Canadian Tire Multiple Channel Retailing

Three years after launching a content-based Web site, a nationwide hard goods retailer invested in software to support Internet shopping. The online component was one element in a multiple channel retailing approach, which also included retail stores, a phone-order service and an annual catalog. Although the company is the country's most shopped retailer, the online retail segment has not turned a profit. The director of marketing must consider the effect of multiple channel retailing on the company's profitability.