Leon's
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| Leon's Furniture, Ltd. | |
| Type | Retail sales, furniture |
|---|---|
| Founded | 1909 in Welland, Ontario |
| Headquarters | Weston, Ontario, Canada |
| Key people | Ablan Leon, Founder Terry Leon, President/CEO Dominic Scarangella, Vice-President/CFO |
| Website | www.leons.ca |
For the famous frozen custard restaurant, see Leon's Frozen Custard.
Leon's TSX: LNF (Léon in Quebec) is a Canadian furniture superstore which first opened its store in 1909. 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.
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[edit] History
Leon's originated in the city of Welland, Ontario, near the US border in southwestern Ontario. 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 dried-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 has always been a family-oriented business; the original store was staffed primarily by Ablan's children, and he gained a reputation in Welland for honesty and fairness, something the company still stresses with its present-day slogan, "It's All About Trust". When Ablan died in 1942, he left the company to his children who, after expanding the original location to its limit, 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 today, 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 except British Columbia, and briefly had a presence in the US with two stores in Arizona in the mid-90s. The company seems positively situated for the future; it owns much of the real estate on which its stores are located and, with policies such as its 30-day price guarantee, as well as its high level of in-store service, it remains a popular choice for many Canadians.
[edit] Products
Leon's markets mid-range furniture, appliances and electronics; some items are discount, but generally speaking, the furniture is of roughly average quality and price (some stores contain high-end showrooms with higher-priced items available). The company's success stems in part from its marketing of 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. Many Toronto-area locations will no longer accept cheques, except as payment on outstanding finance bills.
In general, Leon's lives up to its policies of family values and trustworthiness. The company offers a 30-day price guarantee (this guarantee was 90 days until summer 2005), and will generally provide customer service on all items for one year after their purchase. It sells extended warranties on electronics and appliances as the Platinum Protection Plan - with terms varying from a 1 year extension to a 4 year extension on most items - and MagiSeal fabric protection and leather care on selected furniture, which are all marketed together.
[edit] 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).
[edit] 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). Additionally, many Leon family members are employed within the chain (Ablan had 11 children, so the family has become quite large) in varying capacities.
Various promotional events
- Cross-Canada Inventory Clearance
- Sweet Nothings
- Leon's Luau
- Viva Las Leon's
- Don't Pay A Cent Event
- Leon's No Money Miracle
- Hot Buys
- See You In September
- Customer Appreciation Event
- Leon's Boo-nanza
- Ho-ho-hold the payments
- Operation Zero
[edit] Slogans
- "It's a better way to buy furniture" - 1992
- "Canada's Only Furniture Superstores" - 2000
- "Leon's - Where Big is Beautiful - In So Many Ways"
- "Leon's - It's All About Trust" - 2004-present
[edit] Competition
Competitors of Leon's include:
[edit] Miscellaneous
- A Leon's commercial (from 1992, No Money Miracle commercial) was in the World's Funniest Outtakes television special.
- After its construction was largely completed, the company suffered a setback at its Hamilton, Ontario location when the building's structure collapsed into the soft soil upon which it was built. Its opening was thus delayed by more than a year.
- The Leons are Roman Catholic, and in many locations a crucifix can be found hanging.
