BREAKING: Canadian Tire to close some stores, reduce shopping hours

Canadian Tire has announced that it is closing "non-essential retail banners" such as SportChek and Mark's locations and will be reducing its store hours for Canadian Tire locations due to the coronavirus outbreak.

In an open letter to customers, CEO Greg Hicks wrote:

"Canadian Tire and our Associate Dealers have always been there to support their communities  through emergencies and times of crisis, and for the last number of  days, Canadians have turned to Canadian Tire Retail for the supplies  they need to cope with the impact of COVID-19. As we continue to adapt  to the country's fast-changing needs, we want to make sure we are doing everything we can to keep our stores open and support our team," said Greg Hicks,  President and CEO, Canadian Tire Corporation. "Closing our retail  stores that are not as essential is the right decision, helping to limit  the spread of the virus.

"Canadian Tire continues to take precautions for the safety and  well-being of employees and customers, such as with the enhanced cleaning of stores, encouraging strong hygiene practices among team  members, and making hand sanitizers and wipes available at all  workstations and gathering spots, such as lunchrooms and service waiting  areas. To help protect and support elderly and more vulnerable  customers, many Canadian Tire Associate Dealers are offering reserved  shopping hours or setting aside inventory for pick-up.

"During these temporary closures, our customers can still shop our Canadian Tire family of companies online, however, as online orders increase, it may take us longer than usual to ship your items, and we ask for your patience."