In 1888, the Kirouac family embarked on their great adventure in the toy industry. Joseph-Arthur Kirouac, father of 19 children, founded the first "Kirouac" store within the fortified city of Quebec, on St-Jean Street. Over the years, other Kirouac stores were established, all operated by the family. A distribution branch was also created, allowing Canadian retailers to source their products from Kirouac stores. In the 1970s-80s, with the rise of shopping malls, the Kirouac Stores transitioned from commercial streets to smaller toy boutiques.
In 1992, following the arrival of large American chains, a concept of a large-scale toy store was developed: a warehouse-style toy store, 100% Quebecois, capable of competing with the big banners. On October 29, 1992, the first temporary warehouse store opened in Quebec, catering to both business customers and the public. This concept was so successful that in 1993, Club Jouet opened a permanent store on Bouvier Street. "Our toys still reflect our cultural and linguistic identity. What we retained from the "Club" concept is the lowest possible prices, but without the inconvenience of annual fees or membership cards limiting customer access," explains Mr. André Kirouac, founder of Club Jouet.
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