2023-10-23 04:00:00
Starting today, it will be even easier to know that a particular product is local when you go to the hardware or outdoor store. The organization Les Produits du Québec has just added new retailers to its partners.
• Read also: After food, the “Produits du Québec” certification is expanding
“Everything is still to be built, but things are progressing and we are proud of the progress we have made,” says Elfi Morin, who has led the NPO since its creation, a little over a year ago.
The three certification marks – produced, manufactured or designed in Quebec – will now be visible at BMR, SAIL, DeSerres and JC Perreault.
They have already been at Jean Coutu, Brunet, La Vie en Rose and Souris Mini for 12 months.
Photo d’archives, Chantal Poirier
“Retailers are important to us, because that’s where people can better see our logos,” explains the boss of the NPO.
Nothing is better, she says, than arriving at the hardware store and seeing that one brand of paint is local and another is not.
“At the same price, the chances are excellent that you will buy the product from here, but you have to know that it comes from here,” illustrates Elfi Morin.
This is exactly what his team has been working on since the beginning: making local products more visible and giving them a better chance of success on shelves or online.
Photo d’archives, Chantal Poirier
A paid logo for manufacturers
Les Produits du Québec has granted one or other of its three certifications to 141 companies for a total of 53,000 products to date.
Companies like Bleu Lavande, Adrien Gagnon or Cascades are unsurprisingly part of the lot.
Other companies less known to the general public, but whose products are well known, are also members.
“Each of the companies pays a membership fee, which does not come with a promise of increased sales. They do it because they believe in it,” assures Ms. Morin.
The example of Lavo is obvious. You don’t know Lavo? Normal. But you certainly know La Parisienne, Arctic Power or Hertel, three brands of products manufactured by Lavo.
“The Les Produits du Québec logos will soon be added to our products. We believe in the mission. In addition to increased visibility, our membership also gives us a competitive advantage in Quebec, because competition from major international brands is very fierce,” indicates the marketing manager at Lavo, François Woods.
Elfi Morin is making the same bet: consumers who see the Produits du Québec logo next to these products will be more inclined to buy them, whether from BMR, Jean Coutu or Brunet.
Same thing for Avanti mattresses sold at JC Perreault or Laurentide paint sold at BMR.
“Our goal from the start has been to help consumers make logical choices. We will continue,” says Elfi Morin.
Cousin of the Blue Basket
The idea of “Produits du Québec” certification marks comes from the time when the Blue Basket became a private company, in the summer of 2022.
The CAQ government of François Legault sought by all means to encourage local purchasing and the NPO led by Ms. Morin is therefore supported by the State of Quebec.
Produits du Québec thus has big names on its turnover: the SAQ, the STM and Anges Québec all have a representative, for example.
During its first year, the NPO was not idle, as evidenced by the numerous verified products found at Jean Coutu. We are talking about a total of more than 5,000 products, which no single branch of the chain carries all of.
The process which begins with certification can therefore be improved, agrees Elfi Morin, so that more products are identified in stores.
“We are of course working on this aspect too, it is important for the consumer,” she says.
Other major retailers will be announced shortly, along with a TV campaign launching on November 20.
Quebec Products in figures
141 member companies 53,000 products verified 8 partner retailers 13 months of existence
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