Canadian Tire opens second digital innovation lab; plans new store

Toronto - Canadian Tire Corp. is opening its new “'Digital Garage” in Kitchener-Waterloo, Ontario, in Canada's “Silicon Valley North.” The new facility is the second digital innovation lab for Canadian Tire, situated near its Communitech lab, and will allow the company's top digital innovators to develop new in-store and online technologies at a faster pace.



Canadian Tire is three years into a total digital transformation that includes investments in agile technology solutions to advance its digital strategy, improve store operations and digitally power customer and employee interactions.



In 2014, Canadian Tire launched its new digital loyalty program, My Canadian Tire 'Money, and opened its Cloud Nine Digital Innovation Centre in Winnipeg, Manitoba to deliver greater digital services to customers, suppliers, employees and partners.



In addition, Canadian Tire will open its first “Showcase Store” in Edmonton, Alberta, in the coming weeks, offering an expanded assortment and dynamic digital experiences.



"Becoming a world leader in digitizing the retail experience is a top priority for the company," said Michael Medline, president and CEO, Canadian Tire. "To be a world-class retailer, we are building a strong foundation and implementing the right resources that will successfully take us from the old world to the new. In the Digital Garage, we will create and test cutting-edge software, products and apps in our own environment to take innovation at CTC to the next level."