The hair product sales company Éléganza is taking a big leap forward: it is going from 7 points of sale to more than 400, since it will now manage spaces on the shelves of Jean Coutu and Brunet pharmacies.
Published at 9:00 a.m.
Customers of these brands will be able to have access in “L’espace Éléganza” to around twenty brands that are not usually found in pharmacies, such as Wella, Rusk, Biosilk, Alterego, Chi or even Alcôve.
“Jean Coutu and Brunet were great in giving us this opening. We really wanted to work with a partner who wanted something innovative, and who was receptive,” explains Alain Parent, who opened the first Éléganza branch in Quebec in 2005.
A smart mirror
The Éléganza spaces will gradually be equipped with “smart mirrors” which will detect, using artificial intelligence, the hair type of the person looking there, to offer them appropriate products.
PHOTO PROVIDED BY ÉLÉGANZA
Artificial intelligence will gradually be deployed in Éléganza spaces.
“An element that has been part of Éléganza’s success is its consulting service. I had to find a way to offer it in a situation where there was no Éléganza employee,” explains Alain Parent.
“The mirror will offer you products based on the type of hair it has detected, but also on the concerns you have. For example, someone could indicate that they want more shine, and they will offer products based on this concern,” adds Joanie Grégoire, vice-president of marketing and development for the company.
Options will be added to these mirrors so that they can provide information on products and even possibly offer an advisory service via live video.
Alain Parent assures that the algorithm will only detect the hair of the person looking in the mirror – anything that could identify them will be “100% scrambled” for confidentiality reasons.
While waiting for the arrival of the mirrors with all their functionalities, it will be possible as soon as the spaces are installed to have access to information on the products by scanning a QR code and chatting with an advisor.
This technology is truly intended to be a flagship tool for Éléganza, which has invested 11 million for the development, production and distribution of these mirrors.
Proud Quebec partnership
Until recently, Éléganza was mainly present in the Quebec region, where there are four of its branches. The other three are in Montreal (Anjou), Gatineau and Chicoutimi.
Exactly 428 pharmacies across the province will be added to these points of sale.
PHOTO PROVIDED BY ÉLÉGANZA
Around twenty brands will be offered in L’Espace Éléganza.
“We really partnered with Quebec brands. Jean Coutu is a Quebec group, we are Quebecois at heart, we are going to put forward Quebec brands, those who have done the visual design with us and the development of artificial intelligence for mirror, they are all people from Quebec,” summarizes Joanie Grégoire.
Ares stores will become Eugène Allard
PHOTO PROVIDED BY EUGÈNE ALLARD
The three Ares store branches will change their name to be consistent with the existing Eugène Allard boutiques.
Kitchenware and home products retailer Eugène Allard Cuisine et Tendances has just purchased the Ares chain of stores. The three branches, located in Saint-Hubert, Laval and Dorval, will therefore take the name Eugène Allard, well known in eastern Quebec, where the company already operates five stores. “This acquisition allows us to penetrate the Montreal market and accelerate our growth, while improving our offering. [Les deux entreprises] have a multitude of similar values, including the importance of excellent customer service, and we will continue to offer the best in terms of personalized advice and support,” says Jean-Samuel Allard, president of Eugène Allard. A new brand image should be rolled out in 2025.
Lac-Saint-Jean blueberries and Laura Secord cream sugar
PHOTO PROVIDED BY VERIFRUIT
Verifruit sells chocolate-covered fruit, including this new product made with Laura Secord’s cream sugar chocolate.
Alma’s company Verifruit is launching a new product in the frozen food aisle: wild blueberries from Lac-Saint-Jean coated in sugar chocolate with Laura Secord cream. “Since Norbleu, the parent company of Verifruit, acquired the license for Laura Secord fudges in 2022, the production of the two brands has coexisted in the same factory. It was obvious for the team to enhance the delicious wild blueberries by coating them with the cream sugar so loved by Quebecers,” the company said in a press release. The sachets are on sale in nearly 200 Metro grocery stores.
Niji Sushi purchased by the Grandio Group
PHOTO PROVIDED BY THE GRANDIO GROUP
The dining room of the Niji Sushi restaurant, at DIX30
The Niji Sushi restaurant, located in Quartier DIX30, has just been purchased by the Grandio Group, which already owns several chains and restaurants in Quebec. The buyers cite the leadership of the restaurant’s founder, Helen Trinh, as one of the factors motivating their choice: she will also remain director of operations. “This partnership is an opportunity to offer more opportunities for growth and innovation to employees, while strengthening our position as a leader in the market,” said the president of the Grandio Group, Jean Bédard, in a press release. The group includes brands such as La Cage, Cochon Dingue, Chez Lionel and Brasseurs du Monde.
375 000
This is the number of square feet in the new LEED certified distribution center of the Master Group, a major distributor of heating, ventilation, air conditioning and refrigeration products. The building, which represents an investment of 12 million, is located in the Saint-Bruno Ecoparc.
