OTTAWA -- One of Canada's iconic furniture brands is just months away from opening its doors in Ottawa and they held their first job fair in the Capital Thursday.
Shariq Faraz was excited to accept a job offer from Lastman's Bad Boy Superstore.
"As a newcomer this is a dream come true," he says.
As a recent immigrant to Canada, he's been on the hunt for a job for more than three months.
The new location, opening on Merivale Road on May 21, is looking to fill more than 40 jobs. This will be the 12th Lastman's Bad Boy Superstore in Canada.
"Coming into the Ottawa market we only see expansion. There’s a million people here,” says Blayne Lastman, CEO. “Were going against the grain, but it’s working. You give the people what they want: the best prices and the best service, and you’ll do business.”
With online pressure straining traditional brick-and-mortar retail space, Lastman is expanding and business is good. Last year the family-run furniture store saw its best year ever.
"With the advent of e-commerce, the landscape has changed drastically,” says Lastman’s daughter and director of business development Samatha Lastman. "Some people want to buy online and we let them do that if they want to do that. The people who want to feel it come to the store."
If you grew up in Ontario, you probably remember the famous jingle "NOOOOOOOOOOBODY!"
It was coined by the man who started the business, former Toronto Mayor Mel Lastman. He opened his first retail store in 1965 and it grew from there. Now a Canadian furniture giant, his son Blayne Lastman has taken over the family business.
With two more locations planned in Gloucester and Kanata, Bad Boy will be staffing more than 100 jobs in the Capital.
The Bad Boy furniture job fair continues from 9 a.m.to 9 p.m. Friday and from 9 a.m. to 1 p.m. Saturday at 87 George Street in the ByWard Market.
