Pomango is a company that specializes in the sale of children's toys, educational games, books and more for the family. We spoke with Charles Plourde, founder of the company, as well as with Aurélie Plourde and Mélanie Côté, director of sales and responsible for marketing and web sales.
Once upon a time…
The history of Pomango begins with the creation of CPM distribution in 1983. For several years, Charles Plourde produced cassettes (and later CDs) of French-language music, particularly children's music, such as the popular "Chante avec Me ".
That said, with the announced death of the CD in 2000 (which incidentally happened in 2018, when the company sold its last CDs), Charles had to reinvent itself in order to continue to offer current products to its customer base. This is how the idea of Pomango was born, officially founded somewhere in the mid-2000s. To revitalize the company, Charles found an innovative way to sell CDs by having the “Sing with me” series illustrated. Indeed, since children are their target clientele, the company has chosen to diversify its products, while keeping the focus on families and young people. Children, there would always be some, this is what motivated Charles more to continue in this line. “Children, it's a kind of renewable energy. Gradually, other products joined Pomango's offering, such as children's toys and their first family planner.
In 2007, the company launched its first transactional site for Pomango. “We were avant-garde for that. Since then, the company has continued to search for new ways to provide families with planning and organization tools and educational toys and games that are a great alternative to electronic devices. “We are often brainstorming, looking for the best ideas. In fact, one of their projects currently on the table is the development of products focused on unplugging. We will soon see, among other things, a card game that can be played in the car, at mealtimes, or even at bedtime. To be continued!
Making a difference for families
To help families get organized and learn while having fun, Pomango sells products that promote reading and/or parent/child dialogue, that inspire motivation, and above all that are accessible. “We have always had a concern to make products accessible in terms of visibility and price; we really want to offer products beyond the “beautiful”, which are accessible and meaningful, with ecological values. Indeed, the company seeks to offer products that are unique, meaningful, educational and diverse. They therefore focus on selling products that do not make noise or light, but which arouse the curiosity of the little ones. On the other hand, their family planner and motivational family chart are great tools to help families get organized. In fact, the family planner has become their favorite product. “The planner is our driving force. There are now various planner formats to meet the various needs of the company's clientele, and it is even sold in English elsewhere in Canada.
A work environment where life is good
One of Pomango's values is to maintain a healthy work environment. According to Charles, the importance placed on family and well-being is what keeps employees with the company for a long time.
It's no surprise that family is at the heart of Pomango: Charles' two daughters, Aurélie and Anne-Élisabeth, got their hands dirty long before they officially joined the company in October 2019 respectively, as as director of sales development, and in 2015, as director of operations. Indeed, over the years they have both helped put together CD boxes, label products, and even clean the office. In fact, Charles likes to call his company “Pomango et filles” because of the continuous support his daughters have given him, but also because of the exceptional work carried out by his other employees, such as Mélanie.
For her part, Mélanie made her nest at Pomango in February 2019. As this article is written, she has just left for maternity leave and will return to work in a mode of progressive reintegration into work, which she likes. a lot. “It's the kind of thing that I know I couldn't have done in any company. Additionally, at Pomango Fridays are optional and everyone is equipped to work remotely. They even plan to make a small garden in the courtyard of their office next summer!
A strong social and ecological conscience
Beyond the sale of products, there is at Pomango a concern to bring well-being to others, as well as to protect the planet. To reduce their carbon footprint, they seek to offer products that do not contain plastic, and instead opt for toys made of wood, for example. The partnership with local businesses also allows them to achieve this objective. “We are pro-Quebecers and pro-Canadians, when we can do it. The company is also working on its work/family accreditation, and supports various causes, such as the Breakfast Club, to which they donate approximately $10,000 a year. These values are reflected in the direction in which Charles, Aurélie and Amélie would like to see Pomango go: they would like to be "recognized for
On the horizon
What's next for Pomango? First of all, the members of the team will apply themselves to develop their online business , which currently represents approximately 10% of their turnover. Although they have partnerships with small and big box stores, such as Costco, there is no guarantee that the agreement will be continued. They will also continue to develop products for children focusing on diversity, emotions, and education. The company usually offers five to ten new products per year. “We don't lack ideas, in fact sometimes we have too many and we have to restrain ourselves. Even the recurring products are constantly evolving, such as the planner and the wooden toys. One thing is certain, it is that we find at Pomango unique products, which are not offered elsewhere in Canada (or even in North America).
Reviewed by Marie-Pascale
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