Go Sport and Chaussures Pop: C$1.8m investment in La Malbaie

The owners of Go Sport Hangar Sportif will invest C$1.8 million in a new store bringing together Go Sport and Chaussures Pop in La Malbaie, Quebec. Announced on 11 November 2026, the project is scheduled to open on 1 April 2027, but will also involve closing the Baie-Saint-Paul store. For these franchisees in the Charlevoix region, expansion therefore means consolidating operations rather than adding another location.

A relocation and a second brand

Nicolas Desbiens-Dubois and his mother, Sonia Desbiens, will open their new store at 515, rue Saint-Étienne, in the former La Malbaie medical clinic. They will vacate their current premises at number 446 on the same street when they move.

According to information reported by L’Express Franchise on 12 November, the new premises will be four times larger. The store will offer a wider selection of sportswear, shoes, boots and accessories for the whole family.

The investment therefore involves more than simply relocating Go Sport. It also includes adding a Chaussures Pop franchise under the same roof. The two owners will thus become multi-brand franchisees, bringing both brands together in a single store.

The C$1.8 million figure relates to this specific project in La Malbaie. It is not a standard start-up cost quoted for prospective franchisees wishing to join either brand.

Baie-Saint-Paul will close before the new store opens

The consolidation means the Baie-Saint-Paul store will close on 31 December 2026, after five years in business. The owners directly attribute this decision to labour shortages.

From 1 January 2027, the Charlevoix regional county municipality (MRC) will therefore no longer have a Go Sport store. The new store will be in La Malbaie, in the neighbouring Charlevoix-Est MRC. This geographical distinction matters: the project strengthens the owners’ presence in La Malbaie without retaining both of their locations in the wider region.

The timetable has two distinct stages. Baie-Saint-Paul will close at the end of 2026, while the new La Malbaie premises are due to open the following spring. The current La Malbaie store will be vacated when the move takes place.

The announcement thus combines substantial investment with a reduction in the number of locations run by the owners. For the franchise sector, it illustrates a development decision in which the availability of staff is a determining factor.

Two brands owned by the same Quebec company

Go Sport and Chaussures Pop both belong to Côté-Reco, a family-owned Quebec company that develops its brands through franchising. The La Malbaie consolidation will therefore bring together two brands from the same company, operated locally by the same owners.

Founded in 2011, Go Sport has 40 outlets across Quebec, Ontario and New Brunswick, according to its franchise recruitment page. This figure describes the brand’s presence across those three provinces; the Charlevoix announcement concerns the reorganisation of these two owners’ stores.

For customers, the planned change means a wider range in a larger space. For the operators, it combines three decisions: relocating the La Malbaie store, adding Chaussures Pop and closing the Baie-Saint-Paul operation. It is therefore a multi-brand project focused on a single location, not two separate openings.

Key practical details

The next milestones are clearly set out: 31 December 2026 for the Baie-Saint-Paul closure and 1 April 2027 for the opening at 515, rue Saint-Étienne. The current La Malbaie premises will be vacated as part of the move.

Takeaway for franchisees: before equating expansion with more outlets, it is worth assessing staffing needs, premises and the scope to operate several brands from one location together. In La Malbaie, the owners have chosen to concentrate their investment on one larger store.