A New Year Refresh Starts with Casavogue, and They’re Paying the Taxes
The start of a new year is a natural time to re-evaluate how a home looks, feels, and functions. Living spaces evolve, and January often becomes the time when homeowners decide it is finally time to upgrade the pieces that define everyday comfort. At Casavogue, that moment is being met with a timely and highly compelling incentive.
For a limited time, Casavogue is offering its “We Pay the Taxes” promotion, meaning clients pay only for the furniture while Casavogue covers the sales taxes. The offer is designed to remove hesitation and make meaningful interior upgrades easier to act on right now.
Lenon sectional sofa. Photo: Casavogue
Sectional Sofas That Transform the Living Room
Few furniture pieces have the impact of a sectional sofa. A sectional defines the living room, anchors the space, and shapes how it is used every day. Whether for relaxing, entertaining, or bringing people together, the right sectional becomes the centrepiece of the home.
Casavogue’s selection of sectional sofas combines comfort, scale, and refined design, offering layouts that balance functionality with visual presence. With the current promotion in place, upgrading this central piece feels especially well timed.
To further support clients making a new-year upgrade, Casavogue is also offering 12-month interest-free payment options. See conditions on casavogue.ca/en. ”This allows customers to invest in high-quality furniture without placing pressure on monthly budgets. Combined with the tax savings, the promotion creates a rare opportunity to elevate a living space with flexibility and confidence.
AIDA Sectional Sofa. Photo: Casavogue
A Limited-Time Reason to Act Now
The “We Pay the Taxes” promotion is for a limited time, encouraging homeowners who have been considering a refresh to move forward while the advantage is in place. It reflects Casavogue’s long-standing approach of pairing premium Italian and Canadian furniture with thoughtful, strategic value.
Clients are encouraged to explore the promotion online and visit the showroom to experience the featured sectional sofas in person, including the Aida, Klimux, and Lenon models.
After 17 years shaping Toronto’s dessert culture, Nadège Nourian is entering a new phase of growth with the launch of Chez Nad by Nadège, a modern French bistronomie table that represents both a personal and professional evolution. The new concept builds on the foundation of Nadège Patisserie, one of the city’s most recognizable French pastry brands, and reimagines its Queen Street West flagship as a full-spectrum, all-day French culinary maison.
Chez Nad by Nadège reflects the maturation of a founder-led brand that has steadily grown from a single boutique into a multi-location operation across the Greater Toronto Area. The new concept brings together retail pastry, café service, cocktails, and a refined yet accessible modern French table under one roof, aligning with how Torontonians increasingly prefer to dine throughout the day.
Located at the rear of the newly redesigned Nadège Patisserie at 780 Queen Street West, Chez Nad by Nadège expands the existing café and pastry shop into a cohesive culinary destination. The space integrates Nourian’s established strengths in pâtisserie, ice cream, and gift offerings with a new dinner-focused dining experience that will gradually evolve into an all-day format.
Nadège Nourian
Initially opening for dinner service, the concept is designed to transition seamlessly from morning coffee and pastries to afternoon café service, evening cocktails, and dinner. This layered approach reflects consumer dining habits in Toronto and Nourian’s desire to present the full breadth of her culinary expertise in one location. The result is a single address that functions as a bakery, café, cocktail destination, and modern French restaurant.
The menu is rooted in French culinary tradition but shaped by a contemporary bistronomie approach. Classic dishes are reinterpreted through modern technique and presentation while remaining familiar and approachable. Offerings include a salade niçoise prepared crudo-style, mini quenelles Lyonnaises, classic onion soup, ravioles du Dauphiné, and a Cordon Bleu presented as crisp fried chicken. Escargots are finished with a light parsley foam, while steak frites is paired with shallot jus and tarragon aioli.
Each dish is executed with technical precision and restraint, reflecting a balance between tradition and modern dining expectations. Seasonal menus will highlight high-quality local ingredients, supported by a curated wine list featuring French and local selections, as well as cocktails designed to complement the food.
