Rona announces renewed positioning and brand

Canadian home improvement retail group Rona has announced a repositioning of its business, a series of new programmes aimed at improving the profitability of its dealers, and a renewed brand image to support its ambition of becoming the strongest dealer network in the country. These announcements were made on 30 November and 1 December during Rona Connexia, an event featuring conferences and an exclusive buying show for the dealers. The company sees itself as one of Canada's leading home improvement retailers, operating or servicing some 425 corporate and affiliated stores under different banners.

"Our network of affiliated dealers is an integral part of Rona's growth strategy and a key priority for our organisation. Following the completion of in-depth market analysis and consultations with Rona dealers, we revised our overall offer so that dealers can dominate their markets," says Andrew Iacobucci, president and CEO of Rona.

Renewal in a fast-changing market

A new identity designed exclusively for Rona's affiliated dealers was announced at the event. The signage outside of stores and the brand elements inside were reviewed. This new identity will promote the entrepreneurial side of the dealers while capitalising on the familiarity of the Rona brand, the management teams at the group's headquarters are convinced.

"Rona is a strong brand that has been serving Canadians for nearly 85 years. With this modernised brand image, we wanted to capitalise on this asset while highlighting the uniqueness of our dealers and the close ties they have with their communities by personalising their signage. The value of proximity, their unique history, and their community spirit resonate with consumers, and we wanted to maximise the impact of these important differentiators for the entrepreneurs in our network," explains Catherine Laporte, vice-president of marketing at Rona