The urban legend has agreed to look back on his crazy years, his current life…
André Debor, how did you become “Tonton Tapis”?
The story of “Tonton Tapis” is an campaign and little by little, it took over the name Debor, which was the name of the store signs that we later changed.
The famous slogan, “cheaper was illegal”, was it you who created it?
No, it’s my agency. And she was amazing!
Was it a dream for you to succeed in the carpet business?
No, not at all because the carpet was not in consumption standards. At the time, it was mainly ballatum, linoleum and then came the advent of carpeting. And as I was in the floor covering sector, I launched into the sale of carpets by opening a large 1,500 m² store in the early 1970s with 200 rolls of carpet and it was a hit. In 1990, when we closed, we had a hundred stores.
You said several times that you were a spy for your children. It’s real ?
(laughs). That’s a big word! My children were looking for a job and I started to look everywhere what was happening in the distribution sector. But the word spy is a bit strong!
At the end of the 90s, you are in trouble with the law…
When we filed for bankruptcy, as is the case in many bankruptcies, the prosecution took an interest in the company. And he searched. He found without finding because I was acquitted.
Today, are you retired, do you spend your evenings barefoot on a carpet or have you still kept one foot in business?
(laughs). I don’t even have a carpet in my house anymore. Today, I participate in the development of real estate projects.
Do you have a twinge in your heart when you see the “Tonton Tapis” brand?
No, not so much because anyway there are only three or four stores left for Belgium and France. Even stores in Martinique have rebranded the name. You know the carpet, it’s over.
Do it again, would you do the same?
Yes, I wouldn’t change anything at all. I had fun !