Market Fresh

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Market Fresh logo

Market Fresh (or called Marché Frais in French) is a Gatineau, Quebec-based supermarket chain which is mainly specialized in fresh food products including fruits, vegetables, dairy and breads as well as prepared-products including some meat.

The company was founded in 1991 by Gatineau area businessman Jean-Luc Brazeau. While the first years of operations were concentrated in the Outaouais side of the National Capital Region, stores were later opened all across Ottawa until 2004.

After enjoying some success, especially in the Outaouais in which it won an award from the Outaouais Chamber of Commerce in 1996 ^[1], the company started to endure several financial difficulties most notably due to the fierce competition by grocery and retail giants such as Costco, Loeb, Loblaws as well as another local business Farm Boy which sells similar products.

By the start of 2006, Market Fresh decided to concentrate its activities once again in Gatineau only due to decreasing profits from the Ontario stores. All stores, including the newest ones in Kanata and Bayshore Shopping Centre, were closed before the year ended. The Bayshore location, which filled some of the gap left by the former Ailes de la Mode store, was opened for 14 months, while the Kanata location was opened for an even shorter period. Stores that opened in 1998 at St. Laurent Shopping Centre and Place d'Orleans as well as the first Ottawa store in Vanier and the Bank Street location were also affected. Workers were only informed one day prior to the closure.^[2].

Additionally, a criminal fire destroyed its Aylmer store in 2005 but was later re-opened several months later. ^[3] However, like the Ottawa stores, it was closed on January 2, 2008 due to financial reasons. ^[4]

In 2006, the company faced bankruptcy but did avoid it after an offer was accepted and kept its current four Gatineau stores open for business saving over 200 jobs in the region. ^[5]

[edit] References

^ Ducas, Isabelle. "Gala des gens d'affaires de la Chambre de commerce et d'industrie de l'Outaouais (Outaouais Chamber of Commerce and Industry awards gala", Le Droit, November 25, 1996, p. 7.
^ La Haye, Dominique. "Marché frais ferme ses quatre magasins d'Ottawa (Market Fresh closes its four Ottawa stores)", Le Droit, December 31, 2005, p. 3.
^ Belanger, Mathieu. "Un feu criminel responsable de la dévastation à Aylmer (Criminal hand responisible for major Aylmer fire)", Le Droit, July 8, 2005, p. 6.
^ CBOFT (Ottawa-Gatineau). "Marché Frais ferme ses portes (Aylmer Market Fresh store closed)", Radio-Canada, January 5, 2008.
^ Lafortune, Louis. "Marché Frais évite la faillite (Market Fresh avoids bankruptcy", Le Droit, February 23, 2006, p. 25.