A Windsor peddler’s shop became a seven-store Ontario institution by treating credit, delivery and community memory as part of the product. Its centennial offers a useful playbook - and a warning - for every regional retailer fighting national chains and endless online aisles.
Gerrie Electric grew from one employee and a service van into a C$200-million-plus distributor. Its useful lesson is decidedly unglamorous: remove the tiny procurement delays that make expensive crews stand around.