Leon's
Encyclopedia
Leon's Furniture Limited Meubles Léon Limité in Québec is a Canadian
furniture superstore which first opened its store in 1909 in Welland, Ontario
. The controlling interest in the company is owned by the Leon family, while some shares are traded publicly on the Toronto Stock Exchange. It has consistently ranked among the top furniture chains in Canada.
, near the US border in the Niagara region. It was founded by Ablan Leon, a Lebanese
immigrant, who started out as a door-to-door salesman. He was able to open a store with his profits in 1909. The original store was a dry goods outlet, which subsequently converted to furniture sales after Mr. Leon discovered the profits to be had in selling furniture when, after leaning his son's wedding gift of a mattress outside his store briefly, he was immediately approached by a customer who wished to buy it. He sold it for several dollars more than he paid, and so soon thereafter, the store shifted its focus to concentrate on furniture sales.
Leon's original store was staffed primarily by Ablan's children, and he gained a reputation in Welland for honesty and fairness, an image the company aims to preserve with its present-day slogan, "It's All About Trust". When Ablan died in 1942, he left the company to his children (Marjory, Mary, Lewie, George, Tommy, Eddie, Rozanne, Catherine and Joseph Leon).
After expanding the original location to its limit, they solved the problem of further growth by building new stores across southwestern Ontario.
The company moved into the Toronto area in the subsequent decades, purchasing several established outlets in the city and then converting them to the Leon's name once they felt sufficiently ready to tackle a wider retail market. The company, seeking further expansion, went public in 1969 and thereafter opened its first warehouse showroom in 1973, touting it as the only one in Canada. This was, in many ways, a forerunner to the big box retail outlets found commonly by the end of the 20th century, and it proved a big success; stores continued to open in urban and suburban areas across Canada, largely with good results.
Today, roughly half of the store's more than 50 outlets are owned corporately, while the remainder, mainly in rural areas or in cities with lower populations, are owned by franchisees. Leon's is present in every province and briefly had a presence in the US with two stores in Arizona in the mid-90s. The company owns much of the real estate on which its stores are located.
In an effort to attract customers living in condos or smaller dwellings, Leon's launched their Urban Living Collection in June 2007. Leon's Urban Living Collection contains smaller sized sofas, bedrooms and dining sets.
A Leon's commercial (from 1992, No Money Miracle commercial) was in the World's Funniest Outtakes television special.
Canada
Canada is a North American country consisting of ten provinces and three territories. Located in the northern part of the continent, it extends from the Atlantic Ocean in the east to the Pacific Ocean in the west, and northward into the Arctic Ocean...
furniture superstore which first opened its store in 1909 in Welland, Ontario
Welland, Ontario
Welland is a city in the Regional Municipality of Niagara in Southern Ontario, Canada.The city has been traditionally known as the place where rails and water meet, referring to the railways from Buffalo to Toronto and Southwestern Ontario, and the waterways of Welland Canal and Welland River,...
. The controlling interest in the company is owned by the Leon family, while some shares are traded publicly on the Toronto Stock Exchange. It has consistently ranked among the top furniture chains in Canada.
History
Leon's originated in the city of Welland, OntarioWelland, Ontario
Welland is a city in the Regional Municipality of Niagara in Southern Ontario, Canada.The city has been traditionally known as the place where rails and water meet, referring to the railways from Buffalo to Toronto and Southwestern Ontario, and the waterways of Welland Canal and Welland River,...
, near the US border in the Niagara region. It was founded by Ablan Leon, a Lebanese
Lebanon
Lebanon , officially the Republic of LebanonRepublic of Lebanon is the most common term used by Lebanese government agencies. The term Lebanese Republic, a literal translation of the official Arabic and French names that is not used in today's world. Arabic is the most common language spoken among...
immigrant, who started out as a door-to-door salesman. He was able to open a store with his profits in 1909. The original store was a dry goods outlet, which subsequently converted to furniture sales after Mr. Leon discovered the profits to be had in selling furniture when, after leaning his son's wedding gift of a mattress outside his store briefly, he was immediately approached by a customer who wished to buy it. He sold it for several dollars more than he paid, and so soon thereafter, the store shifted its focus to concentrate on furniture sales.
Leon's original store was staffed primarily by Ablan's children, and he gained a reputation in Welland for honesty and fairness, an image the company aims to preserve with its present-day slogan, "It's All About Trust". When Ablan died in 1942, he left the company to his children (Marjory, Mary, Lewie, George, Tommy, Eddie, Rozanne, Catherine and Joseph Leon).
