Many francophone Quebecers would leave a business if not served in French: survey

Quebecers participate in a march in favour of Bill 101 on May 21, 2022. (Graham Hughes, The Canadian Press)

A new Léger survey suggests that merchants in Montreal could lose a significant pool of consumers if they are not able to serve their customers in French.

Behind price, the second most important criterion for French-speaking consumers in the Greater Montreal area is reception, signage and service in French, according to a survey unveiled Friday in collaboration with the firm Raymond Sculpin Grant Thornton.

The study shows that 40 per cent of French speakers would abandon their purchase if they were not served in their language.

Four out of five say they are ready to travel 30 minutes for linguistic reasons.

The predominance of the French language in Montreal businesses also concerns French speakers, with 68 per cent of responders saying they believe the situation has deteriorated over the last five years.

• WATCH: Quebec grocery store helping staff learn French

Nearly a third (30 per cent) of francophones say they choose to avoid certain areas of the city for fear of not being served in French.

The survey also shows that four out of 10 English speakers are unaware that there is a legal obligation to do business in French in Quebec.

This rate is 4.5 out of 10 for allophones.

The survey was conducted online in May with 3,012 respondents residing in the Greater Montreal area.

The margin of error cannot apply in this case since the sample is not random, but Raymond Chabot Grant Thornton says the results were weighted to be representative of the population.

-- This report by The Canadian Press was first published in French on March 22, 2024.