[Jonesy1966]

Canadian Tire Selects BlackBerry for "Smart" Solutions
BlackBerry 10 Smartphones To Be Deployed Across Canadian Tire's Family of Companies

TORONTO, April 19, 2013 /CNW/ - Canadian Tire Corporation, Limited (CTC.A, CTC) announced today that it has selected BlackBerry� as its official smartphone for its corporate team across Canada. Beginning at the end of April, employees from across its Family of Companies - including Canadian Tire Retail, Canadian Tire Financial Services, Mark's and FGL Sports (Sport Chek, Sports Experts, National Sports and Atmosphere) - will use BlackBerry 10 smartphones as their primary business device. The Company is deploying several thousand units in the coming months, comprised of a mix of BlackBerry� Z10 and BlackBerry� Q10 smartphones.

The new BlackBerry�10 platform will provide Canadian Tire's employees with a faster, smarter and secure experience and will create a shared platform for the Company that will increase efficiencies and drive innovation.

"With 90 years of history serving Canadians in communities from coast-to-coast, it's fitting that we're partnering with another great Canadian company to support our business," said Eugene Roman, Chief Technology Officer, Canadian Tire Corporation.

"We are thrilled to work with Canadian Tire to bring innovations to its employees and customers across the country," said Andrew MacLeod, Managing Director for Canada at BlackBerry. "BlackBerry is committed to being a leader in mobile computing and expanding mobility in the business world and by supporting companies like Canadian Tire with our carrier and other partners to bring innovative solutions to market."

Canadian Tire's first mobile app for BlackBerry launched three years ago and quickly became one of Canada's most popular mobile applications. The free application enables customers to browse products on CanadianTire.ca, create shopping lists, access Canadian Tire's digital flyers, locate store details and hours as well as check product availability by store. Customers can also use their BlackBerry smartphones to scan barcodes in-store to access detailed product information, reviews and pricing. Last year alone, the Company had over 20 million mobile visits through Canadian Tire's Mobile App and mobile optimized site.

Today's announcement follows Canadian Tire's announcement in March that it has become the first retail partner in Communitech with the official opening of its new digital development lab, just down the road from BlackBerry's headquarters. Canadian Tire now has a dedicated space within the Communitech 'hub' to build new applications to improve the shopping experience online and in-store for customers using 'next in class' advancements in digital technology.

About Canadian Tire
Canadian Tire Corporation, Limited (TSX:CTC.A) (TSX:CTC) is a Family of Companies that includes Canadian Tire Retail, Partsource, Gas+, FGL Sports (Sport Chek, Hockey Experts, Sports Experts, National Sports, Intersport and Atmosphere), Mark's and Canadian Tire Financial Services.* With more than 1,700 retail and gasoline outlets from coast-to-coast, our primary retail business categories - Automotive, Living, Fixing, Playing and Apparel - are supported and strengthened by our Financial Services division. Over 85,000 people are employed across the Canadian Tire enterprise, which was founded in 1922 and remains one of Canada's most recognized and trusted brands. For more information, visit Corp.CanadianTire.ca.*

BlackBerry and related trademarks, names and logos are the property of Research In Motion Limited and are registered and/or used in the U.S. and countries around the world. BlackBerry is not responsible for any third-party products or services.*

SOURCE: CANADIAN TIRE CORPORATION, LIMITED

[shlammed]

"Canadian" tire...shocking.

[eddy_berry]

Another win! Thank you OP.

[lipper2000]

Good for BB but in reality CT was already a RIM user and this is Canada we are talking about so I don't see it as a big deal...
It would have been pretty terrible news if they didn't continue on

[greatwiseone]

A win is still a win!

[dbmalloy]

Things must be changing.... saw this one on some US news services.... lets hope this gets as much play as BB got when Home Depot dropped them....

[Munchito1976]

Financial Post is reporting 3 thousand units.

[W Hoa]

Financial Post is reporting 3 thousand units.

BlackBerry has secured an order for 3,000 of its BlackBerry 10 smartphones from Canadian Tire Corp., the biggest corporate purchase on record for the devices.

The retailer says employees from across its banners � including Canadian Tire, Mark�s and FGL Sports � will use the new BlackBerry 10 smartphones.

Canadian Tire says it will distribute several thousand of the smartphones to its staff in the coming months, including a mix of the BlackBerry Z10 and yet-to-be released BlackBerry Q10.

[GreenCopperz]

Great news! This is a great indication of one of Canada's leading retailers show of support! Yay Go out and sell like hell!

