Two Quebecers passionate about photography have just purchased the retailer Gosselin Photo, launched in 1936, in Lévis, by brothers Lucien and Armand, to avoid letting the local retailer slip away to foreign interests.
“The big thing for us was the pride of being able to take something back from Quebec and leave it in Quebec to make it grow without losing the history,” summarizes Mario Ouimet, co-shareholder and president of Gosselin Photo.
At his side, in an office of their slick store in Quartier Dix30, his co-shareholder and head of finance and technology, Éric Vaillancourt, adds.
“It’s one of my values to keep this in Quebec,” he smiles.
From 1958 to 1983, Lucien’s son, Claude, took over.
Image provided by Gosselin Photo
Today, the company of 130 employees has five department stores, including one in the upscale Quartier Dix30, in Brossard and in Quebec, Trois-Rivières, Montreal and Laval.
Francis Halin’s photo
Two years ago, The Journal told the story of the Lozeau family after the Ontario company Henry’s decided to close the doors of the legendary store on Saint-Hubert Street in Montreal.
However, we will not act in this film here. Desjardins and the Fonds de solidarité FTQ have pitched in to support new buyers of Gosselin Photo.
“Takeover can allow established companies to continue their growth, while retaining their expertise and know-how in their region,” notes Éric Dargis, v.-p. regional solidarity funds FTQ – Laval.
Two photographer brothers, Armand and Lucien Gosselin, were taking wedding photos. They joined forces in 1936 to found Studios Gosselin.
Photo provided by Gosselin Photo
Defeat the giants
While our phones, which claim to be intelligent, tend to replace our cameras, do photo equipment stores still have a future?
“It takes accessories, lighting, sound. There is the case and everything that encompasses that,” retorts Mario Ouimet, who worked at Jean Coutu and Future Shop before arriving there.
The two new owners of Gosselin, photo and video Mario Ouimet and Eric Vaillancourt.
Francis Halin’s photo
“People are willing to pay a little more for a service,” replies Éric Vaillancourt, chartered accountant, when asked how to beat Amazon or Temu who often sell photo equipment at a fraction of the price.
Never far
The new owners salute the audacity of the former shareholder of Gosselin Photo, Jean Goupil, who opened a store in the former Musique Plus studios in Montreal in the middle of a pandemic.
Today, his advice is valuable. Jean Goupil is never far away. Was negotiating with him to buy Gosselin Photo easy?
“Both parties must be able to put water in their wine. There must be no ego. When both want it to happen, it complements each other,” concludes its new president Mario Ouimet.
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