Canadian Tire

File:Canadian Tire logo.jpg

Canadian Tire 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.

The first Canadian Tire store opened on September 15, 1922 in Toronto, Ontario by J.W. Billes and A.J. Billes. This store, at the corner of Yonge and Davenport, remains 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.

As well, Canadian Tire owns Mark's Work Wearhouse, a popular Canadian chain of clothing stores.

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.

The chain is also well-known for its advertising, with their commercials often being among the most memorable ad spots on Canadian television -- for many years, Canadian Tire's Christmas ads have 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 ads have featured the "Canadian Tire couple" (the male role is played by Canadian actor Ted Simonett), who made an appearance on the Royal Canadian Air Farce, a Canadian satire TV show. They are usually showing off a new product to one of their neighbours, who are in need of a certain tool. This Hour Has 22 Minutes also often parodies the Canadian Tire commercials.

Canadian Tire Money

See Canadian Tire money.

Store Operations

Canadian Tire stores are somewhat unique 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. They 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.

Generally speaking, each Canadian Tire store can be broken down into key departments, Automotive, Automotive Service, Sports, Seasonal, Hardware, and Housewares. Each department is headed up by a department manager and his or her supervisor. They are responsible for maintaining the department in peak operating shape and supervising personnel within their assigned departments. 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 truly 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 - As described above these managers control and operate an entire department and the personnel within. These managers generally give the day to day operational orders within the department, conduct disciplining of employees, and conduct employee reviews. These people are generally assisted by Supervisors, who are a form of management, but possess only the powers of seniority and signing of orders and rainchecks.

The Canadian Tire uniform consists of a variety of acceptable shirts, but most common is the CTC golf 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.

Slogans

• 1992: "There is a lot more for a lot less"
• 2001: "I'll start with you" (Originally 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" In 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.

See also Canadian Tire Financial Services

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. In fliers and catalogs it is customary to use an X in place of the check digit, showing that there are multiple product numbers relating to that product, ie different size frames on a certain model of bicycle.

Parodies

Canadians often jokingly refer to Canadian Tire as "Crappy Tire" or simply "Crappy's" because of a common conception in Canada that Canadian Tire's Car Repair service appeals to the poor class. Despite the pejorative connotations of the name, the company asserted trademark rights to "CRAPPY TIRE" in a dispute with the domain owner of crappytire.com. The company filed a UDRP complaint before a World Intellectual Property Organization panel alleging the domain owner registered a name confusingly similar to the company's registered trademarks and demanding the domain be transferred to the company. The complaint was dismissed by the arbitrators.

External links

• Canadian Tire Online
• Canadian Tire eLearning Network
• Canadian Tire Currency -- Canadian Tire Currency Picture Catalog Index, 1958-2003 Issues
• crappytire.com decision