Big changes coming to Canadian Tire
Posted By Daily Graphic Staff
Posted 5 months ago
Staff photo by Rob Swystun -- New Canadian Tire owner Allan Dillabough and manager of special projects and training Eric Williams stand outside the store Wednesday. Canadian Tire is set to go through some big changes soon.
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Canadian Tire will soon be like a brand new store, the new owner says.
Allan Dillabough, who took over ownership earlier this month, said Aug. 15-Nov. 1 will see the store expanded and receive a GPS format, which will change the store's layout and see an additional 14,000 products for sale.
Dillabough approached the Canadian Tire Corp. about bringing the new format to the Portage la Prairie store, which will make it just the fourth store in the country so far to undergo the GPS treatment.
The store has kept its current format since 2000, and Dillabough believes a change was in order.
"I felt the sales opportunity was here and wanted to give customers a better shopping experience," said the owner, who came to Portage from Wawa, Ont.
In addition to the new format and a lot of new stock, the store will expand to 2,973 square metres from its current size of 2,044 sq. m.
The new area will be used in summer to display patio sets and barbecues, while in winter it will house toys and decorations.
The expansion will free up a lot of space for the new stock that is set to come in, Dillabough pointed out.
Pending approval from the City of Portage, he also aims to add another greenhouse to the lot.
The outside of the building is due to get a makeover, too, he added.
The new owner has already started making some changes, though.
Customers will notice the aisles in the store are less cluttered than before. Dillabough credited his general manager Dwayne Mackey, with whom he has been working for 25 years, with freeing up space in the aisles and clearing up the sight lines of the store so people can move and see what they're looking for easier.
Eric Williams, Dillabough's father-in-law who helps with training and special projects at the store, is excited about the new look.
He watched a video supplied by Canadian Tire Corp. about how a store in Kingston, Ont., was completely transformed using the new GPS format and the difference from before the change to after was amazing.
While the store in Portage is on a much smaller scale, Williams expects the same transformation.
"It is exciting to know that just after coming here we're going to get a facelift very soon," he commented.
So far, people have appreciated the small adjustments already made to the store, he added.
"We've already gotten a lot of positive feedback from our customers," he said.
What do you think of Canadian Tire's expansion plans? Have your say at www.thedailygraphic.com.
rswystun@cpheraldleader.com
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