TL;DR
Get furniture and decor delivered free with Prime
- Fast, free delivery on millions of items
- Prime Video, Amazon Music and more included
- Member-only deals all year
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 stores to be new or converted to the format by the end of 2028; it has not disclosed the investment’s store-by-store allocation.
Canadian Tire Corporation plans to invest $200 million in Mark’s stores through 2028, expanding its Bigger, Bolder, Better format as the retailer opens its largest location to date in Thunder Bay, Ontario. The company says the rollout will extend the store experience to more Canadian communities and support growth in both casual apparel and workwear.
The investment builds on Mark’s newer store concept, which Canadian Tire says has produced strong growth and returns. The format provides more space for clothing and footwear, updated fitting rooms and a revised service model, alongside increased options for shopping across stores and online. The company has not provided a complete breakdown of how the $200 million will be spent among new stores, conversions or other improvements.
Mark’s currently operates 21 new-format locations in Alberta, British Columbia, Manitoba, Ontario and Quebec. Several opened in 2026, in Calgary, Edmonton, Lloydminster, Sarnia, Guelph, North Bay and Thunder Bay. The company plans one additional opening by year-end. By the end of 2028, it expects 40 of its 387 stores to be new or converted to the format.
The Thunder Bay store measures more than 36,000 gross square feet. Its expanded assortment includes casualwear and workwear, with shop-in-shop areas for brands including Columbia, Silver Jeans, Carhartt, Timberland and Levi’s. Mark’s also sells its own Wind River and Denver Hayes brands. Canadian Tire describes Mark’s as Canada’s largest seller of Levi’s denim, a claim included in the company’s announcement.
A Broader Offer Beyond Workwear
The rollout signals an effort to grow Mark’s beyond its established industrial workwear business. Larger stores give the retailer more room to present casual apparel and national brands alongside work clothing, potentially making the banner more relevant to shoppers who may not have previously considered it for everyday apparel.
Canadian Tire reported that new-customer acquisition is up nearly 50% at new-format stores, compared with 7.5% across the rest of Mark’s network. The company did not specify the measurement period or provide a fuller methodology for those figures, so they should be read as company-reported results rather than an independently assessed comparison. If the format continues to attract customers, the expansion could support Mark’s growth and help Canadian Tire direct capital toward store concepts it says are delivering results.
For customers in communities receiving a new or converted location, the changes may mean a wider assortment and updated store services. The announcement does not name all the communities in line for future openings, so the scale and timing of local effects remain uncertain.
Products Worth Considering
Bose SoundLink Plus Portable Bluetooth Speaker, Wireless Outdoor Speaker, Up to 20 Hours Battery Life, Waterproof and Dustproof, Black
TCL 65 Inch QM8L Series SQD-Mini LED QLED 4K Smart Google TV
Dyson Big Ball Multi Floor Canister Vacuum, Yellow
As an affiliate, we earn on qualifying purchases.
Mark’s Format Within True North
The store investment forms part of Canadian Tire’s True North strategy, a four-year growth plan that includes $2 billion in capital investment. The company says the strategy focuses on customer relationships informed by data, growth in its core retail businesses, expansion of the Triangle Rewards loyalty ecosystem and focused capital allocation. Modern store formats are among the areas it identifies as intended to improve sales, margins and customer experience.
Mark’s is one part of Canadian Tire Corporation’s retail portfolio. The company says the newer format builds on the banner’s workwear reputation while giving greater prominence to casualwear. Its reported customer-acquisition figures and the planned expansion provide the stated basis for increasing the investment, though the company has not released store-level financial results or a specific return target for the rollout.
““The strong response to our new stores gives us confidence to bring the experience to even more Canadians.””
— PJ Czank, president of Mark’s
Store Plans and Results Still Undisclosed
Canadian Tire has not released a store-by-store spending plan, named all future locations or provided a detailed schedule for conversions through 2028. It is also unclear how much of the $200 million will go toward opening new stores versus renovating existing ones, or whether the planned count of 40 could change.
The company’s reported customer-acquisition increase does not include a stated measurement window or detailed methodology in the source material. No figures were provided for store-level sales, margins, investment payback or the contribution of the new format to Mark’s overall performance. The company’s description of strong results is therefore a corporate claim, not a complete public financial assessment.
More Openings Through 2028
Mark’s plans to open one more new-format store by the end of 2026, following the listed openings during the year. The company says the rollout will continue through 2028, when it expects 40 stores in its 387-location network to be new or converted to the format.
Canadian Tire has not announced the next store location or a full timetable for the remaining conversions. Further announcements are expected to clarify where the format will expand and how the company will allocate its investment.
Key Questions
How much is Canadian Tire investing in Mark’s?
Canadian Tire Corporation says it will invest $200 million through 2028 to expand the Mark’s store format. It has not published a detailed allocation of the funds.
What is the Bigger, Bolder, Better format?
It is Mark’s newer store concept, with a larger footprint, broader casualwear and workwear assortments, upgraded fitting rooms, a revised service model and more omnichannel options.
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.
Where is Mark’s largest new-format store?
The latest opening is in Thunder Bay, Ontario. The store is more than 36,000 gross square feet, according to the company’s announcement.
Has Canadian Tire named all future store locations?
No. The company listed several locations opened in 2026 and said one more is planned by year-end, but it has not named all future openings or conversions through 2028.
Source: hardwareretailing.com
