Aikenhead's Hardware

Aikenhead's Hardware
Industry Service
Fate acquired by The Home Depot and became its Canadian unit
Predecessor Ridout's Hardware Store
Successor Home Depot Canada
Founded 1830
Founder Joseph Ridout
James T.E. Aikenhead
Alexander Crombie
Defunct 1994
Headquarters Ontario, Toronto, Canada
Number of locations
 5
Area served
 Canada
Key people
 Joseph Ridout
James T.E. Aikenhead
J. Wilfred Aikenhead
Thomas E. Aikenhead
Alexander Crombie
Products Hardware
Owner Aikenheads family 1901-1971
Molsons 1971-1994
Parent Aikenhead Hardware Company 1893-1901
Aikenhead Hardware Limited 1901-1971
Molsons 1971-1994

Aikenhead's Hardware was a chain of Canadian hardware stores located in Greater Toronto, Southern Ontario and northern Ontario. The original store was founded in Toronto in 1830 as "Ridout's Hardware Store" by Joseph Ridout and was located on the corner of King Street and Yonge Street.[1]

In 1868, two employees, James Aikenhead and Alexander Crombie, became partners in the company and renamed it "Ridout, Aikenhead, & Crombie". It became Aikenhead's in 1893, when Aikenhead bought out Ridout and Crombie.[2]

In 1971 the Aikenhead family sold their chain to Molson, which later started a warehouse in 1991 to head off American chain The Home Depot. Molson sold their 75% stake to Home Depot in 1994, and it became the Canadian unit.[3] (Molson exited the hardware business with the sale of Beaver Lumber in 1999 to Home Hardware, which they had acquired a year after the purchase of Aikenhead's.)

Locations

Original stores:[4]

  • Burlington
  • St. Catharines
  • Kitchener
  • Dundas
  • Markham
  • Sudbury
  • Yorkdale Shopping Centre
  • Cloverdale Shopping Centre
  • Eglinton Square Shopping Centre
  • Bathurst St. & Wilson Ave.
  • Leaside
  • Dufferin Plaza
  • Dixie Plaza
  • Willowdale
  • Cedarbrae Shopping Centre

Home improvement warehouses:[5]

  • Scarborough - 426 Ellesmere Road became Home Depot location and head office
  • Markham - 3155 Highway 7 East is now Home Depot
  • Woodbridge - 140 Northview Blvd is now Home Depot
  • Brampton - Orion Gate Plaza (Steeles Ave & Hwy 410) now Home Depot
  • Oakville - 2555 Bristol Circle now Home Depot
  • London - Wonderland Road South
  • North Surrey, BC - now Home Depot
  • Edmonton, AB - now Home Depot
  • NE Calgary, AB - now Home Depot


References

  1. ↑ http://www.angelfire.com/zine2/aikenheads/Sub/info.htm
  2. ↑ Kearney, Mark; Ray, Randy. "James Aikenhead: Aikenhead's Hardware". I Know That Name!: The People Behind Canada's Best Known Brand Names from Elizabeth Arden to Walter Zeller. pp. 21–23. Retrieved 2010-08-14.
  3. ↑ http://www.trentu.ca/admin/library/archives/89-014.htm%5Bnot+in+citation+given%5D
  4. ↑ http://www.trentu.ca/admin/library/archives/89-014.htm
  5. ↑ http://www.trentu.ca/admin/library/archives/89-014.htm
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