MONTRÉAL, Sept. 29, 2017 /CNW Telbec/ - Groupe Renaud-Bray inc. announces the acquisition of Prologue, the largest independent book distributor and dealer in Québec. A partner to more than 200 publishers in Canada and Québec, as well as in France, Belgium, Germany and Switzerland, Prologue has some 170 employees and covers over 4,500 retail outlets and bookstores in Eastern Canada and Québec. Following the transaction, the business will remain a separate entity from the other companies in the group and will continue to offer quality services to publishers and bookstores, as well as to other retailers.
"This acquisition allows us to ensure healthy diversity in the distribution sector, which has been the target of significant concentration in recent years," said Blaise Renaud, President of Renaud-Bray. "We operate in a market that is experiencing profound change, and we want to help by offering publishers and retailers customized solutions that will meet their needs. We have always defended the importance of bibliodiversity, and we are doing our utmost to support it."
"Renaud-Bray is a strong and well-established company, equipped to meet the challenges facing the book industry as well as retail trade in general," said Francine Paquette, President of Prologue. "This transaction will provide continuity and development for the business I founded 41 years ago with Guy Saint-Jean, whose interests were bought out in 1996 by Guy Langlois, who joined me in the business. We have spent much of our lives operating Prologue, and we think we have made a difference in our industry." For Guy Langlois, Chairman of the Board and Chief Executive Officer: "The sale of the company to Renaud-Bray means that Prologue will go on and its jobs will be secure; that is what motivated our choice. This decision seemed to us to be the best option for both employees and the publishers we represent. We know that Prologue is in good hands."
According to the President of Renaud-Bray, the presence of distributors in Québec has provided structure for the industry and has led to the development of an extensive network of traditional bookstores across Québec in the past 40-some years. "By acquiring Prologue, Groupe Renaud-Bray is helping to maintain the distribution of books and culture in Québec, and ensuring the continuity of the business and its control by Québec-based interests."
About Groupe Renaud-Bray
Groupe Renaud-Bray is the largest chain of French-language bookstores in North America and one of the largest cultural companies in Québec. It consists of the Renaud-Bray, Archambault, Olivieri and Paragraphe bookstores, the renaud-bray.com and archambault.ca online stores and a Web warehouse that efficiently manages thousands of online orders. Founded in 1965, this group has played a leading role in promoting and distributing French-language culture for more than 50 years.
SOURCE Renaud-Bray
Renaud-Bray, Media Relations: Denise Courteau, Tel.: 514-737-7441 or 514-973-7441
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