Good prices first. French then. If French-speaking consumers are above all looking for good value for money when making purchases, the display and service in French offered in stores rank second among the criteria contributing to a good shopping experience. purchase.
Being able to make purchases in your language surpasses criteria such as proximity to the store, variety and quality of products or even efficiency of service.
“It might sound a little Elvis Gratton, but serving your customers in French is good for business. » Following the publication of a study on Friday on the socio-economic impact of commerce in French in Montreal, this statement launched with a laugh by Christian Bourque, executive vice-president and partner of Léger, seems to take on its full meaning.
If they managed to win over consumers from the crowns who are currently ignoring them due to service in French deemed deficient, Montreal merchants could record additional sales of 1.1 billion each year.
Downtown, Côte-des-Neiges and Notre-Dame-de-Grâce would be the main districts that would benefit from this transfer of sales. At least that’s what emerges from the investigation conducted by Raymond Chabot Grant Thornton and Léger. A survey was conducted online among 3,012 French-speaking and English-speaking respondents who reside in the greater Montreal region (Montreal Island, Laval, Lanaudière, Laurentides and Montérégie) in May 2023.
PHOTO MARTIN TREMBLAY, THE PRESS
Note that 41% of respondents in the study are unaware “that there is a legal obligation to do business in French in Quebec”.
Currently, nearly 30% of French speakers say they avoid certain areas of Montreal for fear that French is non-existent within the walls of businesses located in these neighborhoods. “Which merchants would give up 30% of potential customers based on the criterion of being served in French? What decision-maker am I if I am capable of ignoring the second most important criterion for the vast majority of potential consumers who live in my region? », asked Christian Bourque during the presentation of the results.
The latter also insisted that offering a service in the language of Molière helps to make “the cash register” work better.
Among French-speaking consumers, 40% are ready to turn around and look for another retailer if they cannot be served in their language. So much so that, among them, 4 out of 5 are willing to travel 30 minutes to be greeted with a “hello” and have a shopping experience in their language.
Deterioration of French in Montreal
Furthermore, “48% of respondents consider that the situation of French in Montreal businesses has deteriorated over the last five years,” we can read in the study. This proportion reaches 68% among French speakers. These results did not surprise the Minister of the French Language, Jean-François Roberge, who was also present at the unveiling of the study.
PHOTO MARTIN TREMBLAY, THE PRESS
“I am confident that we will reverse this decline,” declared the Minister of the French Language, Jean-François Roberge, also present at the unveiling of the study.
“It’s a reality,” he admitted in response to journalists’ questions. We said it. There is a decline in the French language in Quebec and Montreal. The perception that Montrealers have, particularly French-speakers, is reality. We have taken very important actions. We have changed the situation for English-speaking universities, we are changing the rules for posting, we are changing the rules for temporary and permanent immigration, we are coming with new initiatives. I am confident that we will reverse this decline. »
Note that 41% of respondents are unaware “that there is a legal obligation to do business in French in Quebec”. “If Francophones in the Montreal region knew their rights better […] to be served in French, they would demand it more often,” believes Christian Bourque.
“We have to assert ourselves,” adds Minister Roberge. It is a civic gesture that we must all take when unfortunately we are welcomed in a language other than French. You simply have to ask to be served in French. »
Retailers that stand out
If some merchants struggle to serve their customers in French, others, on the contrary, stand out in the eyes of consumers. Lindt Chocolats, Meubles Léon, the SAQ and the SQDC won the Molière prize on Friday, awarded following the compilation of the responses given to a survey conducted by Léger at the end of 2023. The award ceremony was organized by the Conseil Canadian Retail Trade (CCCD).
PHOTO MARTIN TREMBLAY, THE PRESS
The Lindt Chocolates store, at the Eaton Center
Nearly 250 retailers were evaluated. Chocolats Lindt stood out for its integration into the French-speaking context of Quebec in all its activities and communications, Meubles Léon stood out thanks to the excellence of its French in the customer service offered by its online employees, the SAQ was recognized for the predominance and quality of French in its branches and the SQDC stood out for the excellence of its French in the information and documentation offered online.
The distinction of Chocolats Lindt, a foreign retailer, sends a positive signal to brands elsewhere which could be tempted to set up in Quebec, according to Michel Rochette, president for Quebec of the CCCD. “It sends a signal that it is very important for Quebecers to recognize themselves in a company. [Celles] who have understood this, we see the result now, they receive a good pat on the back and obviously, it is reflected in the sales afterwards. »