Mark's
 |
|
 |
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| Wholly owned subsidiary | |
| Industry | Retail |
| Founded | 1977 |
| Founder | Mark Blumes |
| Headquarters | Calgary, Alberta, Canada |
|
Area served
|
Canada |
|
Key people
|
Rick White (Chief Operating Officer) |
| Products | Apparel |
| Parent | Canadian Tire |
| Website | www.marks.com |
Mark's (known as L’Équipeur in Quebec) is a Canadian apparel and footwear retailer. Part of the Canadian Tire Family of Companies since 2001.,[1] Mark’s specializes in casual and industrial wear. Currently operating more than 380 stores across Canada, Mark’s first opened in 1977 in Calgary, Alberta, Canada, and the retailer has evolved from an industrial accessories dealer to the number one men’s casual and industrial retailer in the country. Originally named Mark’s Work Wearhouse, the banner rebranded in 2012[2] as Mark’s to appeal to a wider customer base and reflect its expanded product offerings.
Contents
History[edit]
On August 14, 1977, Mark Blumes, a former retail executive with the Hudson's Bay Company, opened the first Mark's Work Wearhouse in Calgary, Alberta. The first store was located in the Southeast corner of Calgary at Centre Street and Glenmore Trail. Following early success and rapid expansion, Mark’s Work Wearhouse became a publicly traded company in 1981 with an Initial Public Offering worth $14,000,000. In 1995, the Mark’s Board of Directors appointed Garth Mitchell as President and Chief Operating Officer of the company. Under Mitchell, the chain entered a new phase characterized by growth and acquisition. In 1996, the 140 Mark’s Work Wearhouse stores generated a revenue of $250 million and the company acquired Work World which increased revenues by $500 million in six years. In 2002, Canadian Tire Corporation purchased Mark’s Work Wearhouse for $116 million as part of a strategic plan to add strong and profitable growth within the company’s integrated portfolio of businesses. At this time Mark's Work Wearhouse operated 325 corporate and franchisee stores across the country. The acquisition provided Mark’s Work Wearhouse with significant working capital, resulting in accelerated growth between 2001 and 2008. Sales grew from $500 million to $1 billion, with 372 stores across Canada. Together Mark’s Work Wearhouse and Canadian Tire created “combo stores” at 65 Canadian Tire locations which coupled the complete assortment of a Canadian Tire store with a fully serviced Mark’s Work Wearhouse. In 2012, the company underwent a rebrand as part of its strategy to appeal to a wider customer base and reflect its expanded product assortment. Now referred to as Mark’s, the brand launched its newest ad campaign ‘Ready for This’ in 2013.
Products[edit]
Mark's is one of Canada's leading apparel and footwear retailers with more than 380 stores across Canada. Mark's sells men's and women's industrial, business, casual and active clothing and footwear as well as a full line of health wear including hospital scrubs, hygienic wear and accessories.
Brands[edit]
Mark’s holds a number of well-known private labels, including Dakota, Denver Hayes and WindRiver with an additional assortment of popular national brands including Levi's, Carhartt, Helly Hansen, Sorel and more. A variety of Mark’s footwear is also CSA approved with brands, including Dakota, Agressor, Baffin, Caterpillar, Kodiak Terra, Timberland and Wolverine.
Guarantee and warranty[edit]
Mark’s has a 100% satisfaction guarantee on everything it sells. A customer can return a product within 100 days and receive a full refund in the same tender used to make the purchase when the product is accompanied by an original receipt, as long as the product has not been worn and has its original tags on the clothing. Should the customer not be able to produce an original receipt, a merchandise credit will be issued for the current value of the items. Mark’s also offers a 100-day boot guarantee. If at any time during the first 100 days after purchasing work boots the customer experiences a manufacturer defect they will be replaced. Refunds and exchanges cannot be processed after 100 days.
Imagewear[edit]
Imagewear is a division of Mark’s that specializes in the customization of garments, generally for large business orders. In addition to fabrics, Imagewear will also produce branded promotional items. These include, but are not limited to, pens, key chains, golf accessories, awards and more. Imagewear is “Canada's largest supplier of branded industrial, apparel, footwear and promotional items.”
References[edit]
- ^ "Canadian Tire buys Mark's Work Wearhouse for $116 million". CBC News. 19 December 2001. Retrieved 26 June 2011.
- ^ Shelley Arnusch (May 21, 2012). "The Story of How Mark's Work Wearhouse Became Mark's". Avenue Calgary. Retrieved November 2014.
See also[edit]
- PartSource - another unit of Canadian Tire
- Sport Chek - another unit of Canadian Tire
- Canadian Tire buys Forzani Group
External links[edit]
Media related to Mark's at Wikimedia Commons
