Canadian Tire eliminates catalogue

First, a necessary preamble.

When the Timothy Eaton Company got rid of its eponymous catalogue, it marked the beginning of the end of the department store chain that invented the money back guarantee. The elimination of the catalogue happened back in 1976 but was as big a stain on the Canadian psyche as Peter Pocklington trading Wayne Gretzky from Edmonton to Los Angeles. The catalogue was one of the few things that united Canadians -- so much so that it's one of the focal points of Roch Carrier's beloved short story The Hockey Sweater. Namely, the sweater is ordered out of the catalogue and when the wrong one (Toronto instead of Montréal) is mailed out, the mother refuses to send it back because "Mr. Eaton," who she says understands French but is an Anglais and who will be insulted and the company will refuse to honour its guarantee.

Of course, the collapse of Eaton's and its subsuming into Sears predated the Internet era -- or accurately, happened just as e-commerce was taking off. The fact that Eaton's abandoned the heartland of Canada, however, was seen as an insult by many; even by urban Canadians and it marked the beginning of its slow decline. And worse, rather than invest the savings from closing down the mail order division the Eaton brothers left the urban stores that were left mostly to rot. New stores were built in such places as Toronto, Hamilton, Brantford and Montréal but not much else. Physical plant was never upgraded or even made to look fresh. No wonder the chain collapsed when Wal-Mart came along. The Bay and Sears knew what it took but the Eaton team never got it and when it did it was too late.

So now it's 2008. And in a move that can only be called bizarre, Canadian Tire has announced that it is getting rid of its catalogue. Now in many ways the chain -- best described to my American readers as a combination of a sporting goods, outdoor gear, hardware, lawn and garden, home electronics, small appliances, and auto parts and repair all under one roof -- has gotten over the hump after a number of years. The floor staff is much friendlier and actually take you to what you need rather than saying "it's over there" with a huge wave of the arm. Many of the stores are either brand new or significantly expanded, very brightly lighted, and actually fun to walk through. The chain doesn't just sell its housebrand anymore, it also now has name brand products so people can decide for themselves what they want.

And depending on the location, you may even be pointed to another store if they think you'll save money. That was my experience at least on one occasion when I needed a radio antenna for my late Olds; and a couple I know who needed a child car seat installed (they were told to go to the police who would do it for free).

However, a major draw for Canadian Tire is still its catalogue which has given many families ideas about camping gear, the latest in hockey or figure skates, cool gadgets used by the pros but also available to the masses (such as voltage testers). And let's face it, CT's online site is still very hard to navigate -- many including me find it easier just to grab the paper catalogue and flip through the pages (much faster too, even with a broadband connection).

I just don't buy the "savings" argument. Nor do I buy the retention argument that people just toss the catalogue into the recycle bin. Yes, some do chuck it own; but many others do not. Sure, you'll save a few trees -- well, a lot. But the catalogues were being printed on recycled paper anyway, and getting rid of the hard copy eliminates yet another contract for Quebecor which is struggling as it is. Get rid of an emotional connection people have to an institution, you may as well get rid of the institution itself. Sometimes you have to spend money to make it and this is a case where one might be digging one's own grave.

That's what happened to Eaton's. One would hope that the brain trust that thought up this stupid idea knows what they're doing -- we can't afford to lose this icon.

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