Meridian Source Photo
As Canadian Tire celebrates its 100th birthday this fall, the new Canadian Tire store in Lloydminster will open its doors.
It will feature more than 130,000 sq. ft. of total space loaded with new technology and services to boost the customer shopping experience.
“We want people to be wowed when they walk in there, and I think they will be,” said local store dealer David Jewell.
“We’ll transform our customers’ shopping experience with an expanded assortment and improved services that will allow them to shop their way, be that in-store or online.”
Meanwhile, crews from Norson Construction from Edmonton are continuing the build just west of Mark’s, which is owned by Canadian Tire Corporation (CTC).
“They are finishing off the steel framing, putting the decking on the roof, and starting to install the insulated panels on the side of the building,” said Jewell.
The pad will be poured as soon as the frost is out of the ground.
Jewell is anticipating a soft opening at the end of October with a grand opening in November.
“That will be icing on the cake. My goal right now is to have the store completed on time and be ready to serve our customers,” said Jewell.
“Once the siding starts going on that building, you will understand how big it is.”
The new store will feature more than 85,000 sq. ft. of retail space, plus a roomy auto service department and garden centre.
It will almost double the size of the existing store as well as having 589 parking spaces on the nine-acre property.
The new Lloydminster store is part of CTC’s $3.4 billion four-year investment strategy to create improved customer experiences across the country and fulfill its brand purpose of “Making Life in Canada Better.”
Of its total investment commitment, the company is investing $1.2 billion—to better connect its digital and physical shopping channels—transforming customers’ shopping experiences.
The store will include upgraded e-commerce and product pickup capabilities with click and collect lockers and a dedicated customer pickup area.
These services will allow customers to shop in-store, online or in-store pickup.
The new auto service department will also house more service bays, and feature increased tire storage capacity to better serve customers.
Customers can expect to see improvements in many departments – particularly in kitchen, pets, kids, Christmas, hunting and fishing and hardware and tools.
The store will also reflect Canadian Tire’s latest store designs and a wide assortment of popular brands and products displayed with electronic shelf labels.
The new Lloydminster store will also double the current employee base of between 60 to 70 employees, creating employment opportunities for the local community.
“We’ll probably be employing up to 120 people,” said Jewell. A job fair will be held July 5-6, with more details to be released in the near future.
Jewell says the new store will help position Lloydminster as the regional retail hub and attract more growth to the area.
“I’m very bullish on what’s going to happen in this market. The new store will create a positive impact by not only creating an even better destination for our existing customers to experience the jobs and joys of life in Canada, but also by providing access to even more of our great products tailored for our market,” said Jewell.
Jewell says Canadian Tire is supported by a passionate associate dealer network that is always looking to support their communities across the country in meaningful ways.
Every Canadian Tire location is owned and operated by a dealer living in the community they serve.
Jewell was the dealer at Camrose Canadian Tire for 18 years and moved to the existing Lloyd store in August 2020, knowing the new build was about to happen.
“This is what I want to do,” he said.
His wife Marilyn is designing interior offices and the staff lunch area, while his son Spencer will continue his role as general manager in the new store.
Jewell will get the keys to the building on Aug. 1 to assemble the warehouse racking, and on Aug. 15 the assembly of retail fixtures inside the store will commence.
“That’s when the merchandising will start,” said Jewell.