[RECOOL]

Just makes sense candians working together.Which is another factor why yanks wank apple,facebook and their home made products.

Just makes sense allround candian ties up well with qnx and the car angle.Keep up the work.

[jaleelhamid]

"Canadian" tire...shocking.

Ya does it matter that the home place of BlackBerry is helping out their own home town company?

Posted via BlackBerry 10

[FSeverino]

Funny that this happens and it's not a main news item, but when home hardware drops BlackBerry its all over the place

Posted via CB10

[aniym]

Just makes sense candians working together.Which is another factor why yanks wank apple,facebook and their home made products.

Just makes sense allround candian ties up well with qnx and the car angle.Keep up the work.

Right, because at no point in history did "Yank" corporations use Blackberries exclusively. Also, Canadian Tire is an all-purpose hardware store...they do not specialize in cars, so QNX wouldn't mean anything to them.

[pmccartney]

Funny that this happens and it's not a main news item, but when home hardware drops BlackBerry its all over the place

Posted via CB10

There was a segment about this on CTV News at 6 PM today. Probably at 11 too but I didn't watch it again.
I do agree with you though. A lot of glass half empty attitudes here. It almost seems that some would be happier if the story was that Canadian Tire is dropping BlackBerry.

Also to some that think they are doing it for Canadian tie reasons... Hogwash. That's not how billion dollar companies operate.

Posted using CB10 via BB10 on a BB Z10

[cyberjunkie1]

Hopefully RONA will adopt BlackBerry 10 and put generate some competition against Home Depot. Not a big fan of CT but glad to see more Canadian corps supporting the platform.

Posted via CB10

[kill_9]

Great news! This is a great indication of one of Canada's leading retailers show of support! Yay Go out and sell like hell!

Instead of telling BlackBerry users to sell the pros made by BlackBerry, Thorsten should be focusing on ensuring that the wireless carriers "Sell like Hell".

Posted via CB10 from the BlackBerry Z10

[stots]

Do we have an idea of how many units will be sold? I saw one post saying 3000. I think it would be more than that. Great news though

BlackBerry Z10-Go Leafs Go

[pmccartney]

Do we have an idea of how many units will be sold? I saw one post saying 3000. I think it would be more than that. Great news though

BlackBerry Z10-Go Leafs Go

Tough to guess. They have 2500 Corp employees in Ontario and about 50000 nationally.


Posted using CB10 via BB10 on a BB Z10

[stots]

Maybe 20,000 units

BlackBerry Z10-Go Leafs Go

[twstd.reality]

There was a segment about this on CTV News at 6 PM today. Probably at 11 too but I didn't watch it again.
I do agree with you though. A lot of glass half empty attitudes here. It almost seems that some would be happier if the story was that Canadian Tire is dropping BlackBerry.

Also to some that think they are doing it for Canadian tie reasons... Hogwash. That's not how billion dollar companies operate.

Posted using CB10 via BB10 on a BB Z10

and I agree with both of you it's really starting to turn me away from CB altogether. as evidenced by the lack of participation in this thread.

anyways, awesome news! been waiting for the bb10 canadian tire app. one of the only apps I miss and use in-store when I had my droid. just wish canadian tire had a way to look up inventory status and location. finding stuff in there is kind of a pain, especially if you saw it online only.

[RubberChicken76]

"Canadian" tire...shocking.

LOL - you assume Canadians are actually particularly supportive of their own like Americans are. My experience is that Americans cheer for their own and Canadians often sneer at theirs.

[shlammed]

LOL - you assume Canadians are actually particularly supportive of their own like Americans are. My experience is that Americans cheer for their own and Canadians often sneer at theirs.

It's different when it's a large Canadian company. The last thing they want to be seen as is anti-Canadian by ditching BlackBerry. Just look at the out cry in the public and media around RBC outsourcing jobs and how many Canadians said they'd switch banks because of it.

[RubberChicken76]

Instead of telling BlackBerry users to sell the pros made by BlackBerry, Thorsten should be focusing on ensuring that the wireless carriers "Sell like Hell".

Posted via CB10 from the BlackBerry Z10

How do you know he's not?

[RubberChicken76]

I do agree with you though. A lot of glass half empty attitudes here. It almost seems that some would be happier if the story was that Canadian Tire is dropping BlackBerry.

Glass half empty and even a level beyond that. There's the 'everything is awful in every way, all the time, in every circumstance" crowd. They never speak up except to rain on the parade of good news, while suggesting that bad news must be 'generously optimistic'.

[bbmme]

Awesome news! Now I will buy my engine oil with pride!

Posted via CB10