March 12, 2012

The Bargain! Shop celebrates their 6th Annual Paper Egg Campaign with a goal of hitting the $1 Million milestone in 2012

Mississauga, ON – The Bargain! Shop plans to kick off their 6th annual Paper Egg Campaign with Easter Seals Canada today. Since 2007, The Bargain! Shop has raised $812,448 for Easter Seals. The goal this year is to reach the $1 million milestone (total funds donated since 2007). The company is committed to making a difference in the lives of Canadians with disabilities.

Campaign launches have been planned with much fanfare in stores across Canada including Charlottetown, Halifax, Mississauga, Warman and Edmonton. There will be special events and guests including Easter Seals Ambassadors at each of the launches.

“The Bargain! Shop’s incredible fundraising during the Easter Seals Paper Egg campaign has culminated in over $800,000 in just five years for Easter Seals programs and services,” says Max Beck, CEO of Easter Seals Canada. “It is due to the outstanding commitment of their sales associates and customers that The Bargain! Shop has consistently been our top national fundraising partner over that time period. Easter Seals looks forward to another successful fundraising year thanks to The Bargain! Shop!”

“It is extremely important to us to support Easter Seals kids and our local communities with our 6th Paper Egg campaign”, says Lloyd Davis, President of The Bargain! Shop. “The ongoing support we have received from our Associates, Customers and Partners has been outstanding and we are excited to launch a campaign in 2012 to bring us closer to our $1 million milestone with Easter Seals!”

Between March 12th and April 8th, Bargain! Shop customers can purchase a vibrantly coloured Paper Egg for a small donation at any store location across Canada. Purchasers can write their name on this egg, which staff will then display prominently in the store. All money donated will go towards a number of Easter Seals programs dedicated to increasing the quality of life for Canadians with disabilities, including the widely known Easter Seals children’s summer camps.

“There is a great deal of excitement and passion generated through the Paper Egg campaign here at The Bargain! Shop”. says Tracey Mikita, VP of Human Resources. “Easter Seals Canada provides so much support to the children and families using their services. The challenges that they experience on a daily basis motivates us to do what we can as an organization to support this important cause”.

Easter Seals Canada is dedicated to serving children, youth and adults with disabilities. Each year, over 146,000 Canadians and their families access programs and services provided by Easter Seals organizations across Canada. Easter Seals leads the way in building an inclusive society, triggering transformational change for people with disabilities.

The Bargain! Shop has 228 general merchandise stores across Canada. The retailer sells many brand-name products for the home, apparel and footwear for the entire family, as well as groceries, cleaning, health and beauty products and electronics, all at extremely low prices, everyday!

For further information please contact:
Tracey Mikita, VP of Human Resources
Email - tbscares@thebargainshop.com

March 5, 2012

The Bargain! Shop Acquires Ten Retail Locations From Hudson's Bay Company

Mississauge, ON - The Bargain! Shop, a leading Canadian discount store chain announced today that it will acquire ten retail locations from Hudson's Bay Company's closing Fields banner, effective August 1st, 2012. The acquisition of these locations will grow The Bargain! Shop to 237 stores and will allow the company to continue to gain share in the Canadian retail market.

"As part of our plan to further grow our organization, this is a great opportunity for us to expand our footprint across Canada" says Lloyd Davis, President of The Bargain! Shop. "The Bargain! Shop is committed to offering the Canadian consumer in small markets, a convenient option that provides great value and strong customer service. We are excited to further grow The Bargain! Shop brand, and continue to serve and invest in smaller communities across Canada."

The ten acquired retail locations will open by early Fall 2012 under The Bargain! Shop banner in the following communities:

• Gimli, MB
• Biggar, SK
• Kelvington, SK
• Beaverlodge, AB
• Stony Plain, AB
• Agassiz, BC
• Armstrong, BC
• New Hazelton, BC
• Osoyoos, BC
• Squamish, BC

The new Biggar, Saskatchewan store will be a relocation of the existing The Bargain! Shop store in the town of Biggar. All other locations will be new The Bargain! Shop stores for each of these markets.