Nadege at 780 Queen St. W. in Toronto. Photo: Apple Maps screen shot
A Leadership Team Anchored in French Technique
The kitchen at Chez Nad by Nadège will be led by Chef Laura Maxwell, whose career spans more than two decades in some of Toronto’s most respected French kitchens. Known for her technical rigour and refined palate, Maxwell was selected by Nourian for her ability to execute classical French cuisine while introducing subtle, contemporary elements that keep the menu current and engaging.
Maxwell’s leadership ensures consistency and authenticity while allowing the menu to evolve with the seasons and the city’s dining culture. Her approach reinforces the brand’s commitment to quality and technique, two pillars that have defined Nourian’s career since launching her first shop.
“Chez Nad is a love letter to the food of my childhood, and a natural evolution of everything I’ve learned from France, the UK and here in Toronto,” says Nourian. “It’s about bringing people together around dishes that are honest, deeply French and joyfully familiar, at any moment of the day, from morning coffee to dinner.”
Chez Nad by Nadège. Rendering supplied
Design That Reflects Modern French Conviviality
The physical space has been designed to support the concept’s all-day ambition. Warm woods, intimate lighting, and communal seating establish a sense of approachability and social connection, while subtle French artisanal influences reference Nourian’s heritage. Modern lines and curated textures add contemporary energy, creating a room that feels current without sacrificing warmth.
The design encourages guests to linger, whether stopping in for a coffee, meeting friends for cocktails, or settling in for dinner. By integrating the pastry shop, café, and dining room into a single, fluid experience, the space reinforces the idea of Chez Nad as a neighbourhood gathering place rather than a destination reserved for special occasions only.
Chez Nad by Nadège. Rendering supplied
Lyonnais Roots and Global Experience
Born and raised in Lyon, France, Nadège Nourian is a fourth-generation pastry chef whose career combines classical French training with international experience. Before founding her namesake brand in Canada, she trained alongside Meilleurs Ouvriers de France and worked in prominent kitchens in France and the United Kingdom. Her time in London included leadership roles at The Ivy and Yauatcha Patisserie, where she refined her approach to flavour, design, and operational discipline.
This blend of traditional training and global exposure has shaped Nourian’s culinary philosophy. It is evident in both her pastry work and her approach to Chez Nad by Nadège, which draws directly from her childhood memories while adapting to contemporary dining expectations.
Building Nadège Patisserie in Canada
Nourian opened the first Nadège Patisserie in Toronto’s Trinity Bellwoods neighbourhood in late 2009, during the aftermath of the global financial crisis. At the time, authentic French pâtisserie was largely absent from the city’s dessert landscape. By introducing meticulously crafted macarons, croissants, and seasonal cakes made from scratch, Nourian filled a notable gap in the market.
The brand quickly gained a devoted following and expanded to multiple locations across Toronto and the GTA, including Rosedale, the PATH financial district, Yorkdale Shopping Centre (now closed), and the Bloor-Annex neighbourhood. Each location reinforced the brand’s reputation for quality, design, and consistency, while the Yorkdale boutique marked a significant milestone by bringing the brand into a high-traffic, upscale mall environment.
Over time, Nadège Patisserie evolved into a cultural reference point within Toronto’s food scene, recognized for its seasonal collections, distinctive visual merchandising, and commitment to French pastry tradition. The business also expanded into catering, wholesale supply, and e-commerce, particularly during the pandemic, allowing the brand to maintain and grow sales during a period of industry disruption.
Chez Nad by Nadège. Rendering supplied
Ownership, Perseverance, and Brand Evolution
Nourian’s entrepreneurial journey stands out in Canada’s food and retail landscape. She opened the original shop using personal savings and family support, retaining ownership through each phase of growth. At a time when few women owned and operated culinary brands at scale, particularly in fine pastry, she built Nadège into a sustainable, multi-location business while maintaining creative control.
Chez Nad by Nadège represents the next stage in that journey. Rather than pursuing rapid expansion or franchising, the concept deepens the brand’s presence at its original Queen Street West location, transforming it into a flagship that reflects nearly two decades of learning, experimentation, and refinement.
The evolution also mirrors broader trends in Canadian food retail, where successful founders are increasingly looking to extend established brands into adjacent formats. By integrating retail, hospitality, and full-service dining, Nourian is positioning the business to capture multiple revenue streams while strengthening brand loyalty.
