In a nod to tech companies that were famously started in California garages, Canadian Tire has opened Digital Garage, its second digital innovation lab in Kitchener-Waterloo, Ont. The lab will allow Canadian Tire to develop new in-store and online technologies, including software, products and apps.
Digital Garage is located just across the parking lot from Canadian Tire’s 10-person lab at Communitech, a hub for startups and digital companies, which Canadian Tire joined in 2013.
“We’ve been on a mission to design new elements for the Canadian Tire system and the Digital Garage is our sandbox,” said Eugene Roman, chief technology officer at Canadian Tire Corp. “We needed extra space and some of it is a secret lab. We’re going to do a lot of experimentation versus Communitech where people can see what you’re working on.”
Digital Garage can accommodate up to 40 employees and will staff a number of co-op students from local universities. There’s also a large labour pool of mobile-oriented developers in the area, which is home to an increasing number of technology firms and startups.
The lab is part of Canadian Tire’s ongoing digital transformation, which the retailer embarked on three years ago. Last year, the company launched a digital loyalty program and opened its Cloud Nine Digital Innovation Centre in Winnipeg.
At the store level, Canadian Tire’s Sport Chek banner has opened its ‘digital lab store’ concept in Toronto, Edmonton and Burnaby, B.C., featuring interactive in-store environments. And in the coming weeks, Canadian Tire will open its first Showcase Store, which the company said will provide customers with “a unique retail environment, an expanded assortment and dynamic digital experiences.”
“Most would say ‘Canadian Tire, that’s a retailer. What’s it go to do with tech?’” said Roman. “Well, tech is everything in retail today.”
