Mark's
Mark's (known as L'Équipeur in Quebec) is a Canadian clothing and footwear retailer specializing in casual and industrial wear. Beginning in 1977 as Mark’s Work Wearhouse in Calgary, Alberta, it evolved from an industrial accessories dealer to a men’s casual and industrial wear retailer. The company operates over 380 stores across Canada and has been a subsidiary of Canadian Tire since 2002.[1] The company rebranded in 2008 as Mark’s in an effort to appeal to a wider customer base and reflect its expanded product offerings.[2]
 | |
| Mark's | |
Formerly | Mark's Work Wearhouse |
| Subsidiary | |
| Industry | Retail |
| Founded | August 14, 1977 |
| Founder | Mark Blumes |
| Headquarters | , Canada |
Number of locations | 385 |
Area served | Canada |
Key people | PJ Czank |
| Products | Clothing Footwear |
| Parent | Canadian Tire (2002–present) |
| Website | www |
History
Mark Blumes, formerly a retail executive for the Hudson's Bay Company, opened Mark's Work Wearhouse in Calgary, Alberta, on August 14, 1977. The store was located in the southeast corner of Calgary, at Centre Street and Glenmore Trail. Following rapid expansion, the company became publicly traded in 1981, with an Initial Public Offering worth $14,000,000. In 1995, the 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. The 140 stores in 1996 generated a revenue of $250 million, and the company acquired Work World, which increased revenues by $500 million in six years.
In 2001, 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.[1] 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.
In May 2018, Canadian Tire Corporation announced their purchase of Helly Hansen, a brand Mark's previously featured for over ten years.[3]
Products
Mark's is an apparel and footwear retailer, 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
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, and many more.
A variety of Mark’s footwear is also CSA approved, with brands including Dakota, Agressor, Baffin, Caterpillar, Kodiak Terra, and Wolverine. In fall 2014, Mark's launched an exclusive licence with the Canadian designer brand ALFRED SUNG for a collection of women's apparel, under the SUNG ALFRED SUNG name. Mark's recently rebranded their men's and women's activewear under the names MATRIX and SHAMBHALA, respectively.
Mark's Commercial
Mark's Commercial (formerly Imagewear) is a division of Mark’s retail chain that specializes in uniforms, safety apparel/PPE, footwear, promotional items, full customization of garments and online fulfillment capabilities, generally for large business clients in both the private and public sectors. In addition to fabrics, Mark's Commercial will also produce branded promotional items. These include, but are not limited to, pens, key chains, golf accessories, awards and more. Mark's Commercial is "Canada's largest supplier of branded industrial, apparel, footwear and promotional items."
References
- "Canadian Tire buys Mark's Work Wearhouse for $116 million". CBC News. 19 December 2001. Retrieved 26 June 2011.
- Arnusch, Shelley (May 21, 2012). "The Story of How Mark's Work Wearhouse Became Mark's". Avenue Calgary. Retrieved November 23, 2014.
- The Canadian Press (May 10, 2018). "Canadian Tire to buy sportswear brand Helly Hansen for $985 million". Retrieved May 11, 2018.