Chez Nad by Nadège opens Friday, February 6, 2026, with reservations launching in January. The timing places the concept in a competitive but opportunity-rich dining environment, where consumers continue to seek experiences that balance quality, authenticity, and accessibility.
There was a net loss of $3 million compared to $2 million in the same period last year.
“The first quarter marks a clear step in stabilizing the business in a still-challenging operating environment, and despite these conditions, we delivered a 42.3% gross margin, positive adjusted EBITDA and $1.2 million of adjusted free cash flow. These results reflect tighter cost controls, improved execution and a deliberate focus on cash and margins,” said Selim Bassoul, Executive Chairman of Goodfood.
Selim Bassoul
“We are managing the business with a clear-eyed view of the market. The meal solutions category, particularly meal kits, remains under pressure, and we are not assuming a near-term recovery. Our focus is building a simpler, more resilient operating model that performs consistently at current volumes.
“Our operational review is nearing completion and is focused on sharpening execution, prioritizing profitable demand and deploying capital where returns are strongest. We are tightening decision-making and accountability across the organization and aligning the business around cash flow and margin performance.
“With the leadership transition almost complete, our priorities are clear: protect margins, generate cash and allocate capital with discipline. Alongside organic improvements, we will remain highly selective on acquisitions that strengthen our platform, improve our cost and margin structure and align with our longterm strategy.”
The company said the decrease in net sales is driven by the decrease in active customer driving lower orders partially offset by an increase in average order value. The decrease in active customers can be explained mainly by lower demand and lesser marketing and incentive offerings.
“The decrease in gross profit is driven mainly by a decrease in net sales as well as higher fulfilment and shipping costs and production labour costs driven by lower fixed cost absorption as a result of lower orders. This decrease was mostly offset by lower incentives as a percentage of net sales as well as an increase in average order value compared to the same quarter last year. Gross margin increased by 2.7% mainly due to improved average order value and lower incentives as a percentage of net sales,” it said.
Foodie Tour at MeNami Udon & Izakaya, 5469 Yonge St, North York ON (CNW Group/Yonge North York BIA)
The Yonge North York Business Improvement Area has launched a new tourism-focused website and a six-week series of self-guided food tours as part of an effort to promote businesses and events along Toronto’s uptown Yonge Street corridor.
The organization unveiled DestinationYNY.com this month alongside its inaugural Self-Guided Foodie Tours, which began Jan. 12 and run through Feb. 15, according to the BIA.
Digital platform and tours launched together
The website is positioned as a central digital hub highlighting businesses, public art and events in the Yonge North York district, while the food tours are designed to encourage residents and visitors to explore local restaurants clustered around major transit stations.
DestinationYNY.com includes information on local businesses and promotes events such as the Yonge North York Canada Day Celebration, Dance on Yonge and the Toronto Korean Festival, many of which take place at Mel Lastman Square, the release said.
Structure of the self-guided tours
The Self-Guided Foodie Tours are organized as four separate routes, each featuring four restaurants. The tours are centred around the TTC stations at Finch, North York Centre and Sheppard–Yonge.
Participants register online and visit participating restaurants at their own pace. At each stop, participants receive a limited-edition button pin. The pins were designed by Toronto-based artist Kelsea Chatburn, whose work explores themes of memory, migration and cultural identity through food and place, according to the release.
The four tour routes are described as follows:
Taste of Yonge North York: An introductory route featuring Persian cuisine, fusion dishes, Thai boat noodles and gelato.
North of Ordinary: A Finch Station–area route highlighting Korean-Japanese fusion, Asian stir-fry options and bubble tea.
Munch in the Middle: A route around Mel Lastman Square and North York Centre Station featuring Mediterranean food, brunch with a Mexican influence, ice cream and a board game café.
Savour the South: A Sheppard–Yonge–area route focused on casual dining, including a sports bar, a diner-style restaurant and a Taiwanese bubble tea chain.
To collect the pins, participants show their Eventbrite registration confirmation at each restaurant. Those who complete an entire route can upload a photograph of their collected pins to enter a prize draw.
Contest incentives and timelines
A contest is running in parallel with the tours, offering gift card incentives to participants who complete the requirements. Five winners will be randomly selected to receive a $100 gift card to a Yonge North York BIA restaurant of their choice. The first 20 valid submissions will receive a $25 Starbucks gift card.
