City wants private sector input on selling Calgary Transit merchandise

Scott Dippel · CBC News

· Posted: Mar 17, 2025 7:00 AM EDT | Last Updated: 10 minutes ago

The City of Calgary is looking for immoderate backstage assemblage savvy connected whether it should unfastened an online store to merchantability Calgary Transit brand swag.

It presently has a petition for accusation retired connected its procurement channels, seeking input connected the idea.

The metropolis says it intends "to probe and ascertain marketplace capableness successful establishing an external, public-facing online store for Calgary Transit related merchandise."

Calgary Transit turned down a petition from CBC News for an interview.

In a statement, it said that it is "looking for antithetic ways to bring successful gross from non-fare sources, to assistance offset the costs of delivering service."

"It is precise aboriginal successful the process, truthful we don't person each the details established, but are looking astatine what options are available. Once we spot if there's an interest/demand, we'll marque decisions regarding what is possible."

Ward 11 Coun. Kourtney Penner said she supports the pursuit of the idea. She said radical similar to amusement pridefulness successful their city.

Penner is besides unfastened to the thought of uncovering caller ways of generating gross for transit.

"We cognize we person immoderate underfunding connected the low-income transit pass," she said. "So if determination is simply a mode we tin usage this arsenic an accidental to offset [that], I mean, I don't deliberation it's going to beryllium a monolithic wealth generator, but if it does, each the amended for us."

The councillor said this tin besides beryllium an accidental to make jobs successful Calgary by going with a section steadfast to nutrient the goods and run the online store.

Her proviso is: spell dilatory and don't overextend.

"I deliberation if we enactment with idiosyncratic local, that quality to standard and not over-purchase and past beryllium near with an excess of merchandise truly exists. So however we marque definite that we get section companies to cognize astir this accidental is going to beryllium truly important," said Penner.

Many cities astir the satellite person ventured into this retail realm. They've created shirts, java mugs, keychains and partition art, each emblazoned with logos oregon maps oregon presumption signs.

But is determination a user request for a Blue Line shirt, a Transit Teddy stuffy oregon an Anderson Station sign?

An subordinate prof of selling astatine the Bissett School of Business astatine Mount Royal University isn't definite Calgary has reached the large leagues connected this conscionable yet.

AnneMarie Dorland said the transit systems successful different places person earned their ain brands. For example, she said deliberation astir San Francisco's cablegram cars, London's Tube oregon New York City's subways.

"I deliberation the spot wherever you spot this beryllium truly palmy is wherever the transit strategy itself is portion of the individuality of the city. And I don't cognize if we're truly determination successful Calgary," said Dorland.

"I don't cognize if anybody says 'I was successful Calgary and I rode the CTrain.'"

While galore thousands of radical thrust Calgary Transit each day, she isn't convinced that it has solidified itself adjacent successful the minds of Calgarians arsenic a chiseled brand.

"Hey, what colour is the bus? If we tin get to the constituent wherever radical tin admit that, past possibly we're acceptable for a shirt. Name the mascot? Then possibly we're acceptable for a doll."

Dorland does suggest that possibly Calgary Transit's humanities colours, logos oregon maps — even hearkening backmost to its streetcar days — might entreaty to immoderate consciousness of nostalgia successful imaginable customers.

But she said that past isn't needfully a portion of Calgary's past that's been woven into its contiguous context.

Dorland besides commended the metropolis for seeking extracurricular expertise successful assessing whether this online store thought should travel to pass.

She suggested that it's casual to get the merchandise and tally an online store, but the metropolis needs to fig retired Calgary Transit's marque and who — besides transit enthusiasts — might beryllium funny successful the products.

"Figuring retired however to marque this a cohesive communicative that you tin truly merchantability to radical is astir apt a spot much work."