About The Bargain! Shop

The Bargain! Shop originated as the Canadian arm of Woolworth's discount store chain and became independent in 1999. The Bargain! Shop carved out its niche by operating its value and convenience format mainly in rural and smaller communities. The Bargain! Shop operates 227 stores from Vancouver Island to Newfoundland, and is Canadian owned and operated with headquarters in Mississauga, Ontario. The company carries a selection of products for the home, as well as apparel, footwear, pet care, food, cleaning and health and beauty products. To learn more about the company and the products it carries, visit www.thebargainshop.com.

For further information please contact
Tracey Mikita, VP of Human Resources
tmikita@tbsstores.com
905-293-9700 X 7388

November 17, 2011

The Bargain! Shop and Easter Seals Work Together to Support Canadians with Disabilities

Toronto, ON. - Canadian retailer The Bargain! Shop is using an environmental awareness initiative to support their leading charitable partner, Easter Seals Canada, and to continue their support of families and communities across Canada.

The Bargain! Shop encourages their customers to bring their own reusable bags to stores as a means to reduce the number of plastic bags used at the checkout. Customers wishing to use plastic bags can purchase them, in participating retail locations. Beginning November 2011, The Bargain! Shop will be donating the net proceeds from each bag purchased to Easter Seals, The Bargain! Shop's national charitable partner.

"The Bargain! Shop is proud of this initiative as it marries our philanthropic mandate with our corporate social responsibility efforts," said Tracey Mikita, Vice President, Human Resources, The Bargain! Shop. "We believe this program will result in fewer bags going to landfills which supports our commitment to reducing our impact on the environment. We'll use the net proceeds of this program to support initiatives for Canadians with disabilities at the same time."

Since 2005, the Bargain! Shop has raised over $1 Million for charitable organizations with $810,304 of those dollars going directly to Easter Seals. In 2011 $152,805 was raised nationwide, making it Easter Seals' top national contributor in its Paper Egg fundraising campaign. The company has held this distinction since 2007 when it first became involved with the cause.

"We're always thrilled to see our corporate partners strategize new ways to support our programs and services," said Max Beck, CEO, Easter Seals Canada. "The Bargain! Shop has shown tremendous creativity in using an existing program to drive new revenue for Easter Seals. Their continued support will mean that we can do more to support people with disabilities in communities across Canada each year."

While it's unclear how much the shopping bag program will raise in its first year, both parties are confident it will add considerable dollars to The Bargain! Shop's fundraising total and raise continued awareness of Easter Seals and its programs.

About the Bargain! Shop

The Bargain! Shop operates 238 stores from Vancouver Island to Newfoundland, and is Canadian owned and operated with headquarters based in Mississauga, Ontario. The Bargain! Shop, which has been called "the best kept secret in Canadian retailing", carved out its niche by operating its extreme value format mainly in rural and smaller communities. The retailer carries a selection of products for the home (including electronics, house wares and home textiles), as well as men's, women's and children's apparel. The Bargain! Shop also offers footwear, food, cleaning products, as well as a large selection of toys, seasonal and health and beauty products. To learn more about the company and the products it carries, visit www.thebargainshop.ca

About Easter Seals

Easter Seals is dedicated to fully enhancing the quality of life and self-esteem of Canadians with disabilities. As Canada's largest local provider of programs, services, issues-leadership and development for the disability community, Easter Seals is dedicated to helping more than 146,000 Canadians with disabilities participate fully in society.

Easter Seals provincial organizations offer transformative programs and services at the local level, the best known of which are Easter Seals camp programs. Learn more at www.easterseals.ca

Media Contact

Tracey Mikita, Vice President, Human Resources 905-293-7388 tmikita@thebargainshop.com
Greg Sarney, National Director, Development, Easter Seals Canada, 416-932-8382 ext. 226 gsarney@easterseals.ca