In 1937, Toronto-based Canadian Tire Corporation (Canadian Tire) surprised and delighted its customers with a novelty: clerks on roller skates. These “fillers,” as they were called, were able to fulfil customers’ catalog orders just a little faster on wheels.
Innovative customer service has been the primary driver of Canadian Tire’s business model for more than a century, as the company has grown from a single tire shop to Canada’s leading all-purpose retailer. With more than 1,700 locations across three industries, 13 recognizable brand banners, and 34,000 employees, Canadian Tire has expanded to provide general merchandise, sports apparel and gear, automotive products, real estate, and credit card offerings.
In 2021, Canadian Tire developed a strategic plan to elevate its customer-centric culture through a business transformation powered by data insights. The iconic Canadian company recognized an opportunity to bolster its brand position by sharpening its focus on the customer through data quality, accessibility, analytic capabilities and, ultimately, effective business application.
“We knew we had the customer data available to drive our entire business farther and faster,” says Jane Nakamachi, SVP, Business Architecture at Canadian Tire Corporation. “What we wanted were more sophisticated capabilities to sort, request and grant access to our business leaders who need specific data sets to grow their areas of the enterprise.”
Priority target areas included clearer data sourcing and ownership, advanced analytics and artificial intelligence (AAAI) capabilities, and an optimized technology infrastructure.