived for two years. In 2001, after Home Hardware Stores Limited purchased Beaver Lumber, the family were given the opportunity to relocate back to Ontario and chose Port Elgin over three other locations.
Sarah was born in Gosport, England while her dad was stationed on submarines with the Royal Navy. After living in England, Scotland and Northern Ireland, the family decided they wanted to relocate outside of the UK, ultimately deciding on Canada. The family stayed with relatives in Markham for a short while before relocating to Port Elgin.
Jeff and Sarah attended SDSS together, with Jeff continuing on to Conestoga College for Business and Sarah attending McMaster University for English and Communications. They continued their relationship throughout College/University before returning to Port Elgin together. Jeff began working here at the store, and Sarah worked for various media outlets, before becoming Assistant Editor for the Shoreline Beacon.
In 2015 they welcomed their first daughter, Isla Evette Gauthier, and then in 2019 introduced Holly McKenna Gauthier.
Jeff, Sarah, Isla and Holly all look forward to being able to reschedule their wedding in Ireland, which was postponed from October 2020 due to COVID.
New Staff
Please welcome Ben to the store as Sales Associate at Service 1, and Justin to the Warehouse.
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