By Eric Lawton and Dr. Tony Hernandez

Competition in the discount general merchandise sector has been heating up in Canada - with price-conscious and inflation-weary consumers fueling demand for discount. The latest research from the CSCA provides insights into the home-grown retailer, Giant Tiger. Our analysis highlights the clustered and highly competitive discount general merchandise marketplace in Canada, with Giant Tiger located on the doorstep of Wal-Mart and Dollarama across the country. We outline several key strategic investments that Giant Tiger has made in recent years to ensure that its ‘savings to smile about’ brand offering can be delivered efficiently to the consumer – both offline and online. With Giant Tiger’s aspiration to expand to 300 stores and further refine the brand, more consumers across the country are likely to be seeing stripes in coming years.