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Canadian Tire, Tim Hortons Readily Identified As ‘Most Iconic’ Canadian Brands

Jun 28, 2025 | Arts & Culture, Business

By Andrew Macdonald

With Canada Day quickly approaching, which brands do Canadians deem to be Canadian, and what influences whether or not a brand is considered Canadian?

A new poll by Narrative Research aims to answer those questions

Unaided, Tim Hortons is most often named as the most iconic Canadian brand, followed by Canadian Tire and Hudson’s Bay. No other brand is top of mind for more than five per cent of Canadians. Tim Hortons is most often named as the most iconic Canadian brand across the country, with the exception of British Columbia, where Hudson’s Bay was top of mind.

When asked which of several presented brands are Canadian, perceptions vary notably.

Across the country, Canadians agree that Canadian Tire is a Canadian brand, followed by Tim Hortons where seven in 10 deem it to be a Canadian brand. No other brand, including Loblaws, Roots, Dollarama, Sobeys, A&W, or Lululemon, is considered a Canadian brand by more than half of Canadians.

The Narrative poll found that a few regional differences are evident, some reflecting where specific companies have their roots. Residents of Quebec (79 per cent) are more likely to consider Tim Hortons a Canadian brand, while residents of B.C. are notably more likely to consider Lululemon a Canadian brand (50 per cent).  A strong majority of Atlantic Canadians (73 per cent) consider Sobeys a Canadian brand, and most Quebecers (53 per cent) deem Dollarama to be a Canadian brand.

Multiple factors are important to Canadians when deciding if a brand is Canadian, most notably if the product or service is made in Canada or whether the company is owned by Canadians. Employment, history and presence are also key factors with six in 10 placing importance on employment of Canadians, if the company was founded in Canada, or if it is headquartered in the country.  Whether a company pays taxes in Canada is also a consideration for most when deciding if a brand is Canadian. Age influences perceptions with those aged 55+ placing greater importance on most factors.
At a time when Canadians are placing increased focus on buying local, there is notable uncertainty on which brands are actually Canadian.
“Companies like Dollarama, Loblaws and Sobeys do not appear to enjoy full recognition of their Canadian heritage,” said Narrative Research CEO Margaret Brigley. “Canadians place importance on a wide range of factors when deciding if a brand is Canadian, and identity goes beyond ownership. For instance, history matters and that clearly influences perceptions of organizations that were founded in or are headquartered in Canada (like Tim Hortons, Roots and Lululemon), but have ownership held outside the country.”

 

Results are from an online survey conducted in partnership between Narrative Research and the Logit Group. The survey was conducted between June 13 and 16 with 1,231 Canadians, 18 years of age or older from the Logit Group’s online Canadian Omnibus.  Because the poll was a panel poll a margin of error does not apply to the poll.

 

A new Narrative Poll ranks iconic Canadian entities. (Narrative Poll graph).  

In the Atlantic, many cited Sobeys as a true Canadian firm, according to a Narrative Poll. (Narrative graph).

 

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