Page 20 - LBMAO - May-Jun 2020 REPORTER - web optimized

system in place it worked out well
20 LBMAO Reporter - May-June 2020
Chris, son of the stores’ namesake
and they did not need to lay off any Alf, runs the Lindsay store. They
employees; they even hired extra to have been challenged by the same
handle the phones. set of circumstances as all retail -
Peggy commented that she having to balance the requirement
was amazed at the community of limited services to their customers
support, with people bringing their with curbside pick-ups and deliveries.
staff coffee and donuts and being Overall, only a few employees went
very understanding. She noticed a on leave voluntarily and they are now
considerable increase of traffic from operating at about 80% of original
the larger communities taking the staffing levels.
time to drive to Marmora simply Sales have been soft since March
because of the hassle of shopping and Chris’s expectations are that
in the bigger cities. Many of her new they will continue to be slower than
urban customers commented on the past years over the summer months.
exceptional customer service the They have experienced higher
store staff provided. transactions at much-reduced dollar
The business did not see any sales per transaction which seems to
kind of drop in revenues from be, as with many retailers, the norm.
March through to the end of May Contractors are slow to start up and
and their online ordering provided building permits hard to obtain with
a significant source of sales. Peggy the local municipal offices being
suggests that this will continue as closed. Chris also commented that
more people adapt to ordering their he feels the provincial government
product online and picking up in the should not have shut down
store. She estimates that cottagers construction sites totally but taken
make up 25-30% of her customer a regional approach. Construction
base and, unlike the Muskoka area, projects in the GTA are much
cottagers from Kingston, Belleville more difficult to manage than in
and Peterborough did come up into the smaller communities. He also
the area - many of them to work noted that cottage and tourism
from their cottages. traffic is down considerably due
She was also impressed with to the direction of the provincial
the support from BMR in setting government not to travel to
up chat sessions with other dealers the cottage; but also the tragic
on best practices; and providing situation in Bobcaygeon with an
the tools needed to manage the unprecedented number of COVID-19
change in traffic patterns and safety deaths at the nursing home has
equipment in the store. made travellers leery to travel up to
Overall, Peggy felt the this area of the Kawarthas.
communication from both levels Personally, he, his wife and their
of government was timely and two children are adapting with
consistent and although they mum working at home and keeping
did not have to access any of the the kids busy with school projects
business support programs, it was and other tasks. He recognizes
good that they were in place to help business will start to return and how
the businesses in need of them. we do business will be significantly
Coming into the summer months, different as noticed by the sizeable
she expects it to be busy; unless the increase in the store’s online
government continues to limit travel footprint. That, plus a very high
and social distancing which could volume of phone calls, will be a
influence business. Time will tell... more pronounced presence in their
Chris Curtis, manager of Alf business model for the future.
Curtis Home Improvements Inc. in Sales and revenues at Kwik Mix
Lindsay (a community just north Materials Limited in Port Colborne
of Peterborough) has survived the did not see a decline in March and
challenge of balancing work and into the June selling season. Marcia
family life throughout the pandemic Porter, partner of Pat Redmond in
crisis. Castle member Alf Curtis is this cement and sealing products
a family owned business with 3 business, commented that they had
locations in Peterborough, Lindsay anticipated a severe slowdown in
and Belleville and a well-established mid-March but that did not happen!
home improvement group servicing Marcia’s reasoning for this is that
the contractor and retail sector. consumers, frustrated with obtaining
This page from top: Drummond BMR Team with customized face masks, putting
safety first; Pat Redmond & Marcia Curtis of Kwik Mix Materials Limited;
www.lbmao.on.ca