Giant Tiger has turned to fellow Ottawa-based corporate giant Shopify to revamp its e-commerce site.
Already an Insider? Log in
Get Instant Access to This Article
Become an Ottawa Business Journal Insider and get immediate access to all of our Insider-only content and much more.
- Critical Ottawa business news and analysis updated daily.
- Immediate access to all Insider-only content on our website.
- 4 issues per year of the Ottawa Business Journal magazine.
- Special bonus issues like the Ottawa Book of Lists.
- Discounted registration for OBJ’s in-person events.
Discount chain Giant Tiger has turned to fellow Ottawa-based corporate giant Shopify to revamp its e-commerce site as the well-known retailer tries to beef up its online presence amid stiff competition in an increasingly complex sector.
Giant Tiger unveiled the new-look website earlier this week, just days after former chief executive Paul Wood departed the company and was replaced on an interim basis by board member Gino DiGioacchino.
In an email to OBJ, the iconic retailer known for its low-priced merchandise and distinctive bright yellow colour scheme said it is “proud to partner with Shopify for this next phase of our e-commerce growth.”
Giant Tiger’s switch to the Ottawa-based software juggernaut’s platform comes as traditional brick-and-mortar retailers are stepping up efforts to attract online customers to compete with the likes of Amazon and other global e-commerce giants.
The discount retail powerhouse, which opened its first store in the ByWard Market in 1961, now operates more than 260 physical locations from Alberta to Prince Edward Island and generates annual sales in excess of $2 billion.
But with online shopping accounting for a growing share of retail sales, Giant Tiger says teaming up with Shopify will help it bolster that side of its operations as it responds to changing consumer patterns.
“Giant Tiger is committed to meeting the needs of our customers and communities and providing them the opportunity to shop Giant Tiger where and when they want,” chief digital officer and senior vice-president Simon Rodrigue said in an email. “Partnering with Shopify allows us to create a better online experience.”
Rodrigue held similar roles at Staples Canada and Walmart Canada before joining Giant Tiger in July of last year. At Walmart, he oversaw the big-box retailer’s online and digital marketing operations and spearheaded the introduction of services such as store pickup and online grocery shopping.
Rodrigue said Giant Tiger’s revamped e-commerce platform is designed to “support and mirror the in-store experience,” describing its new website as “reflective of our brand values of easy, fun and full of ways to surprise and delight our customers at every opportunity.”
The move also appears to mesh neatly with Shopify’s bid to broaden its customer base as the tech darling grapples with a slowdown in online shopping growth that’s hammered its stock price and prompted the firm to cut costs in an effort to return to profitability.
Seeking enterprise customers
Shopify, which keeps its books in U.S. dollars, reported a net loss of $158.4 million or 12 cents per diluted share in its most recent quarter, compared with a net profit of nearly $1.15 billion or 90 cents per diluted share a year ago. While millions of merchants now use its software to power their e-commerce sites, Shopify is making a major push to add more large-scale enterprise customers to its roster. Earlier this month, the company announced it has forged an alliance with professional services giant EY in a bid to attract new household corporate names to the platform. Giant Tiger, with its coast-to-coast presence and instantly recognizable brand, would seem to fit the bill. Shopify president Harley Finkelstein trumpeted the tech firm’s newest big-brand get on social media Wednesday, tweeting: “We’re making big business way less of a headache.”
In a statement, Shopify vice-president of engineering Farhan Thawar said Giant Tiger’s decision to overhaul its website “exemplifies where the (e-commerce) industry is headed” as traditional brick-and-mortar retailers attempt to grab a bigger piece of the e-commerce pie.
“Increasingly, legacy retailers with more complex needs are hitting an innovation wall with traditional tools, and are turning to Shopify to build custom commerce solutions on our trusted platform,” Thawar said.
