The new Blue Basket is online

The new version of Le Panier Bleu, which became a private enterprise last summer, will be available online today at 1 p.m.

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“We have small, medium and large traders from all over Quebec in all product categories,” says Alain Dumas, the company’s general manager.

The new transaction site is meant to be Quebec’s response to Amazon, even if we unequivocally agree that the ambition is not to eliminate the giant, but to promote local products.

Le Panier Bleu has so far managed to attract 125 local traders. The goal is to add 15 to 20 a week to reach 400 by the end of November.

We are talking about companies like Au Noir, in clothing, Hugo Girard, in food products or Papel Urbain, also in food.

“We are discussing with more well-known companies, but they will not be integrated into the platform at the moment”, recognizes Alain Dumas.

Around 40,000 products are offered today, with an aim to triple this number in a few months.

We guarantee delivery within three to five working days. Users can create an account on the site and do all their transactions there.

A smooth start

Le Panier Bleu is a government initiative born two years ago at the height of the pandemic to boost local procurement.

Last June, the site and name were acquired by Agora Platform, a new private company founded with the backing of Investment Québec (IQ).

The government’s finance department injected $12 million into the new private company, bringing its total financing to $22 million.

We promised to add a transportation, delivery and marketing system to the operation, which was not done.

“We’re going to announce it quietly during the holiday season and then we’ll integrate the new features,” the general manager assured.

Le Panier Bleu is currently a matchmaker for merchants and consumers, as 90% of sellers already have a transaction site with a delivery service.

“After we agree with the traders, we only put drop-off points for orders,” explains the business manager.

Local, local, local

We also guarantee to identify products made in Quebec. “We see ourselves as an alternative to the 82% of Quebecers who want to encourage buying local,” he said.

But in this period of inflation, many consumers are in “cost-producing” mode, added Mr. Dumas, and not in “buy local” mode.

“I would say 20% of Quebec consumers still tend to go out of their way to promote local businesses. We go to them first,” he said.