July 17, 2008 – Canadian Tire opened the doors of its first two small market stores today with the grand opening of its store in Hearst, ON and the soft opening in Deep River, ON.
Canadian Tire opened the doors of its first two small market stores today with the grand opening of its store in Hearst, ON and the soft opening in Deep River, ON. The two new stores are the first of four test locations planned for 2008 and include an 18,000 square foot
Canadian Tire store, 5,300 square foot Mark's Work Wearhouse offering, a 7,000 square foot Garden Centre, 13,000 Outdoor Compound and when complete, an onsite Canadian Tire Gas Bar.
With two stores now open and another two scheduled to open in Athabasca and Cochrane this fall, the small market store is designed to provide customers in smaller towns with a one-stop shopping experience. Ranging from 14,000 to 18,000 square feet, the new small stores are anchored by Canadian Tire's key cornerstone businesses – automotive, hardware, home, sports and seasonal – and feature a full size Mark's offering and on-site gas bar, where possible.
The new small market stores will replace traditional Canadian Tire stores or will be incremental new stores enabling the company to serve even more of the Canadian population. Each of these cost-effective stores is expected to generate $5-9 million annually.
Summary of major features of the new small market stores:
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– Garden Centre/Outdoor Marketplace- With just over 7,000 retail square feet, this area is covered with a canopy and serves as a Garden Centre in the spring/summer months and an Outdoor Marketplace in the fall/winter. This area houses bulkier items as well as gardening products in the spring/summer and shovels, rock salt and snow blowers in the winter.
– Navigational signage – Upon entering the store, the navigational and departmental signs immediately identify Canadian Tire's key cornerstone businesses – automotive, home, hardware, sports and seasonal. With fewer touch n' feel displays, the breadth of the product assortment has been expanded to include more than 30,00 products on the retail floor.
– Customer Care – Located conveniently at the front of the store, the Customer Care counter is easily accessible for customers requiring assistance and also offers products and services that are relevant to each market such as snowmobile trail passes and hunting and fishing licenses. Customers are also able to access products not found in- store through special order services.
– Seasonal – The seasonal department is located at the front of the store and offers customers a dominant assortment of products to helpcustomers start each season with confidence. In the spring/summer the area features barbecues and outdoor living items, while in the winter customers can find a large selection of Christmas décor and winter-related items.
– Outdoor Compound – The 13,000 square foot Outdoor Compound provides additional retail space for large items and live goods. Displays of swing sets, sheds, wheelbarrows and kayaks are found in this area along with a large assortment of live goods and bagged soils and fertilizers.
– Automotive – Canadian Tire continues to emphasize its dominant assortment of automotive parts and accessories. In addition to an impressive tire wall tailored to the local market, the automotive department also features a wide selection of parts and accessories and a 4-bay Automotive Service Centre offering motorists the latest in diagnostic equipment to help them get back on the road safely and easily.
– Tools, Paint and Hardware – With everything from plumbing and electrical to tools and paint, the new store features everything customers need to complete weekend projects with confidence.
– Mark's Work Wearhouse – Featuring two great Canadian brands under one roof, the small market store features a full-size Mark's store within the Canadian Tire store. The 5,300 square foot Mark's offering is beautifully laid out and includes the latest product offering in work and casual apparel and footwear for men and women.
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