In recent years, work culture has undergone a great deal of change, especially with regards to how and where Canadians work. Businesses continue to re-evaluate their organizational structures, identifying ways to increase employee satisfaction and retention, recuperate dollars lost during the pandemic and adapt to the evolving needs of their employees.
Canadians have welcomed opportunities for remote work, in fact, a 2021 Statista study conducted among Canadian employees in 2021 revealed that only nine percent wished to fully return to work from the office once the COVID-19 pandemic was over. For many Canadians, remote work has allowed them to reclaim some of their daily schedule for personal use, as time normally used for commuting can now be swapped for more energizing morning and after-work routines.
Inspired by the ever-changing landscape of work and the ability to provide business solutions that help clients work from everywhere, Grand & Toy created a mobile workspace that traveled across the GTA for three days, to demonstrate all the possibilities of work from anywhere. We collaborated with realtor Demetres Giannitsos, podcaster and recruitment expert Emily Durham, and singer/content creator Elijah Woods who each spent time working in the space throughout the week.
Grand & Toy has been a trusted provider of business solutions helping to build better workspaces for more than 140 years. With more companies providing opportunities for remote work, we help provide business solutions to ease the transition for their teams. Typically, customer requests for work from home setups start with seating. What we’ve seen over the last three-plus years is that people who worked from home for one to two days per week and later transitioned to fully remote quickly figured out that their chair wasn’t suitable for eight or more hours a day, five times a week. After seating, monitors, and height-adjustable desks or laptop risers are next in high demand.
Beyond work-from-home workstation setups, Grand & Toy also has products and business solutions for people who are constantly on the go, including laptops and notebooks, cell phone batteries and power adapters, and privacy screens.
CONCLUSION
It’s important for companies to realize that work environments look different for everyone. For some, it can be a corporate office environment. For others, it might be a seat on public transit or a table at a library or coffee shop. Whether remote, in-office, or hybrid, one thing is certain: if you provide employees with the necessary tools to accomplish their work, they can truly Make Work, Work Everywhere. To learn more about Grand & Toy’s products and services visit grandandtoy.com.
Samira Amin, Director of Marketing
Samira is an accomplished business and marketing leader with extensive experience managing complex portfolios, transforming brands, and building high-performing teams in commercial global organizations. Her expertise encompasses a range of disciplines, including brand marketing, performance, category management, innovations, and P&L management in both B2C and B2B contexts.
As the Director of Marketing at Grand & Toy, a leading Canadian business solutions provider, Samira is currently driving the company’s next wave of growth. In this role, she oversees the company’s marketing, brand & creative, media, digital, content & social, demand generation, and sales strategy. Throughout her career, Samira has demonstrated an exceptional ability to inspire teams to achieve bold ambitious goals.
Prior to joining Grand & Toy, Samira held highly sought-after marketing roles at top-tier companies such as Molson Coors, Weston Foods, Jamieson Wellness, and Colgate-Palmolive.
Chris Henwood, Senior Director, Marketing & Product Management
Chris leads the creation of Marketing and Product strategies that support Grand & Toy’s business objectives. As the leader of the Marketing and Product Management teams, this includes building and delivering innovative products, services, and solutions that exceed customer expectations.
Since joining Grand & Toy in 2006, Chris has held a variety of leadership positions in Merchandising, Sales and Strategy for growth lines of business. His diverse experience within the company allows him to bring associates together to deliver innovative solutions for businesses of all sizes.
Supporting the growth and development of others is an area Chris is passionate about. This is evident in his commitment to creating a high-performance culture within the organization and developing teams who feel empowered. Chris is also a certified leadership coach and member of the International Coaching Federation.
Prior to joining Grand & Toy, Chris spent several years in merchandising, strategic sourcing and brand management roles in the retail and CPG Industries.
