“Brick-and-mortar retail isn’t dead, it’s evolving.”

MY STORY

In the early 1990s, my journey in the retail industry began in my parents’ basement, where I started building computers as a side hustle during university.

It wasn’t long before I realized the potential to offer quality “refurbished” computers at affordable prices by using a combination of new and used components. In 1995, I took the leap and opened my first retail store in partnership with one of my suppliers.

Despite starting from scratch with little capital, the business grew rapidly, expanding to 24 brick-and-mortar stores, each averaging around 10,000 square feet, specializing in refurbished and closeout electronics and home products.
Our online presence, factorydirect.ca, debuted in October 2000, at the dawn of the internet era. It quickly rose to become one of Canada’s premier retail websites, attracting over 3 million users annually.

Throughout it’s nearly three-decades in business, factorydirect.ca amassed over $1 billion in revenue, served millions of satisfied customers, and provided employment opportunities for thousands.

Ajax

Brantford

Cambridge

Downtown Toronto

Hamilton

Mississauga

Perhaps most notably, the business was profitable every single year until its final year of operation, when changing market dynamics required significant operational changes. However, the restructuring that was needed involved taking on additional risks and proved to be overly resource-intensive to pursue.
The journey from pioneering success to confronting the challenges of today’s retail environment has given me a wealth of invaluable insights and lessons. These experiences, spanning over 30 years, have equipped me with the expertise to help guide your business towards not only prosperity, but also resilience in the face of adversity.

HOW I WORK

Retail stores are living spaces with unique personalities that cannot be reduced to only numbers. While data-driven decisions are essential for operating a successful retail business, they must always be grounded in the realities of what actually happens in-store. This fundamental principle underpins my approach to all things retail.

As an entrepreneur who thrives on challenging projects, I would love to hear more about yours. Fees are determined on a project-by-project basis, and I’m open to discussing various compensation structures. Contact me via email to explore the possibilities.

SERVICES

Development of new and existing product lines

Grow your revenue by adding new product categories. With hundreds of supplier relationships in Canada, the US and Asia, I can help quickly ramp up your new and existing product lines, giving you access to new sources of closeout, private label imports and recertified deals.

“Everything starts with buying right.”

Operational Assessments

Taking a critical look at how your business operates day-to-day is essential to long term success. I take a grass roots approach to reviewing your operations. Watching, learning and talking to your people allows me to identify ways to help increase sales and reduce overhead.

“A penny saved is worth 2 pennies earned (before taxes, overhead and capital costs).”

IT and Cyber Consulting

Over the years I’ve dealt with cyber-attacks, system failures, disaster recovery, multiple system upgrades/migrations, network design and customized software development. My experiences with these types of IT challenges in a retail chain environment, gives me a unique perspective that you likely won’t get from a generalized IT professional.

“They say that there’s two types of companies, those who have lost data and those who are about to.”

Private Investment

If you’re looking for strategic money, I may be able to help.

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