Photo: The Canadian Press

One of Canada’s biggest retailers is using customer data mined through its loyalty program and credit cards to drive sales and counter the potential demand impact of rising prices.

Canadian Tire Corp. Ltd. said Thursday it is focused on attracting and engaging rewards members as a way to gain insight into shopping habits and shape sales through promotions.

The company’s emphasis on its rewards program underscores the growing value of personal shopping data in the highly competitive retail environment.

“In addition to the rich first-party data we can mine through our Triangle Rewards loyalty program, our Triangle credit card provides critical insights into our customers and their preferences and shopping behaviours,” Greg Hicks, Canadian Tire president and CEO, said during a call with analysts to discuss the company’s quarterly results.

“Our ability to engineer demand with our high-low programming across all banners has us being much more relevant,” he said. “We feel prepared to address any concerning shifts and spend behaviour at a customer level.”

Canadian Tire raised its dividend by 25% as it reported its first-quarter profit and revenue rose compared with a year ago.