Leon's originated in the city ofWelland, Ontario near the US border in the Niagara Region. It was founded by Ablan Leon, a Lebanese immigrant, who started out as a door-to-door salesman. He was able to open a store with his profits in 1909. The original store was a dry goods outlet, which subsequently converted to furniture sales. Leon's original store was staffed primarily by his family. When he died in 1942, he left the company to his children. After expanding the original location, they built new stores in southwestern Ontario. The company moved into the Toronto area in the subsequent decades, purchasing several established outlets in the city and converting them to the Leon's name. The company went public in 1969 and opened its first warehouse showroom in 1973, touting it as the only one in Canada. Today, roughly half of the store's more than 50 outlets are owned corporately, while the remainder, mainly in rural areas or in cities with lower populations, are owned by franchisees. There were briefly two stores in Arizona in the mid 1990s. On November 11, 2012, Leon's announced plans to acquire competing furniture chain The Brick for $700 million. Leon's took over 8 Sears Home stores in 2016, a move that allowed Leon's to open its first store in British Columbia.
Products
Leon's markets mid-range furniture, appliances and electronics; some items are discount, and some stores contain high-end showrooms with higher-priced items available. A major part of Leon's marketing strategy is its financing plans, which allow customers to defer payments for various lengths of time. This financing is offered through Visa Desjardins. In an effort to attract customers living in condos or smaller dwellings, Leon's launched their Urban Living Collection in June 2007, comprising smaller sized sofas, bedrooms and dining sets.
Personnel
Leon's staff is separated into numerous departments in many of its corporate locations. Employees receive a number of benefits, including profit sharing and other benefits packages for full-time staff.
Slogans
"All the savings you can carry" - mid-late 1970s
"It's a better way to buy furniture" - 1992
"Canada's Only Furniture Superstore" - 2000
"Leon's - Where Big is Beautiful - In So Many Ways"
