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Western Canada’s largest independent home appliance retailer, Trail Appliances, is celebrating its 50th anniversary.

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Trail Appliances, a local family company with a big vision, celebrates 50 years of success

By Richmond Sentinel

Published 11:00 PST, Thu January 9, 2025

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Trail Appliances, Western Canada’s largest independent home appliance retailer, is celebrating its 50th anniversary. Established in 1974, the business now counts 12 showrooms and more than 550 employees across B.C. The family-owned company’s longstanding focus on investing in customer service, product expertise, the physical retail environment, and technology has seen its sales volume triple over the past decade.

“A 50th anniversary is a significant milestone for any business, but even more so for a family-owned business like ours that has been passed down three generations,” says Jason Broderick, chief executive officer of Trail Appliances. “My grandfather believed in providing customers with exceptional service and product expertise, and we look forward to continuing to provide this to British Columbians in the years ahead.”

Originally founded as a bottle depot in Calgary, Alberta, Trail pivoted to appliances after realizing that they could offer customers better service and prices than other home goods stores. The company opened its first B.C. showroom in Richmond in 1980.

“Many retailers have shifted to a low-cost model at the expense of physical stores, customer satisfaction and employee retention,” says James Reynolds, president of Trail Appliances. “We believe though that long-term business success means giving customers the most value and we do that by investing in our showrooms, employees and technology to make buying a new appliance as easy and enjoyable as possible.”

“Trail’s showrooms are a key part of what sets us apart from the competition,” says Richard Broderick, vice president of Trail Appliances. “In addition to featuring thousands of appliances on display, Trail’s showrooms give customers the opportunity to touch, test and experience appliances before buying.”

The company has invested in new experiential elements like education centres, digital displays and 125 award-winning display kitchens that allow customers to get inspired and imagine how different appliances will look in their home. The experience continues through to the delivery process, as the company still handles delivery and customer service in house, while other retailers have outsourced it.

As an investment into both its employees and customer service, Trail has developed the Trail Learning Experience. Through this industry-leading education program, more than 50 new Product Specialists per year participate in an intensive seven-week classroom and three-month in-store training program led by an in-house training team.

Another key to Trail’s success has been the expansive growth in the company’s B2B Division and the dedicated sales teams that serve real estate developers, builders, and interior designers. The specialized approach has allowed Trail to become the leader in B2B appliance sales in B.C., providing appliances for more than 500 real estate projects last year. Trail has been the appliance supplier for some of B.C.’s most iconic developments, including Vancouver House, The Butterfly and River District.

As a family-owned business, Trail cares deeply about the communities it operates in. In the past ten years, the company has donated more than $1 million to charities like the CKNW Kids Fund, BC Cancer Foundation and Ronald McDonald House. The company also donates appliances to victims of natural disasters like floods and wildfires whose homes have been damaged. To celebrate their 50th anniversary, Trail aims to raise $50,000 for Food Banks BC and will be matching all donations up to $25,000.