Canadian Tire
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Image:Canadian Tire logo.pngCanadian Tire (CTR. Template:TSX) is a Canadian retail hardware and home goods chain. It has a large selection of hardware, automotive, sports, camping, gardening and electronics products, and through its network of gas bars, is also Canada's largest independent gasoline supplier. Virtually all stores also have a full auto service department.
Canadian Tire "money" distinguishes the company from other retailers in Canada. These coupons, offered as an incentive for cash purchases, are a national cultural fixture.
The chain is also well-known for its advertising, with their commercials often being among the most memorable ad spots on Canadian television.
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Corporate history
The first Canadian Tire store opened on September 15, 1922 in Toronto, Ontario by J.W. Billes and A.J. Billes. This store, was located at the corner of Yonge and Isabella. In 1937, the store & head office was moved to Yonge & Davenport. This location remains as an associate store in the chain today. In 1928, the store issued its first catalogue, becoming one of Canada's most famous mail order businesses. The company grew to over 450 stores today, and has remained in the Billes family -- Martha Billes, the current head of the company, is considered one of Canada's most powerful business women. The CEO is Wayne Sales.
Canadian Tire's business strategy has never successfully translated outside of Canada. In the 1980s and 1990s, the chain tried to expand into the United States, and was met with failure both times. However, it remains one of Canada's most successful retail chains, successfully competing with the rise of big box stores, such as Home Depot, in the 1990s by redesigning and expanding many of its stores.
Canadian Tire Financial Services is the credit arm of the company.
Canadian Tire owns Part Source, dealing exclusively with auto parts and Mark's Work Wearhouse, a popular Canadian chain of clothing stores.
Canadian Tire Money
See Canadian Tire money.
Store Operations
Ownership
Canadian Tire stores are unusual in the retail world as they are usually independently owned and operated companies in and of themselves. Each store is owned technically by an Associate Dealer who owns the store and everything within it, down to shelf fixtures, computers and the like. The exception is the stores in the Vancouver, B.C. area, which are owned by a group of investors. Associate Dealers are generally not responsible to the head office in Toronto, Ontario but are regulated by Regional Managers who bi-annually assess the state of the store and employees.
Store layout
Generally speaking, each Canadian Tire store can be broken down into key departments, Automotive, Automotive Service, Sports, Seasonal, Hardware, and Housewares. Departments are generally identified with a colour coding scheme, with numbering of individual aisles.
Management structure
Although no Canadian Tire is exactly the same, the typical set-up for Management personnel is as follows.
General Manager - This position is the highest management position available within a Canadian Tire store. They are only outranked by the Associate Dealer who physically owns the store. The GM is responsible for scheduling other managers, operating budgets, creating policy and hiring new employees.
Store Managers - These people also can be known as duty managers in the sense that they are just below the GM in rank. They typically are given the overall duty of running day to day floor operations during their shifts. They can also write up employees and lower managers, and conduct the termination of employees.
Logistics Manager - This manager is responsible for the stock and product within the store. He or she is also responsible for the receiving crews, fill crews and deal crews who mainly operate within the warehouse, commonly known in other stores as the 'stock room'. These managers, depending on the GM can also act as acting store managers and can supervise the entire store at a given time.
Department Manager - These managers control, supervise and operate an entire department and the personnel within. These managers generally give the day to day operational orders within the department, maintain the department in peak operating shape, conduct disciplining of employees, and conduct employee reviews. These people are generally assisted by subordinate Supervisors, who are a form of management, but possess only the powers of seniority and signing of orders and rainchecks.
Uniform
The Canadian Tire uniform consists of a variety of acceptable shirts. The older style consisted of A light blue shirt and red tie with dark pants. The new style is a red CTC golf shirt with black trim or a red CTC button up shirt. Black pants are worn in most stores, but some allow navy, white or beige pants or shorts. A red CTC baseball cap is acceptable for employees who work outside. Store managers generally wear a red shirt with CTC logo and gold name tag. Some stores allow female manages to dress semi-casual with gold name tag to identify them. The general manager usually wears a white CTC logoed shirt with gold name tag.
Product Numbers
Canadian Tire uses a 7 digit product number, with the format XX-XXXX-X, with the first two digits designating product class (ie 71-XXXX-X is bicycles), next four digits designating the actual product and the last digit being a check digit.
Trivia
Kingston, Ontario is home to Canada's largest Canadian Tire Store. (Greater Kingston Chamber of Commerce reference)
Advertising
For many years, Canadian Tire's Christmas ads featured Santa Claus and Ebenezer Scrooge arguing about whether Canadian Tire's great selection or their low prices are the better reason to do your Christmas shopping there. A stamp was issued by Canada Post commemorating Canadian Tire's 75th anniversary which depicted the famous ad of a boy receiving his first bicycle which was purchased by his father at the Tire.
Most recently, the company's ads have featured the "Canadian Tire couple". The male role is played by Canadian actor Ted Simonett, and Gloria Slade plays the female role. They are usually showing off a new product to one of their neighbours, who are in need of a certain tool. In 2006 the company opened a new television campaign which did not include the couple, explaining that the commercials had become less effective.<ref>[1]</ref>
Slogans
- 1992: "There is a lot more for a lot less"
- 2001: "I'll start with you" (Originally from a song released as a solo in 1992 by Paulette Carlson, the lead singer of country group Highway 101 )
- Various Christmas seasons: "Give like Santa, save like Scrooge" "Scrooge Approved prices"
- 2005 The chain began using a talking dog named Gilbert. The slogan, "I smell gifts", which the dog says also appears on instore Christmas advertising displays.
In 2005 through 2006, a nameless man and his family were commonly used in Canadian tire commercials.
The couple and their child were seen as quite annoying, with was, indeed, true.
But, noticeably, the father was usually the one to blame.
A smug looking grey-haired overly optimistic male, he'd often... Well, always... Suggest Canadian Tire items with vivid, unrealistic summarys to neighbors in friends in trouble.
Ex; (Not quoted, Fictional)
Neighbor; How am I EVER going to keep this table at the right length?
Man; With the new Canadian Tire Screw Driver Max 2.0, you can! Great durability, excellent on the go!link title
Etc, Etc, Etc.
And at the end, he'd throw in the "amazing price", whilst his friend raved on about how great Canadian Tire was. Personally, I think It was enough to drive people AWAY from this company's door.
The 'Canadian Tire Couple' were once featured on the 'Air Farce' As one of their targets of the year, as "Canada's most annoying couple"!
Has a couple pictures of the couple in this hilarious parody article.
http://www.thehammer.ca/content/view.php?news=2005-08-15-canadian-tire-divorce
Canadian Tire Online
Canadian Tire Online is an online purchasing system where customers of Canadian Tire can choose to either provide a representative at 1-866-746-7287 with their billing and shipping information and then have the goods selected delivered to their home via a Canadian postal service (either ups, canadapost or purolator) (for a small fee of course decided by the weight and destination of the product) or customers also have the option to place the order themselves on * Canadian Tire Online and can always choose to contact an online representative at the 1-866-746-7287 phone number if they encounter any problems while placing their order.
See also
External links
- Canadian Tire Online
- Canadian Tire eLearning Network
- Canadian Tire Currency -- Canadian Tire Currency Picture Catalog Index, 1958-2003 Issues
- crappytire.com decisionfr:Canadian Tire