Canadian Tire store unveils new look inside
Canadian Tire franchise owner/operator Keith Gostlin is excited by the response to the interior makeover of his Kelowna store, unveiled to the public on Thursday.
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The culmination of months of work brought a smile to the lips of Canadian Tire franchise owner/operator Keith Gostlin on Thursday morning—plus a filled up parking lot and a line-up to get into his store at the 9 a.m. opening.
The reason for the excitement at the Kelowna store was the unveiling of the store’s makeover.
Some 25 Canadian Tire stores across Canada are undergoing a similar interior renovation update, with Gostlin’s Kelowna store being one of the first to celebrate its “re-opening.”
Gostlin said it has been gratifying to him and his staff to see the positive reaction to the changes.
“People find it easier to find what they are looking for, and in some cases discovering products in our aisles that they never realized we had,” Gostlin said.
“People say the store looks bigger inside as well, but we haven’t changed the size, just opened it up a bit and changed how we are displaying items in the store.”
Gostlin credited his workforce of 155 part- and full-time staff for helping to pull the store redesign together in time for Thursday’s grand re-opening.
“People have been working on this for seven days a week since August,” he said.
Gostlin has been a Canadian Tire franchisee for 42 years, having operated stores in Guelph, Ont., and Halifax, N.S., prior to opening the Kelowna store in 1982.
He says updating his store is a reflection of the competitive market for attracting the consumers’ spending dollars.
“What’s important for us is that people need to know Canadian Tire is a Canadian company,” Gostlin said.
“And we are locally owned and operated. We are part of our community. I am particularly proud of the Canadian Tire Jumpstart fundraising initiative, and how it helped 1,200 kids here participate in sports that they otherwise wouldn’t have been able to do so.”
As part of the re-opening festivities, besides sale prices on items throughout the store, there will be a contest to win one of four $1,000 shopping sprees.
Former Vancouver Canuck Trevor Linden will also be on hand Saturday, from 1:30 to 3:30 p.m., for an autograph signing session.
And the Okanagan Clowns will be around to greet the kids from 11 a.m. to 1 p.m. Friday and Saturday.
The Canadian Tire store is located at 1655 Leckie Rd.
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