Being successful with RONA today is about more than a strong product. It’s about how your brand connects with customers to create a unique experience and bring them value. Brand strategy, retail media, and digital experience work together to shape where shoppers start, what they trust, and what they choose. Knowing how these elements connect within this retail ecosystem is essential to being a stronger partner.
That’s what makes the In Conversation with Retailer Leaders breakfast featuring the RONA leadership team on January 27, 2026, at the Toronto Airport Marriott Hotel so valuable.
This session goes inside how one of Canada’s most influential home improvement retailers builds its ecosystem. In a discussion led by Kim Furlong, President and CEO of Retail Council of Canada, with Catherine Laporte, Chief Digital and Marketing Officer, RONA, and Doug Young, Chief Merchandising Officer, RONA, you’ll hear how this retailer’s evolving private brands deliver both value and exclusivity, giving customers a clear reason to choose RONA. You’ll also see how national brands drive credibility and traffic, while differentiation increasingly comes from the experience that surrounds them.
You’ll learn how this approach to brand repositioning, sustained media investment, and breakthrough creative shapes which vendor brands gain visibility and momentum. Understanding how RONA builds emotional connection through cultural campaigns like Mike chez RONA and Homes of Hockey, and how strong brands unlock earned media and high-impact partnerships, shows where real commercial value is created and how vendors can align with it.
Retail media is where this becomes actionable. In this environment, media works when it reinforces brand and experience—not when it runs in isolation. Vendors who understand how RONA connects retail media to category strategy and customer experience can build programs that perform better, spend smarter, and deliver clearer ROI. Add in the power of digital touchpoints shaping decisions before shoppers reach the shelf, and this becomes a roadmap for stronger launches and sharper campaigns.
All vendors are invited to attend the In Conversation with Retailer Leaders breakfast on January 27, 2026, from 7:30 a.m. to 9:15 a.m., at the Toronto Airport Marriott Hotel. Start the day with practical insight, high-value networking, a great breakfast, plenty of coffee, and easy parking.
Get your tickets at: retailcouncil.org/event
