RONA Opens Three New Stores in the GTA

BOUCHERVILLE, QUÉBEC--(Marketwire - March 11, 2013) -

Editors Note: There are 3 photos associated with this press release.

RONA inc. (TSX:RON)(TSX:RON.PR.A), the largest Canadian distributor and retailer of hardware, renovation and gardening products, just celebrated the opening of three new stores in the Greater Toronto Area (GTA). These openings are fully aligned with the Corporation's commitment to strengthen, leverage and grow its core businesses, including smaller footprint stores serving both retail consumers and contractors across Canada.

"Customers will start to experience a refined product offering and better prices in-store, right in time for any spring maintenance and renovation projects. We believe that our revamped offering and improved in-store service will meet highest expectations," said Paul Sharpe, Vice President, Retail Operations in Ontario.

RONA Islington is the first new concept proximity store (20,000 to 52,000 square feet) to open in the GTA. The store opened on March 3. Located at 994 Islington Avenue, Etobicoke, it offers 24,000 square feet of retail space with over 16,000 products available in store. A proximity store is a one-stop-shop designed to serve beginner to expert do-it-yourselfers and contractors. RONA experts are available to help customers successfully complete projects, such as building a deck, renovating a kitchen or a bathroom.

The two new satellite stores offer 6,500 square feet of retail space and a variety of 7,500 products in stock. A satellite store is a convenient neighbourhood store (5,000 to 20,000 square feet) where customers can benefit from expert advice and a core selection of hardware products, in addition to the 30,000 products available via rona.ca.

• RONA Westdale located at 1133 Dundas Street West, Mississauga (in the community of Westdale) opened on February 20.
• RONA Lakeshore located at 1692 Lakeshore Road West, Mississauga opened on February 27 (in the community of Clarkson).

In addition to being adapted to the needs of Canadians and their shopping patterns, RONA believes these store formats to be more profitable. For example, the first new concept proximity store was opened in West Edmonton (Alberta) last August. Since its opening, it generates an average basket that is 20% higher than that of the big-box store (52,000 square feet +) it replaces. It also managed to capture close to 85% of the sales while operating with less than 50% of the effectives (space, employees, etc.).

ABOUT RONA

RONA is the largest Canadian distributor and retailer of hardware, home renovation and gardening products. The Corporation operates a network of over 800 corporate, franchise and affiliate retail stores of various sizes and formats under different banners, and a network of 14 hardware and construction materials distribution centres. RONA is also a leader in the specialized plumbing and HVAC market, primarily serving commercial and professional customers with a network of close to 60 sales outlets and four distribution centres across the country. With close to 28,000 employees, the RONA store network generates consolidated sales of $4.8 billion. For more information, visit rona.ca.

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