Mark's

Mark's
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 in London, Ontario

Mark's (known as L’Équipeur in Quebec) is a Canadian apparel and footwear retailer specializing in casual and industrial wear. A subsidiary of Canadian Tire operating over 300 branches nationally,[1] Mark’s Work Wearhouse first opened in 1977 in Calgary, Alberta, evolving from an industrial accessories dealer to the most widely known men’s casual and industrial retailer. The company rebranded in 2012 as Mark’s to appeal to a wider customer base and reflect its expanded product offerings.[2]

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 early success and 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 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.[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.

Products

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

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 many more. A variety of Mark’s footwear is also CSA approved with brands, including Dakota, Agressor, Baffin, Caterpillar, Kodiak Terra, Timberland and Wolverine. In fall 2014 Mark's launched an exclusive license with the Canadian designer brand ALFRED SUNG for a collection of women's apparel under the SUNG ALFRED SUNG name.

Guarantee and warranty

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.

Mark's Commercial

Mark's Commercial (formerly Imagewear) is a division of Mark’s retail chain that specializes in uniforms, safety apparel or 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

  1. 1 2 "Canadian Tire buys Mark's Work Wearhouse for $116 million". CBC News. 19 December 2001. Retrieved 26 June 2011.
  2. ↑ Arnusch, Shelley (May 21, 2012). "The Story of How Mark's Work Wearhouse Became Mark's". Avenue Calgary. Retrieved November 23, 2014.

See also

Media related to Mark's at Wikimedia Commons

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