History
On September 15, 1922, John William Billes and Alfred Jackson Billes invested their combined savings of $1,800 in The Hamilton Tire and Garage Ltd (established in 1909 as the Hamilton Garage and Rubber Company) in Toronto.
Hamilton Tire & Garage was sold in 1923 and the Billes brothers moved several times before they settled their site at 639 Yonge Street.
In 1934, the first official associate store opened in Hamilton, Ontario. In 1937, Canadian Tire moved into the new Main store at 837 Yonge Street, after completing extensive alterations to what once was the Grand Central Market. This location remains as an associate store in the chain today. The first Canadian Tire catalogue consisted of a price list in the format of a 24" × 10" folder. Sent in 1926 to car owners in Southern Ontario, this initial price sheet folder heralded the beginning of the Mail Order Department at Canadian Tire. Since then, the company has grown to over 487 stores. A publicly traded company on the Toronto Stock Exchange, Canadian Tire shares are widely held.
Canadian Tire has experienced a period of significant growth and success, having transformed its store network in three major waves beginning in 1994. In its last five-year strategic plan it attained top-quartile total returns to shareholders among all publicly traded North American retailers, with a total return of 286%.
Read more about this topic: Canadian Tire
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