The contest closes Feb. 15. Winners will be contacted following a draw scheduled for Feb. 18.
Additional details on registration, tour participation and district offerings are available through DestinationYNY.com.
About the business improvement area
The Yonge North York BIA represents businesses along the Yonge Street corridor between Highway 401 and Bishop/Hendon. The organization supports member businesses through marketing initiatives, events and community-based activities, according to the release.
The launch of the website and food tours marks the BIA’s latest initiative aimed at increasing visibility and engagement for businesses in the district during the winter period.
Kinton Ramen’s recent limited-edition apparel collaboration with Uniqlo performed exceptionally well – ranking among the top-selling collections in-store. It was the first time a Canadian food brand launched a capsule collection with the retailer, and what started as a single T-shirt display expanded into four in-store features due to overwhelming demand.
Behind the collaboration is Alan De Luna, the marketing leader responsible for shaping Kinton Ramen into more than a restaurant chain, but a lifestyle brand with cultural relevance. He led the partnership from concept through execution, aligning creative, retail and digital teams to build a look, tone and message that resonated with both ramen fans and new customers who discovered the brand through Uniqlo.
Alan De Luna
“I think (the Uniqlo collaboration) shows that people want more from the brands they have grown up with. If a restaurant has been part of your routine for years, you are excited to engage with it beyond just dining in,” he said.
“For us, this partnership also marked a moment. Kinton has grown into five provinces, and a lot of our earliest fans have been with us since the beginning. Seeing the brand partner with a global retailer like Uniqlo felt like a point of pride for them. It was a simple way to celebrate how far Kinton has come, while staying true to our Japanese roots.”
De Luna said his previous experience working with Under Armour helped him visualize early on how this could play out in a retail environment.
“You start to recognize the signs when something is truly resonating, not just selling, and that is often what helps you earn more real estate in-store. In this case, a big signal came directly from our community. We started getting messages on social media, asking where people could find the collection and whether more inventory was coming,” he said.
“We shared that feedback with the Uniqlo team to help support demand. Combined with our loyal Kinton fan base and the limited-time nature of the drop, expanding the in-store presence felt like a natural next step rather than a big strategic move.
“We kept it close to the brand by focusing on Kinton’s favourite menu items and working closely with our internal marketing team from the start. That helped keep the creative familiar and grounded, not abstract.
“Tanya Mu did a great job translating those everyday Kinton elements into something visual, and Uniqlo helped shape it into clean, wearable pieces. Nothing felt overthought. It was about staying true to what people already recognize and love about the brand.”
De Luna said there are definitely campaigns that help grow brand awareness without immediately translating into direct revenue, and they are very aware of that.
“Not every partnership needs to be measured the same way.With Uniqlo, the value was in reach and visibility. It introduced Kinton to a broader audience and created curiosity through physical retail presence. One of my favourite moments has been seeing people wear the T-shirts or carry the tote bags out in the real world. When a brand shows up naturally on the street, you know it has gone beyond promotion and into culture,” he said.
Source: KINTON RAMEN
De Luna said seasonality plays a big role in how they grow the brand.
“Aki, our Executive Chef is constantly developing flavours that make sense for different times of the year, and our role in marketing is to shape the narrative around those products so they feel right for the moment. Ramencation is a good example of using storytelling to make ramen feel just as appropriate in the summer as it is in colder months,” he said.
“Long term, this approach helps us stay relevant and continue to lead the category in Canada. A strong brand strategy keeps employees, customers, and franchisees excited and invested in what we are building. Partnerships like Uniqlo support that vision by extending the brand beyond food and helping Kinton show up in everyday life, not just at the table.”
Kinton has had a soft launch for its Sainte-Catherine x Guy location in the heart of Montreal with grand opening scheduled for January 24.
Conveniently located near the Montreal Metro, the Sainte-Catherine x Guy location offers students, residents and visitors an affordable and accessible dining experience within downtown Montreal’s vibrant shopping and restaurant district, said the company.
“Since reopening our Sainte-Catherine x Guy location, the Montreal community has warmly embraced our passion for authentic Japanese ramen,” said De Luna, Senior Marketing Manager at Kinka Family, the parent company that owns and operates Kinton Ramen. “We’re proud to position this flagship location as a key part of our long-term investment in the Quebec market.”
