The Brick
Encyclopedia
The 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 September 1, 1971. Its first expansion was to Fort McMurray, Alberta
in the 1970s and later acquired a competitor in the city of Calgary
.
Over the past 35 years, The Brick has strategically executed its expansion across Canada and now operates 194 retail stores (including 20 franchise locations) in the provinces of British Columbia
, Alberta
, Saskatchewan
, Manitoba
, Ontario
, Quebec
, New Brunswick
, Prince Edward Island
, Nova Scotia
and the Yukon
. In addition, the Brick Group Income Fund operates distribution centres in Vancouver
, Edmonton
, Calgary
, Winnipeg
, Toronto
and Montreal
. Quebec
stores are branded simply as Brick.
The Brick was founded by the Comrie brothers, John, Fred, and Bill
. Bill and Fred were ice hockey
players and Fred was once part of the Pittsburgh Penguins
organization. Bill's son, Mike Comrie
aka. "The Brick", is a hockey player in the NHL
.
In March 2004, the company acquired United Furniture Warehouse
which had 81 locations across Canada at the time. In 2006, The Brick rebranded 24 of these stores under their own name in an attempt to save on advertising costs and increase sales.
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...
's largest volume retailers of furniture
Furniture
Furniture is the mass noun for the movable objects intended to support various human activities such as seating and sleeping in beds, to hold objects at a convenient height for work using horizontal surfaces above the ground, or to store things...
, mattresses, appliances
Home appliance
Home appliances are electrical/mechanical machines which accomplish some household functions, such as cooking or cleaning. Home appliances can be classified into:*Major appliances, or White goods*Small appliances, or Brown goods...
and home electronics
Electronics
Electronics is the branch of science, engineering and technology that deals with electrical circuits involving active electrical components such as vacuum tubes, transistors, diodes and integrated circuits, and associated passive interconnection technologies...
. The company was founded as The Brick Warehouse LP in Edmonton
Edmonton
Edmonton is the capital of the Canadian province of Alberta and is the province's second-largest city. Edmonton is located on the North Saskatchewan River and is the centre of the Edmonton Capital Region, which is surrounded by the central region of the province.The city and its census...
, Alberta
Alberta
Alberta is a province of Canada. It had an estimated population of 3.7 million in 2010 making it the most populous of Canada's three prairie provinces...
with the first warehouse opening on September 1, 1971. Its first expansion was to Fort McMurray, Alberta
Alberta
Alberta is a province of Canada. It had an estimated population of 3.7 million in 2010 making it the most populous of Canada's three prairie provinces...
in the 1970s and later acquired a competitor in the city of Calgary
Calgary
Calgary is a city in the Province of Alberta, Canada. It is located in the south of the province, in an area of foothills and prairie, approximately east of the front ranges of the Canadian Rockies...
.
Over the past 35 years, The Brick has strategically executed its expansion across Canada and now operates 194 retail stores (including 20 franchise locations) in the provinces of British Columbia
British Columbia
British Columbia is the westernmost of Canada's provinces and is known for its natural beauty, as reflected in its Latin motto, Splendor sine occasu . Its name was chosen by Queen Victoria in 1858...
, Alberta
Alberta
Alberta is a province of Canada. It had an estimated population of 3.7 million in 2010 making it the most populous of Canada's three prairie provinces...
, Saskatchewan
Saskatchewan
Saskatchewan is a prairie province in Canada, which has an area of . Saskatchewan is bordered on the west by Alberta, on the north by the Northwest Territories, on the east by Manitoba, and on the south by the U.S. states of Montana and North Dakota....
, Manitoba
Manitoba
Manitoba is a Canadian prairie province with an area of . The province has over 110,000 lakes and has a largely continental climate because of its flat topography. Agriculture, mostly concentrated in the fertile southern and western parts of the province, is vital to the province's economy; other...
, Ontario
Ontario
Ontario is a province of Canada, located in east-central Canada. It is Canada's most populous province and second largest in total area. It is home to the nation's most populous city, Toronto, and the nation's capital, Ottawa....
, Quebec
Quebec
Quebec or is a province in east-central Canada. It is the only Canadian province with a predominantly French-speaking population and the only one whose sole official language is French at the provincial level....
, New Brunswick
New Brunswick
New Brunswick is one of Canada's three Maritime provinces and is the only province in the federation that is constitutionally bilingual . The provincial capital is Fredericton and Saint John is the most populous city. Greater Moncton is the largest Census Metropolitan Area...