After expanding the original location to its limit, they solved the problem of further growth by building new stores across southwestern Ontario.
The company moved into the Toronto area in the subsequent decades, purchasing several established outlets in the city and then converting them to the Leon's name once they felt sufficiently ready to tackle a wider retail market. The company, seeking further expansion, went public in 1969 and thereafter opened its first warehouse showroom in 1973, touting it as the only one in Canada. This was, in many ways, a forerunner to the big box retail outlets found commonly by the end of the 20th century, and it proved a big success; stores continued to open in urban and suburban areas across Canada, largely with good results.
Today, roughly half of the store's more than 50 outlets are owned corporately, while the remainder, mainly in rural areas or in cities with lower populations, are owned by franchisees. Leon's is present in every province and briefly had a presence in the US with two stores in Arizona in the mid-90s. The company owns much of the real estate on which its stores are located.
Products
Leon's markets mid-range furniture, appliances and electronics; some items are discount, and some stores contain high-end showrooms with higher-priced items available. A major part of Leon's marketing strategy is its financing plans, which allow customers to defer payments for various lengths of time (the most common of which are 6 and 12-month terms). This financing is offered through Citi Financial in most locations, although Trans-Canada Credit and Visa Desjardins are used by some locations.In an effort to attract customers living in condos or smaller dwellings, Leon's launched their Urban Living Collection in June 2007. Leon's Urban Living Collection contains smaller sized sofas, bedrooms and dining sets.
Commercials and events
Leon's has usually eschewed the traditional low-budget furniture commercial throughout its history; instead of focusing on merchandise as most furniture ads tend to, it opts to produce humorous or memorable commercials, often employing silly gags or jokes to create a lasting impression on viewers. Its most popular ad campaigns are the Ho-ho-hold the Payments event and the No Money Miracle, both of which having gone through several makeovers over the years. The store's promotional events are generally recurring by month, although several do alternate throughout the year. Most offer discount prices on select items and improved financing terms, along with the option to defer all payment (generally financing requires a deposit of all applicable taxes and fees up-front).A Leon's commercial (from 1992, No Money Miracle commercial) was in the World's Funniest Outtakes television special.
Personnel
Leon's staff is separated into numerous departments in many of its corporate locations (franchise operating procedures tend to vary). Deliveries, sales, service, and payments are all separate departments in most locations, which can cause some shoppers to grow frustrated with perceived lengthy wait times. On the other hand, it does greatly cut down on internal product loss, and specialization allows for departments to function more efficiently, generally speaking. Employees receive a number of benefits, from profit sharing to comprehensive benefits packages (for full-time staff).Slogans
- "All the savings you can carry" - mid-late 1970s
- "It's a better way to buy furniture" - 1992
- "Canada's Only Furniture Superstore" - 2000
- "Leon's - Where Big is Beautiful - In So Many Ways"
- "Leon's - It's All About trust" - 2004–present
Competition
Competitors of Leon's include:- Sleep Country CanadaSleep Country CanadaSleep Country Canada is a major mattress retailer in Canada, with over 140 stores operating in British Columbia, Alberta, Saskatchewan, Manitoba and Ontario.The company was ranked one of the top 50 companies to work for in Canada by the Globe and Mail...
- The BrickThe BrickThe Brick Ltd. opened its first store in Edmonton, Alberta in 1971, and has grown to become one of Canada's largest volume retailers of furniture, mattresses, appliances and home electronics. The company was founded as The Brick Warehouse LP in Edmonton, Alberta with the first warehouse opening on...
- Sears@HomeSears CanadaSears Canada Inc. is a retailer, headquartered in Toronto, Ontario, that operates in all provinces and territories across Canada with a network of 196 corporate stores, 195 dealer stores, 38 home improvement showrooms, 108 Sears Travel offices and a nationwide home maintenance, repair, and...
- Lastman's Bad Boy FurnitureLastman's Bad Boy FurnitureLastman's Bad Boy is a Canadian furniture business headquartered in Weston with seven other locations in the Greater Toronto Area and Southwestern Ontario. It is owned by Blayne Lastman, son of former Toronto City Mayor Mel Lastman...
- Wholesale Furniture BrokersWholesale Furniture BrokersWholesale Furniture Brokers was one of the first companies to apply the ‘Click and Mortar’ strategy in the furniture industry. When the website was launched, Wholesale Furniture Brokers recruited independently owned furniture stores to become affiliates that would perform fulfillment and share in...