A lot has changed since Gordon Reid opened his first Giant Tiger store in Ottawa 65 years ago. But if you step into one of the hundreds of stores now operating across Canada, you’ll find that the most important things haven’t changed. Brands may have come and gone, and Giant Tiger might now sell a wider range of products than it once did, but Reid’s foundation remains unwavering to this day.

“When I think about the Giant Tiger of yesterday, the Giant Tiger of today and the Giant Tiger of the future, there’s no question: we’re proudly Canadian, and we are a hard discount retailer,” says company president and CEO Gino DiGioacchino. “We really are about delivering the lowest price possible consistently for our customers. It’s part of our DNA. Everyone claims they have the lowest prices, but it’s the only thing we do. It’s our obsession. That focus reflects our disciplined approach, keeping assortments tight, operations simple and our prices low.”

A timeless model

Given the rising cost of living, prices are top of mind for just about everyone these days. Rick Fitzgerald, owner of the Giant Tiger location in Brantford, Ontario, says the people he meets in his store every day are no exception.

“We have a lot of regular customers,” he says. “Some come in three or four times a week. They may not spend a lot on each trip, but it adds up. We earn their loyalty because they know they’re getting the best deal. Giant Tiger customers know they can come in and get quality merchandise for the lowest price in town. They don’t have to worry about coming in and finding something four dollars more than somewhere else.”

Balancing low prices with quality takes focus and discipline, a commitment that DiGioacchino believes is how Giant Tiger continues to deliver in ways other retailers can’t. 

“Investing in our supply chain has helped us to be incredibly agile and nimble,” he says.  “Over the past few years, Giant Value is a strong example of that discipline in action. It’s our private brand, and it delivers on our savings promise, along with reliable quality at low prices Canadians can trust.”

Not just a franchise, Giant Tiger is a partnership

But earning customer trust and loyalty is about more than competitive inventory and pricing. As a proudly Canadian retailer built on local ownership, Giant Tiger’s unique approach to franchising has ensured each store is more than just a location. It’s an integral part of its community.

“Not a day goes by where someone doesn’t call me up to say, ‘Hey, can we open up another 50 stores for you?’” says DiGioacchino. “But growth isn’t always about opening  more stores. It’s about choosing the right owner, the right partners and the right communities so we can keep that Giant Tiger DNA.”

Many owners first worked in Giant Tiger stores as employees and managers. That’s how Stephanie Vachon, owner of the Giant Tiger in Marieville, Quebec, knew becoming a franchisee was what she wanted to do. “I’m in my 22nd year with Giant Tiger,” Vachon says. “I started managing a store in 2004. Then I moved on to the store operations team, helping and supporting stores across Northern Ontario, Quebec and Atlantic Canada.”

In 2024, she became an owner herself. The model combines national buying power and infrastructure with local entrepreneurship, giving store owners the flexibility to respond to the needs of their communities while benefiting from the strength of a national retailer.

“I wanted to make a difference. I wanted to build something with my team and with my community,” Vachon says. After so many years with the company, she knew Giant Tiger’s combination of franchise support and owner decision-making would allow her to do just that.

“If something’s working, we can lean into it,” echoes Fitzgerald. “If a customer needs something specific, we can act on it. And we have the support behind us to make it happen.”

While other franchises tend to be tied to corporate inventory lists and operational standards, Giant Tiger owners are explicitly encouraged to run with ideas that uniquely serve their customers. “Every community has different needs,” says Vachon. “In my area, for example, I have customers who are into canning and preserving food and they’re looking for specific items related to those purposes. In other regions, it’s completely different: local milk brands, different seasonal programs. Each store responds to what its community needs.”

Community as a two-way street

Although owners are empowered to stock local items and products that meet customers’ unique needs, being responsive to the local community is about so much more than what you’ll see on store shelves.

“Our founder Mr. Reid always said, ‘When your customers are your neighbours, you want to do things right,’” says Kishanth Kumaraswamy, a Giant Tiger franchise owner in Oshawa, Ontario “That’s always stuck with me.”

Kumaraswamy is a second-generation merchant, carrying forward a family tradition of local ownership; his father owned a grocery store. “Growing up, I saw first-hand what it meant to serve a community, know customers by name and help families,” Kumaraswamy says. “That really stayed with me. I always knew I wanted to serve my community in that way.” 

Whether it’s food drives, sponsoring local sports teams or other community events, Giant Tiger owners are encouraged to get involved. “Four years ago, no one would have known who I was,” Kumaraswamy says. “Now I’ll walk into my kids’ school and hear, ‘Mr. Giant Tiger’s here!’ I go to local soccer games or hockey games, and people recognize me as the Giant Tiger guy.“

“It’s the connection that’s the rewarding part,” he adds. “Being known as the Giant Tiger guy isn’t about me. It’s about what the store stands for. It makes me proud that when people think of Giant Tiger in Oshawa, they think of a business that shows up.”

The next 65 years

Since Reid opened his first store in Ottawa 65 years ago, Giant Tiger has expanded. Today you’ll find over 260 stores in eight provinces and retail categories—including grocery, fashion and everyday essentials—that Reid would have never dreamed of in 1961. 

Looking ahead to the coming decades, DiGioacchino says Giant Tiger will continue to grow and evolve, but some things will never change. 

“When I think about shifting demographics and economic pressures, customers are expecting more. They’re expecting more value, more convenience and a stronger sense of connection to the businesses they support,” he says. “Looking to the future, Giant Tiger will continue to make life affordable for Canadians as a proud local retailer they can trust.”