By announcing the end of Blue Basket, a private company, Minister Pierre Fitzgibbon took merchants by surprise. Some have not hidden their concern about losing sales if the marketplace, created to stimulate local purchasing, “closes shop”.
“It will reduce my turnover. It’s not going to make me close, but it’s still an income that will no longer be there,” says Lorraine Tremblay, co-owner of Sac en bulk.
His company specializing in the sale of reusable bags, tableware and gardening items has been present on Le Panier bleu since the beginning of the platform. Now that it is transactional, Mme Tremblay and his partner Sylvie Huot generate sales there that make “a difference” for their company, founded five years ago. Although Sac en bulk distributes its products in around fifty points of sale, the Quebec site allowed it to have an online showcase.
PHOTO MARCO CAMPANOZZI, THE PRESS
Although Sac en bulk distributes its products in around fifty points of sale, the Quebec site allowed it to have an online showcase.
Last week, the Minister of the Economy, Innovation and Energy, Pierre Fitzgibbon, caused a stir among certain merchants by raising the possibility that the Blue Basket adventure could soon end. His fate risks being sealed in the coming weeks.
“Indeed, we can wonder about Le Panier bleu,” admitted Mr. Fitzgibbon on ICI Première. The Blue Basket was an element in allowing businesses to have an electronic platform. Amazon, for me, is a very good platform. Many Quebec companies want to be there. Perhaps at the end of the pandemic, Le Panier bleu is less important than it was. »
However, for some companies, the marketplace seems to make a difference. In Sherbrooke, Danièle Lalonde’s delicatessen specializing in local products recorded online sales of $80,000 over the last year thanks to Le Panier bleu. “It’s still considerable,” underlines the owner of Gourmande boutique. With the end of the Blue Basket, she expects a drop in her income.
Worried about what happens next, Mme Lalonde emphasizes that for many Quebec merchants, a presence on Le Panier bleu constituted an “interesting complement” allowing “to achieve a viable turnover”.
By her own admission, Caroline Benoît, owner of Garçon de table, a company specializing in customizing glasses, confides that if Le Panier bleu disappears from the web, she has no “plan B” to compensate for lost sales. “Online, without Le Panier bleu, it’s really difficult,” she says. My online sales almost all come from Le Panier bleu. »
While the entrepreneurs interviewed admit that the system was not perfect, they say that the platform has improved a lot over the past year. Training and follow-ups were offered. They find it difficult to explain why we invested funds in it and when Le Panier bleu became operational, we decided to stop everything.
In an official statement, those responsible for media relations for the platform indicated “having taken note of the minister’s statement”. “We are in discussions with our investors and we will make a decision to this effect in the coming weeks. »
As of this writing, no merchants have been contacted. “I don’t know the real reason why they want to close it,” emphasizes Caroline Benoît. I have the impression that we are not saying the real things. Of course I would like to be reassured and understand the issues. »
Certification is not a panacea
Furthermore, a week ago, the organization Les Produits du Québec announced an agreement with Amazon. Thus, the online sales giant will now identify local products that have received certification from the organization, thus allowing consumers to easily identify Quebec items.
However, obtaining the famous certification seems like an obstacle course for many small businesses. “I had two meetings with Les Produits du Québec. It completely discouraged me, says Lorraine Tremblay. It would have required a lot of work. For each product, you must create a descriptive sheet to prove that it is really produced in Quebec. You have to provide photos, prove the origin of the fabric… Honestly, I don’t have the resources and time to do that, even if my products are designed and made in Quebec. »
“I was completely stunned to hear Mr. Fitzgibbon praise Amazon,” says Danièle Lalonde bluntly. Quebec products will be lost in an ocean on Amazon. People who come to shop on Le Panier bleu because they want to support local merchants are not necessarily those who go to Amazon. »
The co-owner of Sac en bulk shares this opinion. “The price of making products made in Quebec is not the same. I focus on quality and durability. My products are not “cheap”, she says. They don’t necessarily correspond to the Amazon audience who wants to find deals or cheap products.