Canadian Retail Thread

[MacLac]

Originally Posted by wave46

The trick is that a US retailer buys a Canadian one and then proceeds to run it into the ground. They then substitute in their parent brand from the US.

See: Futureshop/Best Buy

Rightly so.....hoping one day an American retailer will do that to Canadian Tire....run it into the ground....abolish it and it's crappy Chinese wares and substitute it with a quality retailer....not sure what the US version of it is though?

[SHOFEAR]

Originally Posted by esquire

^ You notice that much of a difference? To me Rona/Home Depot were always kind of like 6 of one, half dozen of the other. If there is some kind of Air Miles promo I'll go to Rona, otherwise I just sort of defaulted to Home Depot.

Smaller Stores, less selection. my 2c.

[SHOFEAR]

Originally Posted by MacLac

Rightly so.....hoping one day an American retailer will do that to Canadian Tire....run it into the ground....abolish it and it's crappy Chinese wares and substitute it with a quality retailer....not sure what the US version of it is though?

Canadian Tire gets a shitty rap.


You get what you pay for. I wouldn't buy mastercraft/maximum tools like a table or mitre saw and expect them to last.

But, I am extremely please with my Maximum mechanics tool chest I bought (the kind on wheels that's like 5 feet tall and six feet long with a dozen or so slide out drawers). I looked for weeks to try to find something other than a Canadian tire brand...I was really hesitant for obvious reasons.

There a gems to be found.

But at the same time, I have been burnt by mastercraft/maximum stuff that I thought would be suitable for the odd use. I bought an accessory kit for my air compressor that is fucking garbage.

[Acajack]

Originally Posted by MacLac

Rightly so.....hoping one day an American retailer will do that to Canadian Tire....run it into the ground....abolish it and it's crappy Chinese wares and substitute it with a quality retailer....not sure what the US version of it is though?

There is no U.S. version of Canadian Tire. Or at least no large store that offers an equivalently reasonable assurance that they'll likely have "pretty much anything you can think of". I have heard both Americans and other foreigners marvel at this aspect of Canadian Tire on a few occasions.

Don't get me wrong - I am not really a Canadian Tire booster. Their service is absolutely horrible and trying to find someone to help you in the aisles is like searching for snow in the desert sun.

[WarrenC12]

Originally Posted by Acajack

There is no U.S. version of Canadian Tire. Or at least no large store that offers an equivalently reasonable assurance that they'll likely have "pretty much anything you can think of". I have heard both Americans and other foreigners marvel at this aspect of Canadian Tire on a few occasions.

Don't get me wrong - I am not really a Canadian Tire booster. Their service is absolutely horrible and trying to find someone to help you in the aisles is like searching for snow in the desert sun.

Walmart maybe?

Canadian Tire does get a bad rap. They have decent stores here and good deals for what you're getting.

[Acajack]

Originally Posted by WarrenC12

Walmart maybe?

.

I still think Canadian Tire offers a wider and more complete selection of stuff, obviously taking food out of the equation.

[WhipperSnapper]

True Value is similar to Canadian Tire.

[WarrenC12]

Originally Posted by Acajack

I still think Canadian Tire offers a wider and more complete selection of stuff, obviously taking food out of the equation.

Well, some walmarts I've been in (smaller US towns in the south) have quite the selection of things. Just off the top of my head that's what I thought of.

[Acajack]

Originally Posted by WhipperSnapper

True Value is similar to Canadian Tire.

When I think of True Value I think of smaller sized stores. At least a lot smaller than your average contemporary Canadian Tire.

[esquire]

I like Canadian Tire in the sense that they have a really wide range of things... I just wish that the stuff they sold wasn't the worst and most basic model of everything. Basically Dollarama calibre quality, just for more expensive items.

Contrast with Costco which stocks high quality stuff. Even if it's cheaper than the high end models in whatever category of merchandise, you know it's still going to be good.

[Pinus]

Originally Posted by MacLac

Rightly so.....hoping one day an American retailer will do that to Canadian Tire....run it into the ground....abolish it and it's crappy Chinese wares and substitute it with a quality retailer....not sure what the US version of it is though?

Fuck off. Typical Alberta mindset. Not all of us want to wrap ourselves in the American flag and hum the Yankee anthem on a daily basis.

[dtown]

Canadian Tire seems to be the retail version of Tim Hortons.....Nobody ever has a good word to say about it yet it continues to usually seem to be busy and run as a healthy company with strong financials with no signs of going anywhere despite all the negativity.

[le calmar]

I think CT has plenty of average/quality stuff. I would just stay away from their Mastercraft products as they are not the best quality-wise. But yeah, service is generally bad there.

[SpongeG]

Rona was also told they can no longer use the Proudly Canadian signage/slogan

https://business.financialpost.com/n...oudly-canadian

[Pinus]

Originally Posted by SpongeG

Rona was also told they can no longer use the Proudly Canadian signage/slogan

https://business.financialpost.com/n...oudly-canadian

Yet I'll bet they have permission to fly the Yankee flag tall and proud

[WarrenC12]

Originally Posted by dtown

Canadian Tire seems to be the retail version of Tim Hortons.....Nobody ever has a good word to say about it yet it continues to usually seem to be busy and run as a healthy company with strong financials with no signs of going anywhere despite all the negativity.

You should probably check the latest Tim Hortons financial releases. They are suffering badly.

[esquire]

Originally Posted by WarrenC12

You should probably check the latest Tim Hortons financial releases. They are suffering badly.

I guess that means more innovative menu items to look forward to in the upcoming months. Maybe such delights like:

• goulash
• sushi
• mashed potatoes
• chicken wings
• PB&J sandwiches
• frosted kit kat bars
• churros

[SpongeG]

I wonder if that's happening since they were bought out or if they just keep adding too much crap to their menu. A lot of people have switched to McCafe as they no longer feel obliged to support the once Canadian Tim Hortons.

[WarrenC12]

Originally Posted by SpongeG

I wonder if that's happening since they were bought out or if they just keep adding too much crap to their menu. A lot of people have switched to McCafe as they no longer feel obliged to support the once Canadian Tim Hortons.

Yes we are starting to see the impact of that buyout work it's way through the system IMO. Stores are dirty, staff is terrible. That's on the franchisees, but TH can manage that better. The menu is cost cutting gone insane, and it's total crap now.

McDonald's shows you can still do fast food properly, for all the shit they take. They know the market, and make quick reversals and menu changes when things don't work.

[esquire]

Originally Posted by WarrenC12

Yes we are starting to see the impact of that buyout work it's way through the system IMO. Stores are dirty, staff is terrible. That's on the franchisees, but TH can manage that better. The menu is cost cutting gone insane, and it's total crap now.

McDonald's shows you can still do fast food properly, for all the shit they take. They know the market, and make quick reversals and menu changes when things don't work.

Sometime in the 70s, McDonalds figured out what worked in terms of their menu and they haven't really wavered from it. Tim Horton's, meanwhile, is just swerving all over the place now. The Beyond Meat burger was the classic example of that... I can't imagine they sold very many of those.