The History of SRP

By Keith Johnson

The Early Days: The Amazing Video Network

Strategic Retail Partners (SRP) Canada has been in business since 1986. The company was founded by Entrepreneur Garson Hoffman and joined by Keith Johnson two years later.

The company originally franchised video vending rental machines under the name “Video Cube” and “The Amazing Video Machine”. The company was amalgamated in the early 1990’s into “Cinram International Inc”, one of the world’s largest duplicators and distributors of LP’s, Music Cassettes, CD’s, VHS and DVD’s. The company diversified its business into rack jobbing and grew organically and by acquisition of its competitors, eventually operating over one thousand home entertainment kiosks in retail stores across Canada, operating as “The Amazing Video Network”.

The company was spun out of Cinram in 2004 with Garson and Keith eventually gaining full ownership. It was during this period that the company really started growing and diversifying out of the home entertainment business by adding product lines and programs including Cappuccino Machines, Cigars and electronics including a personal alcohol detector that won a North American NACS award for “Cool New Product”.

Growth: The Creative Planogram Company

In 2010, Garson and Keith acquired Peeks Eyewear, an international eyewear brand that included CFL, NHL and 2010 Olympic licenses. This acquisition perfectly complemented existing product lines and opened up further channels of distribution, now at over 4,000 retail locations coast to coast. The company was renamed to “Creative Planogram Company (CPC)”

It was at this time that iPhone and Android devices were being introduced. Garson and Keith quickly realized the need for reliable, high-quality, low-cost accessories including charging cables and wall and car chargers and commenced manufacturing, importing and distributing these products. Demand exploded and grew to over 12,000 retail locations with the company guaranteeing product and building a Canada wide network of direct to store representatives fully equipped with product and able to perform over 100,000 service visits annually, as frequently as required to ensure high in stock levels. The company was also able to act quickly and was capitalized on fad opportunities such as the “Fidget Spinner” which resulted in the sales of millions of units.

A New Era: SRP Canada

In 2017, Creative Planogram Company (CPC) was acquired by SRP whose brands “Solaray, Pugs, Global Eyewear, Fiesta Toys, SNI and Swibco” are distributed in tens of thousands of retail stores across the USA. We were renamed to “SRP Canada” and consolidated the North American market and presented further opportunities for our Canadian customers. We also continued to remain nimble and fast, with example during Covid in 2020 we immediately commenced manufacture and distribution of Personal Protection Equipment (PPE) such as sanitizer, masks and gloves to thousands of our customers. In addition, we also acquired a major distributor in Quebec and commenced manufacture and distribution of Private Label products to select major customers.

SRP is proud that like many of our customers, we originated from entrepreneurial beginnings. We continue to be focused on being nimble and quick to market and continue to seek ways we can assist our customers to grow and make their jobs easier.