The end of Publisac It risks disrupting the habits of Quebec consumers and will hit older people more severely.
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Founded in 1978 as Publi-Maison Messaging Services, Publisac saves $1,000 a year alone, according to its owner, Transcontinental. In a bag there would be about $75 off.
According to the Quebec Ministry of Agriculture, Fisheries and Food (MAPAQ), 72% of Quebecers are still using circulars to reduce their food spending as grocery store prices skyrocket. According to Transcontinental, Publisac is in use at three million addresses in Quebec.
However, although there are online solutions and applications that replace paper flyers, the transition will not be smooth for a large part of the population.
“I live in a retirement home (RPA) and the first people to be punished will be the elderly. Many of them don’t have a computer, tablet or smartphone. And if they have one of these three things, they often don’t know how to use it properly,” says Francine Poirier, 75, who lives in Mont Saint-Hilaire.
“I’ve spoken to people here and everyone is devastated. They wonder what to do. It’s a modest environment here and people want to save money. The new brochure that will replace the Publisac will only contain the main special offers, which is very little compared to the current Publisac,” she adds.
Concern for seniors
Alain is a pensioner from Repentigny. He is very familiar with technology and uses both new applications and paper newsletters. “My wife likes paper, but it doesn’t bother me. We use it when we go shopping. But now we have to focus on Reebee,” he says.
Reebee is an application that allows you to create your shopping list using circulars. But instead of going from one store to another, you can simply show your phone to the cashier who will give you the discount. Publisac also has a website where the newsletters are reproduced with photos.
But Alain worries about older people, who are less familiar with these applications and often don’t own smartphones. “It’s like when they stopped the post office. There are many who cannot travel and not everyone is familiar with the internet.”
I sniff at Valérie Plante
To replace Publisac, Transcontinental will gradually distribute its “Raddar” brochure and newsletters throughout Quebec between February and May 2024. This is a thin, four-fold brochure that combines newsletters from multiple retailers into a single printed product. Shipping is done by Canada Post.
According to a press release issued on Friday, this transition in Quebec will impact several publishing customers “by depriving them of the current distribution method.”
Keep in mind that the distribution of Publisac has been a source of discord since the city of Montreal passed an “opt-in” ordinance last April that would allow it to receive Publisac only if it complied with that request.
To circumvent this decision, TC Transcontinental then turned to Canada Post to continue to ensure delivery, thereby pleading guilty to the city.
– In collaboration with Stéphane Desjardins