A bold new concept in retail was unveiled for the outdoor and water enthusiast in Kelowna earlier this month. 

Photo: Contributed - Mark Stone

Kelowna Honda Powerhouse (858 McCurdy Place) opened its doors on its new $3.7-million facility, home to a full line of power products, including lawn and garden equipment, ATVs, motorcycles and marine engines.

“It’s not just a building, it is more like an engine,” says owner Alan Harvey, a retail dealer for the past 27 years. “We’ve taken the time and energy to design it and build it right so it will operate very efficiently and perform extremely well, which allows the staff to provide excellent customer service.”

The new 21,000 sq.-ft. facility is the largest of its kind in B.C. and one of the largest in Canada.

The facility boasts an 11,000 sq.-ft. showroom in addition to a state-of-the-art service facility, complete with a drive-in.

Andy Jones, Operations Manager of the Powerhouse store, has a distinct vision as to what one of the vital uses for the store should be. “We want to be the place to be. We will be showing many races, like the Daytona 200, on our huge screen TV with awesome surround sound,” he explains. 

Photo: Contributed - Mark Stone

When he says large screen TV, he means it. It’s probably too big for your home, but their 5-foot tall 120-inch screen TV is a great fit for their large facility.

“What motorcyclist wouldn’t want to hang out here? You know, for those types of events, at 7 o’clock, maybe close off part of the store to watch a big event, turn down the lighting, and just socialize,” he says. “You can take in the event, and not feel any pressure to buy anything. It’ll be somewhere to hang out in the winter to get their fix.”

Although the accompanying photos provide a good idea of the impressive use of space, the showroom must be seen in person to be fully appreciated.

“Everything on the showroom is all brand new Honda, and we also have a huge parts and accessory showroom; and our upstairs - our mezzanine - is our used supercenter and it’s all brass,” Jones says.

But what’s most important to Jones, and the entire Honda Powerhouse staff, is the promise to maintain high service standards without the need to inflate price. “The biggest thing I’m trying to promote is we want to give the big guy service, little guy price. We’re not raising our prices to pay for the building. We want to take care of as many people as we can in the Okanagan.”

What sets the Powerhouse concept apart for other outlets is the single brand approach to retailing. When Honda introduced the “Powerhouse” concept in 2006 it created a wave of emotion throughout the industry.
 
"Canadians sometimes think of Honda exclusively as an automotive company," said Ab Ghaznavi, Manager, Power Equipment & Marine, Honda Canada. "But as this incredible milestone shows, Honda sells everything that goes in your garage, from lawnmowers to generators to outboard engines and more."

Beyond the products, the Kelowna facility also features LED lighting in its signage and this spring, water-tolerated planting will make up the landscaping n the new facility, following in step with the City of Kelowna’s progressive irrigation guidelines aimed at reducing water usage.

Kelowna Powerhouse opened to the public May 1.

Their address is 858 McCurdy Place, and can be contacted at 250-860-1111.