Grocery store owner economical at the age of 16

At just 16 years old, Charles William Delile became co-owner of a budget grocery store, the Econo Club of Thetford Mines. He dreamed of owning his own business for many years, and this passion was passed on from father to son.

In 2020, his father Jean-François Delayle decided to take unpaid leave from his teaching job in order to focus on the project.

“My son has told me since he was 13 that he wants to have a grocery store one day, and that he wants to buy an IGA,” explains Mr. DeLilly. “So, I offered to leave our little grocery store, and I said, ‘We’ll see if I’m able, if you’d like.'”

For him, it was an opportunity to spend time with his son. The duo built their business from the ground up.

“We visited budget grocery stores all over Quebec to see what was done, and then all summer long, we came into this room, put up shelves, and a cash register…,” the teen says.

For him, it is a dream come true.

“I am very fortunate and I am very grateful to my father.”

It is a sense of pride that resides in the father of the young entrepreneur.

“I am proud of my son, for what we have done in a year, because we start from nothing. When we started, a gym was here.”

The business has two employees. For treasurer Brigitte Hamel, having a principal in high school changes nothing.

“I have as much respect for Charles and William as for his father, everyone here is warm,” she said.

Teenager thinks big. Wants to study management at CEGEP to learn more about business management. When he is ready, Mr. Delile will withdraw completely from the project to leave the reins of business to his son.

“Ultimately, we want you to come forward, Charles William has a lot of marketing and development ideas for the company.”

With inflation shattering in Canada, this economical grocery store concept is the time.

“Because of inflation, the prices of other groceries are going up, so we also have to go up, but we’re trying to do it less than the others,” says the teen. “We want to save people.”

According to Delisles, it’s a model that deserves to be known.

“It will become a trend, and more and more people will turn to this alternative.”

Moreover, their customers have continued to grow over the past year.

Many other budget grocery stores are located throughout the county.