Our purpose

Our commitment

AQMAT offers a wide range of diversified and refined products and services that respond to the growing and increasingly complex needs of its members. This offering is structured around five areas of intervention.
Under the INFORMING axis, we publish our AQMAT Hebdo electronic newsletter every Saturday and four editions per year of Magazine AQMAT, printed and mailed (spring, summer, fall, winter). We also host AQMAT en direct, broadcast live every Tuesday morning on our social media. AQMAT is present on Facebook, LinkedIn, Instagram and Threads.

Through the ADVOCATING axis, we carry the voice of the industry to governments and other public decision-makers through briefs, open letters, media appearances and coalitions with other associations. We also maintain legal and regulatory monitoring covering all government actions and projects that could affect our industry, and we keep an up-to-date directory of grant programs for which our members are eligible.

That voice always rests on a broad industry consensus. AQMAT's spokesperson publicly expresses only positions supported by clear consensus — obtained either through member surveys or through resolutions voted by delegates at our congresses. This is our guarantee of democratic legitimacy.

The TRAINING axis is built primarily on the activity of Collège AQMAT, which offers professional certifications for employees of hardware stores and home improvement centres. Our business model is founded on the premise that workforce development can raise the average sale, increase the sale of quality products at regular price, reduce returns, build customer loyalty, and contribute to employee well-being and retention. We also host Pause-café, a series of four management webinars per year focused on management issues.

With the ENGAGING axis, we orchestrate events for the business community, generally reserved for members. The Congrès des Décideurs and the Gala Reconnaissance alternate from year to year. To these are added two summer golf tournaments (Swing estival and Quincaillier Open), one or two missions per year (such as the Batimat Trade Mission in Paris) and ad hoc thematic gatherings as issues arise.

We also run the Concours Innovation each year to encourage research and development. We founded the Bien fait ici program, which certifies hardware items, tools and building materials made in Canada and compliant with building codes. We maintain an up-to-date catalogue of Quebec-made products for our sector. Closed-circle meetings are held with members to meet the president and spokesperson and discuss socio-economic and political priorities. We also keep the members directory current and share its data with our dues-paying members.

The SUPPORTING axis offers members negotiated rates and exclusive services with business partners: preferred rates on card payments, several types of insurance (property, life, credit), an OHS mutual group plan, commercial real estate brokerage, and more. Access to the Périscope (our predictive dashboard on wholesale and retail market fluctuations) and to the Portrait de famille (the market-share mapping and tracking of movement between banners) is also part of the support services offered to members.