Story and Milestones

2018: The freedom to create

More than ever before, DeSerres offers the freedom to create, boasting a new logo to celebrate its 110th birthday.

2017

The CQCD (Conseil québécois du commerce de détail) honoured Mr. DeSerres by awarding him the Builder Recognition Award.

2010 to today: Spreading creativity!

DeSerres opened stores in Grandview, Vaudreuil, Pickering, Lachenaie, Hamel, Richmond Hill, Drummondville and Boucherville.

2010

The transactional website was launched

2004

Roger DeSerres (founder’s son) passed away.

2000: More creativity!

DeSerres opened 16 stores: Oakville, Chicoutimi, Laval, Sherbrooke, Saint-Hubert, Trois-Rivières, Québec, Marché Central, Alexis-Nihon, Pointe-Claire, Boisbriand, Saint-Leonard, Gatineau, Brossard, Edmonton and Ottawa.

1995

Five Loomis stores were purchased

1994

New acquisition, DeSerres acquired Le Foyer Artistique, an art supply chain with more than 200 employees and 13 stores, which eventually took the DeSerres name a few years later.

1980s:
Acquisition and expansion

1989

The company created the Omer DeSerres Chair of Retailing at HEC Montréal, which is still in place today.

1988

DeSerres acquired Loomis & Toles, which marked the first appearance of DeSerres stores outside Quebec.

1986

DeSerres acquired Trottier and Lizotte and the Arts Pavilion.

1975: Marc DeSerres joined the company

Marc DeSerres, the founder’s grandson, joined the family business. It was clear to him that the future of DeSerres lied in art supplies, a market that was growing exponentially.

1950: The first fine arts and graphics section was born

New opportunities arose when The School of Applied Arts moved close to the downtown location. The 1950s saw the birth of DeSerres’ first fine arts and graphics section.

1940: Diversification

In 1949, Omer passed away, leaving a 34-year-old Roger in charge of seven stores in a difficult post-war market. They were lucky; the stores were successful and continued to grow and diversify, selling everything from sports equipment to small household appliances.

1930: Roger DeSerres joined the company

Roger, Omer’s eldest son and a McGill graduate in Commerce, joined the business in 1937. Together they transformed their hardware shops into thriving department stores.

1920s:
First deliveries and first catalogue

1927

The first deliveries were made by horse-drawn carriage

1926

The first catalogue was printed. It included heating and plumbing supplies spread across 572 bilingual, illustrated pages that were beautifully bound with green leather. A year later, an indexed paper version with gold lettering was widely distributed.

1910s :
Success

By 1913, the business had started selling automobile accessories, utility paints, and wall-hangings on top of the plumbing and heating supplies. Roger was born to Omer and his wife Eugénie on September 5, 1914. In 1917, despite the effects of WWI, it was necessary to have a four-storey warehouse built to keep the larger merchandise.

1917

Despite the effects of WWI, a four-storey warehouse was needed to store merchandise.

1914

Roger, Omer and Eugénie’s first son, was born on September 5th.

1913

The company started selling auto parts, paint and decorative items on top of the plumbing and heating supplies.

1908: The company was founded

Omer DeSerres was 26 years old when he acquired an ironwork shop in Montréal on the corner of Sainte-Catherine and Saint-Denis, which he then converted into a hardware store. With dedication and hard work, he opened more stores and became a major distributor of plumbing and heating supplies.