Not Just Tires

"Smart" concept store

We all think of Canadian Tire as the local big box store that has almost anything you need.  Odds are you can find whatever you are looking for somewhere within the mass assortment of merchandise.  It wasn't always like that though.  Canadian Tire has entered numerous different businesses and markets to stay competitive.  The majority have been successful, while a few have gone by the wayside. 

Did you know that Canadian Tire has its own two truck service? Were you a student at the driving school? Perhaps the hockey school?




One of the early gas bars

As the name would suggest, Canadian Tire originally started as an automotive supplier over 90 years ago.  It has since transformed into one of Canada's largest employers.  Here is a list of other businesses Canadian Tire has entered into:

• 1958 - Canadian Tire gas bar opens
• 1968 - Canadian Tire purchases a small credit firm (now known as Canadian Tire Financial Services
• 1980 - "Pit Stop" quick lube shops are opened, only a few remain open today
• 1995 - Canadian Tire Financial Services introduces the "Options" Mastercard, entering the personal credit market
• 1999 - PartSource is created to meet the need of heavy DIY automotive customers
• 2001 - Mark's Work Warehouse is purchased
• 2005 - Canadian Tire Jumpstart launches
• 2006 - Partnership with NASCAR and TSN announced
• 2011 - Forzani Group joins Canadian Tire, commonly operated as SportChek and National Sports stores

As you can see, Canadian Tire has grown to be a corporation made up of a very diversified group of businesses and I am willing to bet that you shop at a Canadian Tire Corporation store fairly regularly, and perhaps you didn't even know until now. 

If you would like to learn more, links to each of these businesses can be found on the right side of the page.

References:

Canadian Tire (n.d.). History. Canadian Tire. Retrieved March 4, 2013, from
              http://corp.canadiantire.ca/EN/AboutUs/Pages/History.aspx