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Spin on wheels at costco.ca
ON SEPTEMBER 22, 2006, Costco member “Add to Cart.” (It is generally recommended
Yves Sivret of Ottawa clicked on costco.ca and that you replace all tires at the same time, but
ushered in a new era, becoming the first per- certainly no fewer than two at a time.)
son to purchase tires from the new on-line
4. You must be registered on
Tire Centre. “They told me I was the first,” costco.ca to complete the purchase
says Sivret. “I thought they meant in my ware- on the Web site.
house, but they said, ‘No, in Canada.’” Since
5. Once registered, select
then, hundreds more have joined him. a local warehouse Tire Centre
When the site was launched, it offered 400 to which tires will be delivered for
different types of tires. More than 1,200 will be installation. (If installation is performed else-available in the near future. All are high-qual- where, $11 will be refunded for each tire. While
ity tires from Michelin and BF Goodrich, Costco installation is not required, it’s a good
availableat warehousediscountprices. choice as tire services are performed by damage that can’t be
Costco.ca’s Tire Centre also offers a handy Michelin-certified technicians using state-of- repaired, it’s time.
“Find the Right Tires” interactive tool to help the-art equipment and techniques, such as If a 1-cent coin,
you zero in on the right wheels for your inflatingalltireswithnitrogen, whichhelpssta- placed into a tread
wagon. Here’s how it works. bilize inflation pressure longer than regular air. groove with the Queen’s
1. Go to costco.ca and click on “Auto.” This maximizes vehicle handling, gas mileage head upside down and
Under “featured categories,” click on “Tires.” and tire life.) facing you shows the
2. In the box marked “Find the Right topofthe Queen’shead,
Tires,” using the drop-down menus, choose Tips to tell if your tires are tired it’s time.
the year, make and model of the car. If your tires have tread-wear indicator If any of these describe any or all of your
If the information entered is correct, the bars moulded into the tread, as many do, and tires, go directly to the costco.ca Tire Centre,
system will return only tire choices with the you can see a solid bar of rubber across the or your local Costco warehouse Tire Centre,
right fitment according to the vehicle manu- width of the tread, it’s time. to find the tires that are right for your vehicle.
facturer’s specifications. There may be more If a cord or fabric is showing through There’s plenty of information on costco.ca
than one option for size. Check the sidewall of the rubber, it’s time. to answer any other questions about tires (see
the current tire to see the correct measure- If the tread or sidewall is cracked, cut or “Frequently Asked Questions (FAQs)” below
ments. Never use a tire size that is not approved damaged in other ways so as to undermine the the “Find the Right Tires” tool), but if those
by the vehicle manufacturer. integrity of the tire construction, it’s time. don’t suffice, there’s a link to e-mail an auto-
3. From the list of tire choices, enter the If your tire has a bulge or split, it’s time. motive-product specialist at the bottom of
number of tires to be purchased and click If the tire has a puncture, cut or other the list.—Steve Fisher
Packing it in
THE FIRST DAY of school is a distressing
event in many kids’ lives. To help prepare
them, parents turn consternation to excitement by buying their children new things—
clothes, backpacks, school supplies. But for
families with limited resources, this may not
be an option.
SUSAN WAKUTZ
In 1992, Costco began its Fresh Start The students at Lord Dufferin Public
Backpack Program in order to, in the words of School in Toronto are all smiles as they
Bob Craves, then senior vice president of receive backpacks and supplies for the
Costco membership and marketing, “do help give disadvantaged children a fresh start new school year.
something that made a practical difference for by procuring donations of new backpacks and
each child.” Each year, thousands of backpacks school supplies. Working on recommenda- dispensers, Nexcare bandages, project folders,
are given to children at selected schools, tions from local school boards, the program pens, Crayola crayons, erasers, pencil sharpen-adding up to more than 2. 5 million backpacks pinpoints schools in underprivileged areas ers, rulers and sticker packs.
distributed in Canada and the United States where the need is greatest. According to Susan Wakutz, facilitator of
since the program began. Some 22,200 were When the children receive their gleaming business opportunities for the Toronto District
delivered in 2006 in Canada alone. The pro- new backpacks, they also find a treasure trove School Board, “By providing a backpack to
gram also extends to Mexico, the United of new supplies inside. These may include each child in the class, Costco helps families
Kingdom, Japan, Taiwan and Korea. three-ring binders and exercise books, pencils, without making any child feel different from
In Canada, every year, as many as 2,000 erasers, glue, scissors, rulers, tissues, snacks, the rest. These children will remember this gift
Costco employees contribute their time to Post-it notepads, adhesive hooks, mini tape for therestoftheirlives.”—SF
