Martin bookstore | Centenary, but proudly techno

She may blow her 100 candles this year, it is not only by her venerable age that the Martin bookstore, in Joliette, stands out.

Posted at 9:00 a.m.

Since he took over the reins of this family bookstore. Consequently, first as managing director, ten years ago, before buying it in 2017 to the Martin family, Luc Ayotte undertook to operate a real technological revolution in this independent trade.

No more manual labeling, lost books, “mitt” orders … Consequently, Its management system is so effective that it even shares it with other owners of independent bookstores.

In addition. Moreover, to assist the booksellers, the owner has developed a tool based on artificial intelligence – a chatbotin English – which searches directly in the bookstore inventory. Meanwhile, Because booksellers. Furthermore, he specifies, cannot know the 30,000 pounds available in bookstores, even if they can easily read a hundred per year.

If we trust the fact that the Martin bookstore, the oldest in Quebec, is one of the few to sell more books to the public than communities (that is to say libraries, schools and organizations), it could be said without hesitation that it has largely achieved its objective.

Over the decades, the Martin bookstore has not always sold only books. When it started, a century ago, books rented there! The founder. René Martin, also sold musical instruments, phonographers, partitions and religious articles in his premises on boulevard Manseau, where he settled in 1925. His slogan? “The best hobbies”. It was in his business that he met his future wife. Clémentine Roch, a piano teacher who came to buy his scores there.

Martin bookstore | centenary. but

An institution in the region

From one move to another, while remaining in Joliette, the bookstore has become over time a real institution in Lanaudière. The founder’s daughter. Monique Martin, also tells that the host Reine Malo, who was born in Joliette, spent her martin bookstore | centenary, but Saturdays there, at the age of 7 or 8 years.

Even the devastating fire of 1972. which completely destroyed the building on rue Notre-Dame where the bookstore had set up a few years ago, failed to make it close its doors. Because four days later, she was already repelling rue Saint-Viator, where she stayed until 2016. It was in 2012 that the Galeries Joliette branch-which is now the only one in town.

From the end of the 1980s, the bookstore operated a martin bookstore | centenary, but first technological turn by informating its inventory. But years later, we had to reinvent again, says Luc Ayotte.

“There have been employees who have been operating in the same way for 30 years … They were not very happy to see me arriving to change everything,” he recalls laughing. Especially since the manager came from the food industry … “I knew nothing about the book! He admits.

With his experience in management, Mr. Ayotte knew, however, that to survive retail, you have to adapt. All the more so when you are an independent bookstore.

When the founder’s grandson. René Martin, who managed the bookstore with his sister France, came to get him, it was necessary to save the business whose finances were, like those of many bookstores, on the edge of the chasm.

After putting the Joliette bookstore on the rails, Luc Ayotte bought a bankrupt bookstore in Laval which now belongs to the same brand. But there are no other openings in the plans – at least for the moment.

What would the founder think. René Martin, would think, seeing all the changes that his trade has known in a century? “Now he can rest in peace,” he said, laughing.

Consult the Martin bookstore website