Bon Magasinage makes second-hand the first choice for fashion in Canada

At a glance

• Bon Magasinage grew from a grassroots idea into one of Canada’s leading circular‑fashion platforms by partnering with Canada Post.
• The brand demonstrates how slow, values‑driven growth can outperform traditional funding‑heavy retail models.
• Their decentralized shipping model, built collaboratively with Canada Post, helps sellers across the country participate in the circular economy.

When Bon Magasinage decided to challenge a multi-billion-dollar industry, it didn’t have the luxury of significant capital. The brand’s secret weapon? A strong conviction that fashion could be reimagined by prioritizing intentionality, community and sustainability.

Founder Candice Bouchez proved there was a different, more human and responsible way to approach retail by delivering it one thrifted find at a time.

Birth of a brand: How Bon Magasinage started in Canada

Bouchez first discovered online thrifting while studying fashion marketing in France. She’d been mindful of fashion’s environmental footprint from a young age and had long dressed almost exclusively in pre-loved pieces.

Arriving in Quebec, she went looking for the same kind of option yet found a gap.

“When I moved here and wanted to get ready for winter, I was shocked that I couldn’t find anything second-hand online. Everything was so expensive,” she said. “I thought, ‘There’s no way I’m the only person who feels that way.’ So, I created my first site. The way I saw it, everyone wears clothes, so we might as well give each piece as many lives as possible.”

Founded in 2017, Bon Magasinage is a Canadian online marketplace on a mission to make second-hand the first choice in fashion. The Montréal-based platform connects buyers and sellers in a simple, user-friendly way by helping people “open” their closets online and encouraging more conscious, sustainable consumption.

Here’s how it works:

Anyone with items to sell creates a shop on the Bon Magasinage website (called a “penderie” or French for “closet”). When an item finds a buyer, the seller gets a confirmation and a prepaid shipping label. They pack the order and drop it off at the post office. Once delivered, the proceeds go into their Bon Magasinage wallet. From there, sellers can shop on the site or transfer the funds to their bank account.

“I still personally manage some celebrity penderies, as well as my own, but most sellers run their shops themselves,” Bouchez said. “That was a big part of our early conversations with Canada Post. We built a decentralized shipping solution and worked closely with their teams to create a flexible system.”

What Bon Magasinage learned while scaling sustainably

Strategic partnerships and a deep commitment to sustainability have shaped Bon Magasinage’s evolution. The Canadian company’s success offers valuable lessons in for businesses seeking to thrive in a rapidly changing retail world:

Organic beginnings

Bon Magasinage started with very little cash on hand. Instead of chasing major seed funding, Bouchez took a grassroots route and began on a free-to-use marketplace. That gave her room to grow at her own pace, learn what customers needed and reinvest early profits into building her own platform.

Lesson learned: Grow slowly, but steadily. A cautious, realistic approach can reduce the pressure of big upfront investments and make it easier to stay true to your values.

Community-driven growth

Another pillar of the brand’s strategy was putting customer feedback front and centre. From the start, Candice paid close attention to how people experienced the platform, meaning what worked, what didn’t and what could be improved. That direct line to the community helped her focus on the changes that mattered most and make sure every dollar spent addressed real needs.

Lesson learned: Involve your community at every step. It leads to a more relevant product and builds loyalty with the people who helped shape it.

Embracing the circular economy

By offering a practical alternative to traditional retail, Bon Magasinage helps cut waste and reduce the environmental impact tied to producing new clothing. This makes the brand a genuine example of the circular economy in action.

Lesson learned: Choosing second-hand is about extending the life of a garment and the stories and connections that come with it. That mindset is resonating with more shoppers.

The local advantage

As an all-Canadian brand, Bon Magasinage aims to make second-hand the country’s first choice in fashion by 2028. The company prioritizes local partners who share its values –those being sustainability, respect and responsibility – across the value chain.

Lesson learned: Buying local can mean choosing more personal, more sustainable relationships. That’s a key point of differentiation from U.S.-based competition.

How Canada Post helped Bon Magasinage scale nationally

Bon Magasinage also owes much of its growth to the support, creativity and trust of Canada Post.

“Thanks to Canada Post, I can grow Bon Magasinage across the country,” Bouchez said. “It’s the only delivery service that truly connects every region of Canada. That means no matter where you live, you can buy or sell on our site. And that’s essential to our mission of inclusion and community.”

From the start, Bon Magasinage benefited from its partnership with Canada Post, whose teams took the time to understand the brand’s vision and the logistics challenges that came with it.

At first, Bouchez did everything manually, creating every shipping label by hand, night after night. “It took me two to three hours a day!” she said.

Her local post office became an extension of her own workspace. From there, she resolved customer issues and talked through solutions with postal clerks who knew her by name.

“I’ve always seen Canada Post as a true partner. Their teams were there to help every step of the way, with kind words and practical advice. When you start a business on your own, being able to count on a support system like that is invaluable.”

Even as Bon Magasinage grew, Bouchez leaned on Canada Post even more. When the time came to expand beyond Montréal and into the wider Québec market, that long-standing relationship helped the business take its next step.

What’s next for Bon Magasinage

As one of the first platforms to offer second-hand clothing in Quebec, Bon Magasinage is now setting its sights on the rest of the country. The goal is to make second-hand the first choice for fashion in Canada.

“In the next three years, we want to become the benchmark for circular fashion in Canada,” Candice says. “Our goal is to bring 10% of Canada’s 41 million people into the movement. Most importantly, we want second-hand to be their first instinct before buying new. We already have enough clothing to dress the next six generations, so we are going to do everything we can to make second-hand more appealing than buying new.

“It’s ambitious, but it makes so much sense. And I know Canada Post will be right there with us to help make it happen.”

Key takeaways

• Bon Magasinage grew by focusing on slow, values-driven expansion instead of large upfront investment.
• Community feedback shaped the platform’s evolution and strengthened customer loyalty.
• The brand’s decentralized shipping model works because of its close collaboration with Canada Post.
• Circular fashion is resonating with Canadians as a more sustainable, accessible alternative to buying new.
• Bon Magasinage aims to make second‑hand the first choice for fashion in Canada by 2028.