, Prince Edward Island
Prince Edward Island
Prince Edward Island is a Canadian province consisting of an island of the same name, as well as other islands. The maritime province is the smallest in the nation in both land area and population...
, Nova Scotia
Nova Scotia
Nova Scotia is one of Canada's three Maritime provinces and is the most populous province in Atlantic Canada. The name of the province is Latin for "New Scotland," but "Nova Scotia" is the recognized, English-language name of the province. The provincial capital is Halifax. Nova Scotia is the...
and the Yukon
Yukon
Yukon is the westernmost and smallest of Canada's three federal territories. It was named after the Yukon River. The word Yukon means "Great River" in Gwich’in....
. In addition, the Brick Group Income Fund operates distribution centres in Vancouver
Vancouver
Vancouver is a coastal seaport city on the mainland of British Columbia, Canada. It is the hub of Greater Vancouver, which, with over 2.3 million residents, is the third most populous metropolitan area in the country,...
, Edmonton
Edmonton
Edmonton is the capital of the Canadian province of Alberta and is the province's second-largest city. Edmonton is located on the North Saskatchewan River and is the centre of the Edmonton Capital Region, which is surrounded by the central region of the province.The city and its census...
, Calgary
Calgary
Calgary is a city in the Province of Alberta, Canada. It is located in the south of the province, in an area of foothills and prairie, approximately east of the front ranges of the Canadian Rockies...
, Winnipeg
Winnipeg
Winnipeg is the capital and largest city of Manitoba, Canada, and is the primary municipality of the Winnipeg Capital Region, with more than half of Manitoba's population. It is located near the longitudinal centre of North America, at the confluence of the Red and Assiniboine Rivers .The name...
, Toronto
Toronto
Toronto is the provincial capital of Ontario and the largest city in Canada. It is located in Southern Ontario on the northwestern shore of Lake Ontario. A relatively modern city, Toronto's history dates back to the late-18th century, when its land was first purchased by the British monarchy from...
and Montreal
Montreal
Montreal is a city in Canada. It is the largest city in the province of Quebec, the second-largest city in Canada and the seventh largest in North America...
. Quebec
Quebec
Quebec or is a province in east-central Canada. It is the only Canadian province with a predominantly French-speaking population and the only one whose sole official language is French at the provincial level....
stores are branded simply as Brick.
The Brick was founded by the Comrie brothers, John, Fred, and Bill
Bill Comrie
Bill Comrie is a Canadian businessman. He is the founder of The Brick, one of Canada's largest volume retailers of furniture, mattresses, appliances and home electronics. In 2009, Comrie's estimated personal net worth was $415 million....
. Bill and Fred were ice hockey
Ice hockey
Ice hockey, often referred to as hockey, is a team sport played on ice, in which skaters use wooden or composite sticks to shoot a hard rubber puck into their opponent's net. The game is played between two teams of six players each. Five members of each team skate up and down the ice trying to take...
players and Fred was once part of the Pittsburgh Penguins
Pittsburgh Penguins
The Pittsburgh Penguins are a professional ice hockey team based in Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania. They are members of the Atlantic Division of the Eastern Conference of the National Hockey League . The franchise was founded in 1967 as one of the first expansion teams during the league's original...
organization. Bill's son, Mike Comrie
Mike Comrie
Michael William "Mike" Comrie is a Canadian professional ice hockey centre.He is married to Hilary Duff.-Playing career:Mike Comrie was born and raised in Edmonton, Alberta and attended Jasper Place High School...
aka. "The Brick", is a hockey player in the NHL
National Hockey League
The National Hockey League is an unincorporated not-for-profit association which operates a major professional ice hockey league of 30 franchised member clubs, of which 7 are currently located in Canada and 23 in the United States...
.
In March 2004, the company acquired United Furniture Warehouse
United Furniture Warehouse
United Furniture Warehouse is a retail furniture chain operating approximately forty locations in Western Canada and Ontario. The Company bills itself as "offering warehouse-style shopping at the lowest possible prices." The Company was founded in 1981 by John Volken, an immigrant who arrived in...
which had 81 locations across Canada at the time. In 2006, The Brick rebranded 24 of these stores under their own name in an attempt to save on advertising costs and increase sales.
See also
- Jeff Ware Arrow Furniture
- Leon'sLeon'sLeon'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...
- 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...
- 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...
- 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...
- Stoney Creek Furniture