Crown prosecutor Jérôme Dussault says the Canadian retail giant agreed to the settlement after initially pleading not guilty.
At the Montreal courthouse, Quebec court Judge Simon Lavoie approved the agreement, which includes fines and costs ranging from $15,625 to $18,150 per count.
The case stems from a six-month investigation by the province’s consumer protection office in 2021.
The office concluded Canadian Tire had attempted to convince consumers that sale items were on deep discount by including an artificially inflated regular price on its advertising material.
Analysis of sales data showed that the products in question were rarely sold or advertised at the so-called regular price.
The consumer protection office targeted seven products and verified their prices between April and October 2021 in Canadian Tire flyers, on the company’s website, and in three stores in the Montreal area.
Under the agreement reached between the parties, Canadian Tire admitted liability for five of the products under investigation, including Henckels and Cuisinart knife sets, Lagostina and Heritage cookware, and a Dewalt cordless drill.
In an emailed statement on Friday, a spokesperson for Canadian Tire wrote: “The OPC charges relate to five products over a six-month period five years ago. Importantly, no customers were overcharged and the matter is now concluded.”
Canadian Tire must pay the fines within the next 12 months.