The Sainte-Catherine x Guy opening marks KINTON RAMEN’s first grand opening of 2026, following a strong 2025 that saw the brand expand across Ontario, Alberta, Manitoba, British Columbia and Quebec – reflecting Canada’s growing appetite for authentic Japanese cuisine.
A new global study from the IBM Institute for Business Value says most senior executives expect artificial intelligence to become a significant source of revenue by the end of the decade, even as many acknowledge they lack clarity on how those gains will be realized.
The research found that 79 per cent of surveyed executives expect AI to contribute significantly to their revenue by 2030, compared with 40 per cent today. However, only 24 per cent of respondents said they have a clear view of where that future revenue will come from.
Investment rising amid execution concerns
Despite uncertainty around outcomes, executives surveyed expect investment in AI to accelerate sharply. Respondents predicted AI investment will increase by about 150 per cent between now and 2030.
At the same time, the study found widespread concern about execution risks. Sixty-eight per cent of executives surveyed said they worry their AI initiatives will fail because they are not sufficiently integrated with core business activities.
Mohamad Ali
“AI won’t just support businesses, it will define them,” said Mohamad Ali, senior vice-president of IBM Consulting. “By 2030, the companies that win will weave AI into every decision and operation. They will own powerful AI assets, move faster than competitors, bring innovations to market quickly, and deliver real, measurable business results using technology and automation.”
Findings from global executive survey
The study is based on responses from more than 2,000 C-suite executives and examines how organizations expect to evolve between 2025 and 2030. According to IBM, the findings suggest AI is emerging as a central driver of enterprise growth, but that many organizations face a gap between expectations and outcomes.
The research points to a shift in how executives expect to deploy AI spending over time, moving away from efficiency-focused uses toward innovation-led strategies.
Key findings include:
While nearly half, or 47 per cent, of current AI spending is focused on efficiency, respondents expect 62 per cent of AI spending to be dedicated to innovation by 2030.
Sixty-four per cent of surveyed executives said that by 2030, competitive advantage will come from innovation rather than resource optimization.
Seventy per cent said they plan to reinvest value generated from AI-powered productivity gains into growth initiatives.
Respondents expect AI to boost productivity by 42 per cent by 2030, with 67 per cent expecting to capture most AI-enabled productivity gains by that time.
Technology choices and competitive advantage
The study also highlights uncertainty around the specific technologies executives believe will underpin future competitive advantage.
While 57 per cent of surveyed executives said their competitive edge will come from AI model sophistication, only 28 per cent said they have a clear view of which AI models their organizations will need by 2030.
Other findings related to technology strategy include:
Eighty-two per cent of respondents expect their AI capabilities to be multi-model by 2030, while 72 per cent expect small language models to surpass large language models.
Organizations that are scaling AI across multiple workflows using smaller, custom and foundation AI models anticipate 24 per cent greater productivity gains and 55 per cent higher operating margins by 2030.
While 59 per cent of respondents said quantum-enabled AI will transform their industry by 2030, only 27 per cent expect their organizations to be using quantum computing by then.
IBM said this gap between expectations and adoption highlights potential opportunity for organizations prepared to invest earlier.
Impact on leadership and workforce
The research suggests executives also expect AI to significantly reshape leadership structures and workforce requirements over the next several years.
By 2030, surveyed executives expect that 25 per cent of enterprise boards will include an AI advisor or co-decision-maker. In addition, 74 per cent said AI will redefine leadership roles across the enterprise, with two-thirds believing AI will create entirely new leadership positions.
Workforce disruption is also expected to accelerate. According to the study:
Sixty-seven per cent of respondents said job roles are becoming shorter-lived.
Fifty-seven per cent expect most current employee skills to be obsolete by 2030.
Sixty-seven per cent agreed that mindset will matter more than skills.
Sixty-seven per cent also expect AI to eliminate the resource and skills constraints that currently limit their organizations.
IBM said its analysis shows organizations that position themselves as AI-first are 48 per cent more likely to create net-new job roles and 46 per cent more likely to redesign their organizational structures to generate greater value from AI.
