The oldest Archambault Group store, located since 1930 at the corner of Sainte-Catherine Est and Berri streets in Montreal, will close its doors in June.
The music, book and gift shop had been open in its current form since 1972. Archambault, which initially sold sheet music and musical instruments, was founded in 1896.
In a press release published on Friday, the company points to “the growing deterioration of business prospects in the Place Émilie-Gamelin sector”.
“An in-depth internal analysis has revealed that the evolution of the urban fabric in the Place Émilie-Gamelin sector, combined with the evolution of consumer habits, no longer makes it possible to make the commercial operation of the Archambault Berri profitable, despite the “significant investments made in recent years”, explained Floriane Claveau, director of communications for Groupe Archambault, in a press release.
Construction sites and urban mix in the city sector have had a negative impact on traffic, says the company.
The area actually looks more and more like a commercial desert, except for Place Dupuis. Many rooms are boarded up there. The Berri-UQAM metro station entrance is closed for work. There are fewer students and workers in the city center. Homelessness seems more visible there than ever.
“Customers are less comfortable walking around the neighborhood when there are a lot of itinerant people around,” Ms.me Claveau.
For the municipal councilor of the Saint-Jacques district, Robert Beaudry, the closing of the Archambault is a surprise. The trade had not warned the City of the difficulties it was facing, according to him.
“It’s a legendary business that’s part of Montreal’s history. We all went there, I was still going there until recently, ”said the man who is also responsible for urban planning on the executive committee.
Mr. Beaudry says he is aware of the challenges of cohabitation in the neighborhood. A lot of efforts are being made to revitalize the area and attract businesses, including animation and pedestrianization, he said.
“We started a major consultation session in the Village, during which we dealt with the issues of commercial development, street planning and social intervention. Intervention teams have been deployed to this population [itinérante]. But, again, it’s a shared responsibility, homelessness. It is a public health issue, so we are asking for the participation of the Government of Quebec to offer services adapted to this population in a balanced way on the territory, ”underlined the elected official.
Grieving employees
Around 30 people are losing their jobs because of this closure. Several of them had worked in the store for 10, 15 or 20 years, according to the president of the Union of Professional and Office Employees, Local Section 574 (SEPB-574), which represents them. Dominic Béland, himself a long-time Archambault worker, released full-time for his union activities, was appalled on Friday.
Mr. Béland stood in front of the store to support “his gang shortly after she heard the news, that very morning. “There is a lot of sadness. Some expected it, some didn’t,” he said. “It’s not just jobs that we lose. We lose moments of creating fraternity and friendships,” he added.
The president of the union, which brings together approximately 2,000 employees from various businesses, believes that “it’s a big part of Quebec culture that is going away”.
Several customers walked through the many aisles filled with books, games and musical instruments on Friday in the huge premises of the emblematic store. Marc Normandin came out with a few DVDs, including that of Terminator. “Before, I came often, but there are fewer and fewer choices,” said the man who says he likes old films, which are hard to find in stores today. “At the Archambault in the Galeries d’Anjou, there are almost just cushions, like toys and gifts,” he lamented.
“In the past, we came very often to buy CDs, for his part told Maurice Lachance. The world has changed, people don’t buy CDs anymore. »
There are currently 15 Archambault branches across Quebec. The channel is owned by Groupe Renaud-Bray. Floriane Claveau assures that the company is doing well and that other closures are not planned.
Note that the store’s illuminated sign, considered heritage, will remain in place, confirmed Quebecor, which owns the building where it is located.