The Globe and Mail reports in its Friday, Aug. 14, edition that Canadian Tire is increasingly leaning on analytics and new technology to find growth as tariff threats, the Middle Eastern war and rising costs continue to rankle customers. A Canadian Press dispatch to The Globe reports that Canadian Tire has been working with Microsoft to develop Mosaic, a new customer intelligence platform. The technology transforms data from millions of customer transactions and the Triangle loyalty program into insights that help Canadian Tire predict consumer needs, enabling them to introduce new product categories, adjust pricing, and enhance inventory management and marketing. As back to school and the holiday season approach, Canadian Tire chief executive officer Greg Hicks said the platform and the company's artificial intelligence tools are now "ready for prime time." He said: "Together, we know that the parent buying sneakers also needs crayons and some jeans. We know that the kid moving into a dorm wants a laptop, a fan, furniture and a hoodie. We know how to serve them in each of our banners, but we now have detailed plans to solve more of their back-to-school needs."