Canadian Tire Weekly Food Specials = Epic Fail

After an epic fail in selling food, will Canadian Tire now sell lingerie? Say it isn't so...

After an epic fail in selling food, will Canadian Tire now sell lingerie? Say it isn't so...

As a long time Canadian I consider it a tradition to shop at Canadian Tire. Unlike Walfart, Crappy Tire is, after all, Canadian. When I need a tool or something for the house I think of Canadian Tire first. This year, I am finding that the products I need are no longer advertised in the CT weekly flyer, and all the stuff I don’t need has taken its place. This has the result of me not visiting the local Crappy Tire as much as I used to, and therefore I am not spending the family’s cash in their stores. Going to the epitome of insanity, CT’s weekly food specials now gets attached to the weekly flyer. As my daughter often says, this is an EPIC FAIL.

Let’s talk strategy. We buy food like every other family, but I don’t buy food at Canadian Tire. Tools, housewares, sporting goods, motor oil, yes. Food, no. I find even the idea of selling food at Crappy Tire absurd. Who goes shopping for bread and thinks of Crappy Tire? Who would go shopping for eggs and on the same trip pick up a life jacket?

Let’s talk execution, or lack thereof. The weekly flyer seems to be a feeble attempt at the traditional retailer loss leader, luring in the innocent so they can purchase more expensive goods once in the store. These supposed “loss leaders”, unfortunately, are not even priced competitively enough to get customers to change their shopping habits. For example Monday to Wednesday June 7-9 2010, a 1L carton of chocolate milk will be on sale for $0.99, max 6 per customer. Hello, but this is a regular sale price done by all the large grocery stores pretty much monthly, sometimes running for a couple of weeks at a time. At least do your homework, which by the way, gets delivered to each and every household weekly? There are more examples. Glaring is CT’s failed attempt at selling 500g cheddar cheese for $5.49 when the competition is selling the same for $4.44? How can such a pricing strategy will draw customers into Crappy Tire stores? It simply cannot.

Presentation at the store is another issue. There are only a couple of shelves forlornly placed at the front of the store, abandoned and ignored like the black sheep of the family. I walked right by the displays and had to turn back to see what had gone so horribly wrong with Crappy Tire’s merchandising, only to find…food?

In summary I still ask myself “What were they thinking”? Rather than run its full course, Crappy Tire need to kill this food marketing campaign before they thoroughly tarnish their reputation as competent Canadian retailers. Canadians will forgive and forget, I’m sure. We are a tolerant and restrained bunch, and not much gets our shorts in a knot. I see that as more emphasis is put on food, the other areas of Crappy Tire are suffering. It is these traditional areas where I spend my money. This is simply wrong and must be immediately corrected.

I wish to disclose that I do not look good in a skirt. It’s not that I could never wear a skirt, or that I do not have access to a skirt. Still, because you can do something does not mean you should.

3 thoughts on “Canadian Tire Weekly Food Specials = Epic Fail

  1. Marco

    Crappy Tire should start with some basics. Namely, decent products, informed employees and good customer service. In these categories, they are 0 for 3 and will have their lunch eaten for them by everyone else.

    Here’s my experience that shows how completely obtuse Crappy Tire has become. I go to the Crappy Tire store with my Crappy Tire Mastercard. I have about $100 worth of product at the cash and my Crappy Tire Mastercard won’t swipe. (Oh yeah, the brilliant idiots at the credit card division decided to re-issue everyone’s cards a couple of years back with expiration dates 4 year out. The swipes don’t last 4 years morons! Anyways, the credit card machine is not reading my card. I asked if they could call in the number and authorize over the phone. The cow at the counter calls the cow of a store manager over and they say they can’t do that. I leave my stuff at the counter and leave. Next stop, Walmart. I go there, card still doesn’t work but the lady at the cash manually types in the number, expiration date, and all is clear. I walk out of Walmart with the products I needed and a happy customer experience. Crappy Tire SUCKS!!!

  2. dontai Post author

    Your experience at CT is not unusual, which is bad for the company. The cashier could have easily manually input you card info, but alas, associate training is lacking.

    CT is becoming increasingly irrelevant for my family and I. While I still read their weekly flyer, with the exception of the irrelevant and uncompetitive food insert, I just don’t seem to want to purchase their products. Irrelevant products, high prices, unappealing selection, I am unsure but have not been in a CT for a good 6 months.

    Thanks for stopping in and adding your comments. Maybe you can call CT Mastercard and get them to reissue your card.

  3. Pingback: Canadian Tire Homepage | All Wheels Blog

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