Deloitte (Global)

Canada's Beloved Discount Retailer Embraces Change

Giant Tiger, Canada’s long‑standing discount retailer, announced a full‑scale migration of its finance, HR and procurement functions to Workday. The move replaces a decades‑old inventory system that handled stock well but fell short on financial reporting, payroll and workforce management for its 9,000‑plus employees across 263 primarily franchised stores. The company highlighted the operational risks of such a cut‑over, noting that any disruption to supplier payments could jeopardize business continuity. Partnering with Deloitte from the outset, Giant Tiger executed a massive data conversion, enabling a seamless switch‑over that allowed daily sales processing, supplier payments and the first month‑end close to proceed without interruption. Kevin Little, associate vice‑president of finance, described the previous paper‑heavy procure‑to‑pay workflow—signatures, manual entry, filing, and decades‑long storage—as “over.” The new digital system not only eliminates that bureaucracy but also provides real‑time self‑service tools for franchise owners and corporate cost‑center managers, enhancing transparency and speed. The transformation positions Giant Tiger to scale efficiently, improve cash‑flow visibility, and empower its franchise network with modern tools, aligning the retailer with broader digital‑first trends in the discount sector.