Home Hardware and Bumper to Bumper expanding in Morinville

Above: Maurice and Beth Chevalier stand outside the new location for their Bumper to Bumper store.

by Stephen Dafoe

It is an exciting time for Maurice and Beth Chevalier and their staff. The owners of Home Hardware and Bumper to Bumper are planning a significant expansion of their business this fall by moving Bumper to Bumper to the former Mercantile location, and following that with an extension of Home Hardware to fill the entire building both businesses currently share.

Maurice Chevalier sad the time was right for the move. “I think one of the biggest challenges in the store we’re in right now is our space,” he said. “I think we all know we’ve done a good job of maximizing the square footage. We physically can’t get any bigger in the space we’re in now.”

The Chevaliers bought the currently vacant 100 Avenue building a decade ago. It served as the home of High Street Interiors for many years and most recently housed the Mercantile store.

“I always said if it ever goes empty, we’re going in,” Chevalier said. “The building became available, and we had a ballpark plan if it ever became available. Now it’s full steam ahead.”

Bigger Bumper to Bumper

Step one will be moving Bumper to Bumper from its current 4800 square foot home to the100 Avenue building, which is 8,000 square feet.

The move will give Bumper to Bumper a 66 per cent increase in floor space.

Chevalier said the store would have an entirely new look in the new location as Bumper to Bumper have new logos, counters, and marketing looks for their stores.

Although people can expect the same products and service at the new location, Chevalier said the store would expand more into safety materials and Personal Protective Equipment (PPE). Additionally, the store will carry more fasteners, industrial materials, and double their Stihl equipment to 40 feet.

A significant addition will be the stocking of even more car parts. “We have a good selection now, but we’re going to get better selection,” Chevalier said, noting they will be carrying more brakes and shocks for customers and to help supply Tirecraft, which the company also now owns.

“We’re picking up the game and bringing in a lot more inventory,” Chevalier said.

Bigger Home Hardware

Once they relocate Bumper to Bumper, the Chevaliers and staff will begin filling up the expanded Home Hardware, which will increase from 6800 to 9600 square feet including storage and retail.

One of the expansions will be to the paint department, which Chevalier says would likely move to the lower part of the store.

The store will expand its seasonal and other departments as well.

“We can go in any direction we want,” Chevalier said, noting the floor plan for the expansion is completed. “It’s pretty exciting. We don’t display toilets. We don’t have the room, and we think we lose a lot of sales because people come in having already bought their toilet but needing accessories. Now we’re going to be able to give it the square footage it needs.”

The goal is to have Bumper to Bumper reopened in its new location in November, and the expansion of Home Hardware to be completed late this year or early in the new year.

Loyal Customers

But none of the expansion would be possible without the respective store’s customers.

“We have great customers,” Chevalier said. “We really do. Loyal customers. I’m a third generation owner. We’ve been dealing with people that dealt with my grandparents.”

The Chevaliers are appreciative of the customers’ loyalty and are hoping they will embrace the expansion.

You can visit the shop online at OneGreatStore.ca.

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