With a week to go before Parliament resumes, the Canadian Federation of Independent Business (CFIB) is calling on the federal government to make 2026 a year of the entrepreneur and implement policies that will support the growth and success of small businesses.
“2025 was a rollercoaster for small businesses. They had to navigate unpredictable tariffs, continued labour disputes and disruptions, and weak consumer demand, all while the cost of doing business continued to rise,” said Corinne Pohlmann, CFIB’s executive vice-president of advocacy.
Corinne Pohlmann
“The November federal budget did not provide meaningful support to small businesses. We urge Parliament to make small business priorities their priorities this winter and to strengthen Canada’s entrepreneurial landscape.”
TheCFIB is Canada’s largest association of small and medium-sized businesses with 100,000 members across every industry and region.
Small business owners report that federal budget programs such as the $51-billion Building Communities Fund and the $1-billion Regional Tariff Response Initiative (RTRI) are missing the mark, said the national organization.
Nearly four in five business owners weren’t even aware of the federal RTRI program, aimed at businesses affected by trade disruptions and tariffs. CFIB data shows that less than 1% have applied so far, a third (31%) don’t plan to apply, and 27% say the program isn’t applicable to them. As for the Building Communities Fund, it could exclude the vast majority of small businesses by providing a competitive advantage to unionized businesses. This approach would be unjust and discriminatory, it said.
Jasmin Guénette
“Unsurprisingly, most SMEs feel excluded from the very government programs they were told were meant to help them. Words have no meanings if they are not translated into actions. It’s time for government to deliver policies and conditions where small businesses can grow and thrive,” said Jasmin Guénette, CFIB’s vice-president of national affairs.
With Canada-U.S. trade talks currently suspended, 60% of SMEs say the federal government should actively work with the U.S. to reduce trade uncertainty. Other ways to help small firms manage the impact of tariffs include reducing internal trade barriers (59%) and providing broad-based tax relief (56%), finds CFIB data.
CFIB said it is calling on the federal government to:
• Small business tax rate: Lower the small business tax rate from 9% to 6%, increase the small business deduction threshold from $500,000 to $700,000 and index it to inflation. • Trade with the U.S.: Ensure that the money collected through Canadian counter tariffs is returned to all affected Canadian small businesses. • Payroll taxes: Introduce a lower EI premium rate for smaller employers or move the employer/employee split from 60/40 to 50/50. • Internal trade: Include food in Canada’s mutual recognition framework. • Red tape: Measure and report on the total number of rules in place and introduce a “two-for-one” rule that applies to all regulations, legislation, and policies. • Supply chain: Ensure that there are no work stoppages or disruptions in the federally regulated transportation sector and at Canada Post. • Immigration: Ensure that immigration programs align with local small business labour needs. • Balanced budget: Implement a clear path to balancing the overall government budget with legislated spending limits outside of a global crisis.
Richelieu Hardware Ltd. has acquired Klassen Bronze, expanding its private-label offerings for the retail market and bringing the company’s total number of private brands to 10.
The addition of Klassen Bronze broadens Richelieu’s retail-focused portfolio, which includes the Richelieu, Reliable, Onward, Mibro, Task, Nystrom, Madico, Cedan and Ideal Security brands. Ideal Security was acquired earlier this year.
Expansion of retail-focused brands
Richelieu said the acquisition is intended to strengthen its position in the retail segment by adding Klassen Bronze’s product lines to its existing assortment. Klassen Bronze supplies products for residential and commercial customers, including letters, numbers, mailboxes, signs, keys, key-cutting machines and related items.
The company said the transaction supports its “one stop shop” approach for retail customers. Richelieu said that strategy is supported by its network of service centres, including facilities in Calgary serving Western Canada, Kitchener serving Eastern Canada and Chicago serving the United States.
“I am proud to see our portfolio continue to grow allowing us to better support our retail partners and further enhance our offering across Canada and the United States,” Richard Lord, president and chief executive officer of Richelieu, said in a statement.
Operational footprint and strategy
Richelieu said Klassen Bronze will be integrated into its retail market operations alongside its existing private brands. The company positioned the acquisition as part of a broader effort to consolidate a range of hardware and related products under its own trademarks, with the goal of offering retailers a comprehensive selection through a single supplier.
