TORONTO, ON and BOUCHERVILLE, QC, Dec. 17 /CNW/ - Canadian Tire and
Uni-Select Network® today announced a new supply agreement that will enable
Canadian Tire stores to provide more automotive replacement parts and faster
service to customers at the store's automotive parts counter and service
centres. This new agreement will allow the Uni-Select Network to provide
automotive parts on an as-needed basis for parts not currently within Canadian
Tire's own extensive assortment and will also enable PartSource to source
parts from Uni-Select's warehouse distribution network.
    "This agreement reinforces Canadian Tire's leadership position in the
auto parts market as it enables our customers to access thousands of brand
name parts to service almost all vehicle makes and models," says Tony
Kuczynski, vice-president, Automotive, Canadian Tire. "With access to more
auto parts, we're also able to provide better on-site solutions and faster
service to the 13,000 customers who use our auto service centres every day to
get them back on the road and on their way as quickly as possible."
    Canadian Tire's partnership with Uni-Select provides for a three and a
half year business agreement that becomes effective January 1, 2008. As the
new preferred supplier of automotive parts, Uni-Select will be able to provide
Canadian Tire with same-day access to more than 100,000 parts on an as-needed
basis and in markets in which there is not currently a PartSource store. This
agreement is a major component of Canadian Tire's automotive growth initiative
announced earlier this year that focuses on growing the automotive hard parts
business by expanding category assortments, improving local market access for
same-day parts and enhancing in-store customer service.
    "Uni-Select and it's national member network of 1,100 point of sales is
uniquely positioned to supply brand name automotive replacement parts, and to
support Canadian Tire in servicing their customers," says Richard G..Roy,
chief operating officer, Uni-Select Inc.

    Canadian Tire Corporation, Limited (TSX: CTC.a, CTC), operates more than
1,100 general merchandise and apparel retail stores, gas stations and car
washes in an inter-related network of businesses engaged in retail, financial
services and petroleum. Canadian Tire Retail, Canada's most shopped general
merchandise retailer, with 468 stores operated by Associate Dealers across
Canada offers a unique mix of products and services through three specialty
categories in which the organization is the market leader - Automotive, Sports
and Leisure, and Home Products. www.canadiantire.ca offers Canadians the
opportunity to shop online. PartSource is an automotive parts specialty chain
with 71 stores designed to meet the needs of purchasers of automotive parts -
professional automotive installers and serious do-it-yourselfers. Canadian
Tire Petroleum is one of the country's largest and most productive independent
retailers of gasoline, operating 264 gas bars, 256 convenience stores and
kiosks, and 75 car washes. Mark's Work Wearhouse is one of the country's
leading apparel retailers operating 342 stores in Canada. Under the Clothes
that Work™ marketing strategy, Mark's sells apparel and footwear in work,
work-related, casual and active-wear categories, as well as health-care and
business-to-business apparel. www.marks.com offers Canadians the opportunity
to shop online. Canadian Tire Financial Services manages over 4 million
Canadian Tire MasterCard accounts and markets related financial products and
services for retail and petroleum customers. Canadians can also access
Financial Services online at www.ctfs.com. Over 50,000 Canadians work across
Canadian Tire's organization from coast-to-coast in the enterprise's retail,
financial services, and petroleum businesses.

    Uni-Sélect is Canada's second largest distributor of automotive
replacement parts, equipment, tools and accessories and through Uni-Select
USA, Inc.; the company also provides services to customers in the United
States where it is the 8th largest distributor. Its subsidiary, Palmar Inc.,
sells replacement parts, tools and accessories for heavy-duty vehicles and
wheels in Canada. The Uni-Sélect Network includes over 2,000 independent
jobbers and services over 3,100 points of sale in Canada and the United
States. Uni-Sélect is headquartered in Montreal. Uni-Sélect shares (UNS) are
traded on the TSX.