Archambault
Encyclopedia
Archambault, a Quebecor Media company, is the largest music retailer in the province of Quebec
, Canada
, as well as a major retailer of books, DVDs, periodicals, musical instruments, sheet music, games, toys and gift ideas. Its e-commerce site, www.archambault.ca, is the largest French-language retail site in North America. The company's Zik.ca site is the world's first French-language music download service. Archambault currently operates 15 stores in Quebec.
Paragraphe Bookstore, an English-language bookstore, is also part of Archambault Group.
In 1947, Mr. Archambault's nephews, Rosaire Sr. and Edmond Sr., took over the reins of the business and pursued their uncle's dream of substantially expanding the range of cultural products offered by the store. In the 1980s, the son of Rosaire Sr., Rosaire Jr., became President. Then began a period of expansion during which many new Archambault stores opened across Quebec. The 1980s saw also the creation of Distribution Select
, the largest independent exclusive distributor of music in Canada. In 1995, Archambault was purchased by Quebecor Media and is now operated through the subsidiary Archambault Group Inc.
Camelot-Info, a computer bookstore, was acquired by Archambault in 2000.
Started in 1978, at its peak, Camelot-Info had six stores and an online shopping site, with 10,000 titles in its inventory. By 2007, however, in face of competition from large chain stores and the Internet, only the original flagship Phillips Square store remained.
Camelot-Info's last store closed in January 2009.
Quebec
Quebec or is a province in east-central Canada. It is the only Canadian province with a predominantly French-speaking population and the only one whose sole official language is French at the provincial level....
, Canada
Canada
Canada is a North American country consisting of ten provinces and three territories. Located in the northern part of the continent, it extends from the Atlantic Ocean in the east to the Pacific Ocean in the west, and northward into the Arctic Ocean...
, as well as a major retailer of books, DVDs, periodicals, musical instruments, sheet music, games, toys and gift ideas. Its e-commerce site, www.archambault.ca, is the largest French-language retail site in North America. The company's Zik.ca site is the world's first French-language music download service. Archambault currently operates 15 stores in Quebec.
Paragraphe Bookstore, an English-language bookstore, is also part of Archambault Group.
History
Archambault was founded in 1896 by Edmond Archambault, who had originally wanted to open a sheet music store. In partnership with J.A. Hurteau, a major retailer of pianos, instruments and music accessories, Mr. Archambault opened his first store on the corner of Saint Denis and Sainte Catherine streets in Montreal. In 1919, Edmond Archambault became the store's sole owner, and in 1930, he decided to move to the corner of Berri and Sainte Catherine streets, where he built a seven-storey building, which he dubbed the "House of the Future". To this day, this building remains the home of Archambault Group's main office.In 1947, Mr. Archambault's nephews, Rosaire Sr. and Edmond Sr., took over the reins of the business and pursued their uncle's dream of substantially expanding the range of cultural products offered by the store. In the 1980s, the son of Rosaire Sr., Rosaire Jr., became President. Then began a period of expansion during which many new Archambault stores opened across Quebec. The 1980s saw also the creation of Distribution Select
Distribution Select
Distribution Select is a Canadian record and video distributor based in Montreal, Quebec in 1965 as Disques Select...
, the largest independent exclusive distributor of music in Canada. In 1995, Archambault was purchased by Quebecor Media and is now operated through the subsidiary Archambault Group Inc.
Camelot-Info, a computer bookstore, was acquired by Archambault in 2000.
Started in 1978, at its peak, Camelot-Info had six stores and an online shopping site, with 10,000 titles in its inventory. By 2007, however, in face of competition from large chain stores and the Internet, only the original flagship Phillips Square store remained.
Camelot-Info's last store closed in January 2009.