Retail giant says most customers now shop online

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TORONTO - Canadian Tire Corp. (TSX:CTC) is ditching its iconic paper catalogue, sent to millions of Canadian homes for the last 80 years, as consumers steadily opt to read, browse and shop online.

Started in 1928 by brothers John W. and Alfred J. Billes, the catalogue has been thumbed by millions who have eagerly awaited its arrival over the years.

The first edition, which featured tire values on one side and a road map of Ontario on the back, was published to reach customers looking for automotive parts that were hard to come by in more isolated areas.

But as new generations of Canadians come to rely more heavily on the Internet for everything from news to travel and shopping, the company says it no longer makes sense to print and mail millions of catalogue pages.

"We've done a lot of research around customer shopping habits and the reality is, with consumers, they really are spending a lot more time online, that's where they go to obtain the information they're looking for," said Lisa Gibson, a spokeswoman for Canadian Tire.

"There's a lot of research out there that says the readership and retention of annual catalogues is declining, and obviously, as a result (of the change) you're saving that many catalogues from being printed and then ending up in the recycling or garbage."

While the company is no longer printing the catalogues, Gibson added, a version will still exist online.