RONA Commercial and Professional Market Division Acquires La Boutique de Plomberie Decoration 25

BOUCHERVILLE, QUEBEC--(Marketwire - Jan. 31, 2011) - RONA inc. (TSX:RON), Canada's largest distributor and retailer of hardware, renovation and gardening products, has acquired the assets of La Boutique Plomberie Décoration 25 Inc. through its Noble subsidiary (www.noble.ca). La Boutique de Plomberie Décoration 25 specializes in the retail sales of plumbing products and fixtures with one retail store and one parts outlet located in St-Eustache, Quebec (www.decor25.com). The company has over 25 years' experience in the specialized plumbing market and count on an impressive inventory to supply projects for all types of consumers, specialized contractors, plumbers and general contractors. La Boutique de Plomberie Décoration 25 has a 15,000 square-foot showroom featuring more than 30 complete bathroom settings on display in all styles and contemporary decorative trends. A major expansion project will add another 10,000 square feet in the months ahead to further improve the service offering to plumbing contractors.

"We're very happy with this deal, which represents an excellent complement to RONA's recent acquisition of Plomberie Payette & Perreault and plumbing distributor LGC in Quebec. We expect that it will generate significant buying synergies with our existing operations in this segment", said Michael Storfer, Vice President of RONA's Commercial and Professional Market.

La Boutique de Plomberie Décoration 25 owners, Raymond Bélisle et Louise Laurin Bélisle, said they were very pleased with the RONA agreement. "La Boutique de Plomberie Décoration 25 employees are proud to be joining the RONA team," they said. "Given our employees' know-how, we can promise our customers that they'll continue to enjoy the same top-quality service they've come to expect from us. We're confident our employees will find plenty of great opportunities and a stimulating working environment as a result of this deal."

A national platform in the commercial and professional market

Acquisition of La Boutique de Plomberie Décoration 25 is another step toward achieving the goal RONA set for establishing a national platform in the commercial and professional market. This is the sixth acquisition for the RONA Commercial and Professional Market division in the past twelve months.

This division, which was formed in late 2007, today includes 63 stores and outlets, 4 distribution centres and 3 manufacturing facilities in Ontario, Quebec and British Columbia:

• Plumbing and heating, ventilation and air-conditioning (HVAC) market: 37 outlets, 2 distribution centres and 3 manufacturing facilities in Ontario; 3 plumbing fixtures and accessories stores plus 2 distribution centres for plumbing parts and materials in Quebec; 5 outlets and 1 plumbing fixtures and accessories store in British Columbia.

• Lumber and building materials market: 11 stores with major lumberyards in Quebec and 6 in British Columbia.

FORWARD-LOOKING STATEMENTS

This News Release includes "forward-looking statements" that involve risks and uncertainties. All statements other than statements of historical facts included in this News Release, including statements regarding the prospects of the industry and prospects, plans, financial position and business strategy of the Company may constitute forward-looking statements within the meaning of the Canadian securities legislation and regulations. Investors and others are cautioned that undue reliance should not be placed on any forward-looking statements. The forward-looking statements in this News Release reflect the Company's expectations as of January 31, 2011, and are subject to change after this date. The Company expressly disclaims any obligation or intention to update or revise any forward-looking statements, whether as a result of new information, future events or otherwise, unless required by the applicable securities laws. For more information on the risks, uncertainties and assumptions that would cause the Company's actual results to differ from current expectations, please also refer to the "Risks and uncertainties" section in RONA's annual report.

ABOUT RONA

RONA is the largest Canadian distributor and retailer of hardware, renovation and gardening products. The company operates a network of some 950 corporate, franchise and affiliate stores of various sizes and formats. With more than 30,000 employees working under its family of banners in every region of Canada and more than 17 million square feet of retail space, the RONA store network generates over $6 billion in annual retail sales. For more information, please visit www.rona.ca.