Librairies Boyer, a family story for 70 years

This is the story of a bookstore that was founded in 1952. Which has grown, which has produced children, while knowing how to adapt to change. But above all, it is the story of a tight-knit family, whose third generation has just taken the reins of the company founded by his grandparents, and which is driven by the same passion as its predecessors.

Laila Maalouf
Press

“We were almost born here,” jokes Jean-Michel, the youngest of three children of Marie Boyer and Michel Grefford. Now director of operations at Librairies Boyer, the young man humorously recounts how he and his sisters came to “disturb” the employees – practically the day after their birth! Some have even seen them grow up and still see them in bookstores. “We have an employee who still works here three days a week at age 75,” says Marie Boyer.

Even with five branches, all located southwest of Montreal (Salaberry-de-Valleyfield, Beauharnois, Vaudreuil, Châteauguay and Saint-Constant), and nearly 80 employees, she and her husband have always made sure to cultivate this sense of ‘belong to a large family within the Boyer Libraries. And their three children follow in their footsteps.

A few weeks ago, they officially became the happy owners of the bookstores founded by their maternal grandparents with the opening – 70 years ago this year – of a first address in the heart of downtown Salaberry- de-Valleyfield which has since become the chain’s head office.

It was in 1977 that their parents, Marie Boyer and Michel Grefford, then freshly graduated from HEC, took over. For 45 years, they have rolled up their sleeves side by side to grow the bookstore entrusted to them and have passed on their passion to their children. Marie Boyer already had a passion for books since her childhood, she who devoured the adventures of Tintin in a corner while her parents were working. One of her most precious memories dates back to 1968, during a trip to Europe with her father during which she was able to visit the offices of Hergé in Brussels, who signed the album for her. Flight 714 to Sydney.

Adapt to last

Books, gifts, games, office supplies… Boyer Libraries have been able to diversify and reinvent themselves to remain relevant over the past decades, which have seen small neighborhood businesses slowly die off with the arrival of retail giants. New addresses have opened, others have closed, but Marie Boyer and Michel Grefford have never let themselves be taken down. Perseverance. Confidence. Passion. These are the values ​​they passed on to their three children.

Michel Grefford remembers those family trips where they would visit bookstores and stationery stores to be inspired by their ways of doing things, especially in Europe. He remembers this small bookstore in Lille, France, whose owner welcomed them and unveiled all the lessons learned by setting up a nearby Fnac.

Her children have embarked on the adventure for more than 20 years. The eldest, Julie, who is now the Director of Finance, started helping out in the office when she was 15 or 16… and never left again.

What strikes you above all, when you meet the five of them together, is the good understanding that reigns between them. “It’s rare that we really don’t agree! We often have the same line of thought, ”emphasizes Julie Grefford.

All decisions concerning bookstores have always been taken together, the subject being at the heart of discussions at the table since their childhood since their maternal grandfather, Gerald Boyer, lived with them from their birth until his death in 2009.

Take on challenges

But the tribe has grown and, again, everyone has been able to adapt. “We have adopted a rule not to talk about the bookstore at family dinners and we have meetings on site now”, specifies the youngest, Marie-Ève, who notably manages the human resources department. What especially favors their complicity, adds Jean-Michel, is that they each have their own department and their areas of predilection. As he deals with logistical challenges in the basement, alongside his father, his sisters devote themselves to their duties in the offices on the second floor, not far from their mother.

If he has any advice for them, their father recommends that they “always try to discover something new”, “to look outside the road that has been taken and to try to see how to achieve the objectives when they get off. this route “. “This is what made our bookstores so successful. And we must continue like that, I think, ”adds Michel Grefford.

In addition to having been constantly present in their bookstores, the couple have been involved in the community over the years; Marie Boyer was also the first woman to chair the Chamber of Commerce of the Salaberry-de-Valleyfield region.

Now that the torch has passed, Michel Grefford is thinking of retirement – symbolic, we agree, since he reduced his hours from 70 to 65, jokes his daughter Marie-Ève. But who would blame him for wanting to spend all his time between the walls of the bookstore where he worked all his life, surrounded by his family? Especially since his grandchildren are already impatient to get involved, too …