The company did not disclose financial terms of the acquisition.
Richelieu operates service and distribution infrastructure across North America, which it said underpins its retail and wholesale strategies. Its service centres in Canada and the United States are used to supply customers across multiple market segments, including retail.
Company profile
As of Nov. 30, 2025, Richelieu described itself as a leading North American importer, manufacturer and distributor of specialty hardware and complementary products. The company’s products are sold to a wide range of customers, including manufacturers of kitchen and bathroom cabinets, storage and closet systems, home furnishing and office furniture, as well as residential and commercial woodworkers. Its customer base also includes door and window manufacturers and hardware retailers, including renovation superstores.
Richelieu said it sources products from manufacturers around the world and offers a broad assortment of higher-end items. The company’s product catalogue includes more than 145,000 different items.
The company reported serving more than 120,000 customers through a network of 119 centres across North America. That network includes 51 distribution centres in Canada and 65 in the United States, as well as three manufacturing plants in Canada.
Photo- Richelieu
Those manufacturing operations include Les Industries Cedan Inc., Menuiserie des Pins Ltée and USIMM UNIGRAV Inc. Richelieu said the plants produce veneer sheets and edge banding products, decorative moldings and components for the window and door industry, along with custom products, including services supported by a 3D scanning centre.
The acquisition of Klassen Bronze adds another private-label brand to that structure, increasing the number of trademarks Richelieu dedicates to the retail market.
Looking ahead
Richelieu said the expanded portfolio is intended to enhance its ability to serve retail partners across Canada and the United States by offering a wider range of products under its own brands, supported by its existing distribution and service network.
The survey was conducted through an online panel from October 30 to November 18, 2025. Follow‑up phone interviews took place from November 21 to 27, 2025.
Overview
In this quarter’s survey, consumers perceived a higher likelihood of missing a debt payment and a slightly greater chance of losing their job. In this context, consumers reported weaker spending plans. Still, they perceive a greater chance than last quarter of finding a job or voluntarily leaving their job.
Expectations for near‑term inflation remain higher than they were before the pandemic, while those for long‑term inflation eased below pre‑pandemic levels. Tariffs are still the most frequently cited driver of inflation, although a little less so than last quarter.
Overall, the Canadian Survey of Consumer Expectations (CSCE) indicator declined slightly and remains subdued in the fourth quarter. A modest deterioration in financial health and household spending intentions contributed to this drop, while labour market conditions improved slightly from low levels.
“The Canadian Survey of Consumer Expectations (CSCE) indicator remains weak this quarter. It has stayed well below its pre-pandemic average since late 2021, coinciding with ongoing perceptions that the cost of living is high. In recent quarters, the indicator and its components also remained below levels observed before the start of the trade conflict with the United States,” said the Bank.
“Consumers remain pessimistic about their financial health in the fourth quarter. Respondents reported a higher likelihood of missing a debt payment, and more than last quarter believe their financial situation has deteriorated. In follow-up interviews, one person who said their financial health had worsened added, “Almost everybody’s living on credit…. It’s something that’s going to be detrimental for households.”
“This heightened concern about missing a debt payment appears to be tied to consumers’ perceptions of a higher risk of losing their job.
“Consumers’ expectations for their financial situation vary according to their views on the impacts of the trade conflict. Half of consumers think the worst effects on the economy or inflation are still to come, and those consumers have the lowest expectations for their financial health. In follow‑up interviews, one of these respondents said, “The worst thing about the tariffs is the uncertainty.… Big businesses aren’t going to invest in anything big now because of uncertainty, and that affects jobs.”
Consistent with low expectations for their financial health and elevated concerns about the labour market, consumers’ spending plans continue to be weak, said the Bank.
The CSCE consumer spending index fell slightly, though it remains close to the levels observed since the trade conflict began. One respondent said, “It’s definitely tough for my family, and we have to budget more appropriately. We look for a discount and have to be more strategic—I purchase less wants and more needs.”
The top reported barriers to spending remain the same as in previous quarters:
Retail Insider is streamlining its Canadian retail news from around the web to include a handful of top news stories that can be viewed quickly during the day. Here are the top stories from the past 24 hours.
