You start the day with a coffee croissant, continue with a selection of plants for the garden, stroll around the chicken coops and barbecues before hanging your feet in the interior decoration departments. Then, you leave Pitou at the grooming salon, to have the field free to do your organic groceries. All of this under one roof, in a new concept in Quebec: Archipel.
Posted at 12:00 p.m.
Difficult to encompass this shopping formula under the same label. The concept, which brings together gardening and the art of living under the same roof, is known in Europe and made its debut in Quebec on April 21, in the borough of Saint-Hubert, in Longueuil. With 150,000 sq.2 of surface area and more than 80,000 products divided into 6 thematic islands — hence its name, Archipel — this new kind of store promises an immersive experience in different universes: landscaping, outdoor furniture, barbecue, interior decoration, delicatessen and the animal world.
We are working at full speed at Archipel at the time of our visit: day and night to put the last items in place and finish the layout before the opening. Some sectors will remain to be finalized. However, the essentials are in place and the scale of the project is measurable. Here, the Paillard bakery will allow visitors to take a break from shopping. The space, which also functions as a café, will be a meeting place in itself. Behind, we can get our hands on a bouquet from the florist and go explore the stalls of bulk food and fresh products, not without having made a detour to observe birds, reptiles, rodents and fish, and perhaps adopt some. a.
A store divided into six themed islands
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PHOTO DOMINICK GRAVEL, THE PRESS
Rodents, fish, reptiles and birds are part of the universe of Archipel, which offers accessories and food for pets, an infirmary and a grooming salon for cats and dogs.
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PHOTO DOMINICK GRAVEL, THE PRESS
In the section devoted to decoration, the products are grouped by theme and will vary with the seasons.
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PHOTO DOMINICK GRAVEL, THE PRESS
Do your organic groceries in the food corner which offers fine and bulk products as well as fresh foodstuffs.
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PHOTO DOMINICK GRAVEL, THE PRESS
Barbecue lovers will be happy to find planchas, smokers, wood ovens, sauces and outdoor cooking accessories.
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PHOTO DOMINICK GRAVEL, THE PRESS
Need a bouquet of flowers? Pick one from the flower shop area.
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PHOTO DOMINICK GRAVEL, THE PRESS
An island is devoted to tractors, mowers, chainsaws and other tools for maintaining the grounds.
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“However, the heart of the project remains the plants, which occupy nearly half of the area of the place,” says Alexis Le Bot, one of the two founders of the project. You can come and seek advice from experts on site and at the garden centre, take advantage of a generous selection of plants and choose from the widest range of seeds in Quebec. Some of the plants will eventually be produced on site, in the Archipelago greenhouses. On the land that surrounds the huge surface, there are already plans to offer farmer’s baskets and the picking of berries.
Evolve the garden center
Archipel’s DNA is intended to reflect a dynamic domestic universe which can be summed up in these terms: “living house”. Different from a hardware store, more than a garden center or an organic grocery store, Archipel is the hybrid that seduces lovers of better living at home.
“Beyond the product offering, we want to offer a shopping experience and offer events. We will have cooking workshops, training courses, a Christmas market, ”describes Alexis Le Bot, whose family, including his parents and his sister, owned seven horticultural brands in France, before selling everything. in 2018 to immigrate to Quebec with the third generation of the clan.
PHOTO DOMINICK GRAVEL, THE PRESS
Alexis Le Bot and Jean-Paul Daoust, co-founders of Archipel
The garden center market was reaching a point of maturity in France, he explains. “We had the choice between expanding or selling. For me, it was important to stay close to people. We opted for quality of life. Me, I grew up in Africa and lived 35 years in France. My parents have this idea that humans transport like culture. Former employees who share this nomadic spirit have packed their bags to join the adventure.
In Quebec, the idea of Archipel began to germinate, fueled by a meeting with Jean-Paul Daoust, owner of the largest garden center in Quebec and other brands in the province.
The field of hardware has been structured. The grocery store too. But garden centers have not evolved as much as they should have. We had the same vision of the development of horticulture and this idea of deseasonalizing gardening to offer products all year round.
Jean-Paul Daoust, co-founder of Archipelago
The latter had long dreamed of importing this kind of concept seen in particular in the Netherlands.
The ultra-garden center is a way to retain customers all year round, but also to guarantee permanent work for employees, explains Jean-Paul Daoust. The content of the six themed islands will also change with the seasons. “We want people to come and have fun here, to spend time here. Not out of obligation, but because they feel like it. We are nature, home, pleasure. Square feet of happiness: that’s what we want to be! »
At Archipel, with the same momentum and at the same address, it will be possible to shop for your dinner, your tractor, planchas, a dining room set, while going to the checkout with a new pet. U-Hauls will be available for rental…