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Canadian Tire Corporation says it will invest $200 million in Mark’s stores through 2028, expanding the retailer’s Bigger, Bolder, Better format. The company expects 40 of Mark’s 387 locations to be new or converted to the format by the end of 2028; the latest opening is a store of more than 36,000 gross square feet in Thunder Bay, Ontario.
Canadian Tire Corporation plans to invest $200 million in Mark’s stores through 2028, expanding a larger-format design that combines the retailer’s workwear business with a broader casualwear offering. The company’s latest opening is Mark’s largest store to date, a location of more than 36,000 gross square feet in Thunder Bay, Ontario.
Canadian Tire said the investment builds on what it describes as strong results from Mark’s Bigger, Bolder, Better stores. By the end of 2028, the company expects 40 of Mark’s 387 stores to be either new locations in the format or existing stores converted to it. Mark’s currently has 21 new-format locations across Alberta, British Columbia, Manitoba, Ontario and Quebec.
The company says seven new-format stores have opened during 2026, in Calgary, Edmonton, Lloydminster, Sarnia, Guelph, North Bay and Thunder Bay, with one more planned by year-end. The Thunder Bay location includes expanded casualwear and workwear assortments, upgraded fitting rooms, a new service model and additional omnichannel shopping options.
The store also includes dedicated shop-in-shop displays for brands including Columbia, Silver Jeans, Carhartt, Timberland and Levi’s. Canadian Tire says the format provides more room for national and company-owned brands, including Wind River and Denver Hayes, while maintaining Mark’s industrial workwear offer.
A Broader Role for Mark’s Stores
The spending signals that Canadian Tire sees room to grow Mark’s beyond its established strength in industrial workwear. The larger stores are intended to give customers more casual apparel choices and a more varied shopping experience, while bringing workwear and casualwear together under one retailer. For shoppers, the practical change is a broader assortment and updated store features at locations that adopt the format.
Canadian Tire says new-customer acquisition at the new-format stores is up nearly 50%, compared with 7.5% across the rest of Mark’s network. Those figures are the company’s reported comparison; the source material does not provide a measurement period or additional methodology. The company also reports particularly strong responses from women and younger customers, but does not provide separate figures for those groups.
The investment is part of Canadian Tire’s wider True North strategy, a four-year growth plan that includes $2 billion in capital investment. The company says its priorities include strengthening retail operations, using customer data, expanding Triangle Rewards and directing capital to selected opportunities. The Mark’s commitment is one part of that wider spending plan, not a separate statement of its full cost.
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The Rollout Across Mark’s Network
Mark’s is part of Canadian Tire Corporation, which said the Bigger, Bolder, Better concept is designed to support growth in both casual apparel and workwear. The new locations are larger than the retailer’s traditional stores and offer expanded brand presentations and updated fitting facilities. The format is also intended to connect in-store shopping with online services, though the source report does not specify which omnichannel features are available at each location.
The rollout has moved from an initial group of new-format stores to a planned network of 40 by the end of 2028. That target includes both new stores and conversions, so it does not mean 40 additional locations will be built. Mark’s has 387 stores in total, according to the source report, and the planned 40 would represent a portion of that existing network.
Canadian Tire executives have framed the expansion as a response to customer interest and store performance. Chief operating officer TJ Flood said the company was backing a concept it viewed as working, while Mark’s president PJ Czank pointed to the response to the new stores and the opportunity to offer customers more choice. These are company assessments; the source material does not include independent sales or profitability data.
“The strong response to our new stores gives us confidence to bring the experience to even more Canadians.”
— PJ Czank, president of Mark’s
Performance Data Still Limited
Canadian Tire has not provided store-level sales, profit, investment allocation or payback figures in the source material. It also has not explained the methodology or time period behind the reported customer-acquisition comparisons, so those numbers cannot be used to assess how the format performs across different markets or over time.
The company has announced a target of 40 new or converted-format stores by the end of 2028, but the source report does not list every planned location or say how many of the 21 current locations are new builds versus conversions. It is also unclear how the $200 million will be divided among store openings, renovations, fixtures, technology and other costs.
More Locations Through 2028
Mark’s plans to open one more new-format store by the end of 2026, according to the source report. Canadian Tire says the rollout will continue through 2028, when it expects 40 locations in the format across major urban centres and regional markets. The company has not named the next store or provided a year-by-year schedule for reaching that target.
Further announcements about locations and timing will clarify how quickly the format spreads and how much of the target comes from conversions rather than new stores. The company’s reported customer and performance measures may also provide a clearer picture if it releases fuller data as the rollout proceeds.
Key Questions
How much is Canadian Tire investing in Mark’s?
Canadian Tire Corporation says it will invest $200 million in Mark’s stores through 2028. The source report does not break down how that money will be allocated.
What is the Bigger, Bolder, Better format?
It is a larger Mark’s store design with expanded workwear and casualwear ranges, more space for national and owned brands, upgraded fitting rooms, a new service model and greater omnichannel convenience.
How many Mark’s stores are expected to use the format?
By the end of 2028, Canadian Tire expects 40 of Mark’s 387 stores to be new or converted to the format. The target includes conversions, not only new builds.
Where is Mark’s largest new-format store?
The latest opening is in Thunder Bay, Ontario. The store measures more than 36,000 gross square feet, according to the source report.
What does Canadian Tire say about customer response?
The company reports that new-customer acquisition at new-format stores is up nearly 50%, compared with 7.5% for the rest of Mark’s network. The source material does not state the measurement period or methodology.
Source: hardwareretailing.com
