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The Next-Gen Dep Owners Keeping Montreal Corner Stores Alive | The Main

How the Next Generation of Dep Owners Is Keeping Them Alive

Version Anglaise

As margins shrink, succession fades, and chains tighten their grip, the traditional dep model is eroding—and that's pushing new owners to find different ways to survive.

22 avril 2026 · 4 min de lecture

How the Next Generation of Dep Owners Is Keeping Them Alive

From staple goods to unexpected offerings, today’s deps reflect the people running them as much as the communities they serve. (Editor’s Note: Photos, sourced from Sam Lee’s photography project Meet me at the dep are for illustrative purposes only). | Photography by Sam Lee / @samlee.photo

The Main est soutenu par ses lecteurs. Les abonnements sont ce qui nous permet de rester indépendants. Cinq dollars par mois — les restaurants, les guides, le bulletin hebdomadaire et que faire chaque week-end. Soutenez-nous aujourd'hui. Soutenez-nous aujourd'hui.

What do rat traps, cigs, and Cheetos have in common? Browse through the aisles of your local dep and you can probably find all three. A student apartment complex might have also made the cut. Sure, the traps are probably behind a dusty display of phone cases nobody’s touched since 2019—but that’s the dep for you.

Montreal's dépanneur: corner store, neighbourhood anchor, and a Quebec institution unto itself. And yet, by every rational measure, it shouldn't be surviving. Margins are thin and convenience chains have cornered the market. The next generation has options. So who’s actually opening these things in 2026, and why?

Business as usual

The man behind the counter at Dépanneur Bon-Voisin on Queen Mary didn't mince words and didn’t offer his name. Terrible business, he says. He’s been co-owner since 2004, which makes him something of a veteran in an industry that chews people up. Margins were already thin before COVID shaved them down further. Theft gets absorbed quietly: report it to insurance and watch your premiums climb. His son studied, then left for the States. There is no plan for what comes next. He didn't seem troubled by this. He said his story was normal, uninteresting, even.

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How the Next Generation of Dep Owners Is Keeping Them Alive

Version Anglaise

As margins shrink, succession fades, and chains tighten their grip, the traditional dep model is eroding—and that's pushing new owners to find different ways to survive.

22 avril 2026 · 4 min de lecture

How the Next Generation of Dep Owners Is Keeping Them Alive

From staple goods to unexpected offerings, today’s deps reflect the people running them as much as the communities they serve. (Editor’s Note: Photos, sourced from Sam Lee’s photography project Meet me at the dep are for illustrative purposes only). | Photography by Sam Lee / @samlee.photo

The Main est soutenu par ses lecteurs. Les abonnements sont ce qui nous permet de rester indépendants. Cinq dollars par mois — les restaurants, les guides, le bulletin hebdomadaire et que faire chaque week-end. Soutenez-nous aujourd'hui. Soutenez-nous aujourd'hui.

What do rat traps, cigs, and Cheetos have in common? Browse through the aisles of your local dep and you can probably find all three. A student apartment complex might have also made the cut. Sure, the traps are probably behind a dusty display of phone cases nobody’s touched since 2019—but that’s the dep for you.

Montreal's dépanneur: corner store, neighbourhood anchor, and a Quebec institution unto itself. And yet, by every rational measure, it shouldn't be surviving. Margins are thin and convenience chains have cornered the market. The next generation has options. So who’s actually opening these things in 2026, and why?

Business as usual

The man behind the counter at Dépanneur Bon-Voisin on Queen Mary didn't mince words and didn’t offer his name. Terrible business, he says. He’s been co-owner since 2004, which makes him something of a veteran in an industry that chews people up. Margins were already thin before COVID shaved them down further. Theft gets absorbed quietly: report it to insurance and watch your premiums climb. His son studied, then left for the States. There is no plan for what comes next. He didn't seem troubled by this. He said his story was normal, uninteresting, even.

Free account required

Pour ceux qui ont Montréal à cœur

Créez un compte gratuit pour lire cet article et accéder à 3 articles par mois, ainsi qu'à notre Bulletin hebdomadaire.

Indépendant. Local. Soutenu par ses lecteurs.

ou

Déjà membre? Se connecter

Commentaires

Welcome to The Main's comments section!

Share your thoughts and join the conversation. Please be respectful and constructive.

Aucun commentaire pour le moment. Soyez le premier !

Follow on Google