La Forfaiterie

What La Forfaiterie does

La Forfaiterie is a privately held Quebec-based gifting and experience platform founded in 1997 in Québec City by André Sabourin and Dominique Tremblay, now led by CEO Mylène Sabourin after a 2024 generational leadership transition. The company curates and sells gift packages spanning four categories, namely dining, accommodation, wellness, and activities, alongside flexible monetary gift cards redeemable across its network. Underlying technology is an e-commerce platform with a unique gift code redemption system, lifetime monetary value protection, and a partner portal, integrated with Canada Post and Purolator for fulfillment.

The business model is primarily one-time consumer gift purchases priced from roughly CAD 20 to over CAD 2,000 per package, supplemented by corporate B2B reward programs (up to CAD 500 non-taxable per employee, pay-on-redemption economics) and service-fee revenue from an accredited travel agency (Quebec Permit #702303) launched in 2017. Distribution is multi-channel: an owned e-commerce site, five retail boutiques across Quebec (Laurier Québec, Galeries de la Capitale, Galeries Chagnon in Lévis, Promenades St-Bruno, plus the Stoneham headquarters), two integrated travel agency locations, a corporate sales team, and a reseller extranet.

The company's defensible position rests on a two-sided ecosystem of 500+ Quebec partner establishments (including flagship partners Fairmont Le Manoir Richeliu, Fairmont Château Frontenac, Strom Spa Nordique, and Manoir Hovey) supplying 1,600+ catalog packages, underwritten by 28 years of brand recognition and lifelong balance guarantees. Recent strategic activity has emphasized travel-agency expansion (Club Med, Tour Chanteclerc integrations), B2B corporate program formalization, and a 2025 visual identity refresh.

Name

La Forfaiterie

Legal name

La Forfaiterie

Website

https://laforfaiterie.com

Company type

Private

Founded year

1997

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

101–250 employees

Short description

La Forfaiterie is a Quebec-based, family-owned gift experience platform curating 1,600+ packages across dining, accommodation, wellness, and activities from 500+ regional partners, serving both individual gift buyers and corporate clients online, across five retail boutiques, and via an accredited travel agency.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Gift Experience Retail

NAICS

Travel Agencies (561510), Other Travel Arrangement and Reservation Services (56159), Tour Operators (561520)

SIC

Services-Miscellaneous Amusement & Recreation (7990)

akta.pro primary industry

Inbound/Local Retail Travel Agencies (Destination Booking Offices) (THAKABAH)

akta.pro secondary industries

Recreation & Activity Services (Hiking, Boating, Climbing, Fishing—Guided/Authorized) (THAAAGAF), Wellness, Spa & Retreat Travel Agencies (THAKAFAI)

Keywords

• Gift package retail
• Experience marketplace
• Corporate gift cards
• Travel agency services
• Quebec hospitality retail

Headquarters

HQ city

Stoneham

HQ country

Canada

HQ region

North America

Offices6 records

Markets served

GTM type

B2C

Offering type

Services

Cost components

Personnel, Operations, Marketing or Sales, Technology or R&D, Supply Chain

Revenue model

1. Gift Package Sales: Sale of pre-packaged gift experiences combining dining, accommodation, wellness, and activity offerings from partner establishments. One-time transaction model with prices ranging from approximately $20 to over $2,000 per package.
2. Gift Cards: Monetary gift cards (e.g., $100, $250, $300 denominations) that recipients can redeem for any experience in the catalog. No expiration on monetary value.
3. Corporate Rewards Program: B2B solution where companies assign reward values to employees (up to $500 non-taxable) for redemption on gift experiences or personalized trips. Companies pay only when rewards are used.
4. Travel Agency Services: Accredited travel agency (Permit #702303) offering personalized trips, vacation packages, cruises, and all-inclusive travel. Service fees apply based on trip complexity. Integrated with gift card redemption capability.

Pricing tiers

Go-to-market motion2 records

Distribution channels5 records

Marketing channels4 records

Core offering

La Forfaiterie is a Quebec-based retail company that curates and sells gift packages combining dining, accommodation, wellness, and leisure activity experiences delivered through a network of 500+ partner establishments across Quebec. It operates an e-commerce storefront, 5 physical retail boutiques, and 2 integrated travel agencies, and also sells monetary gift cards and corporate employee reward programs. Travel agency services (Permit #702303) offer personalized trips, vacation packages, cruises, and all-inclusive travel.

Product overview

La Forfaiterie operates as a unified gift experience platform offering curated gift packages and digital gift cards that allow recipients to select experiences from a network of partner establishments including restaurants, hotels, spas, and activity providers. The platform includes corporate solutions for bulk purchases and employee rewards, alongside dedicated travel agency services for customized itineraries, tours, and group travel. The core offering consists of gift packages (experiences, dining, accommodations, wellness) paired with gift cards for flexible recipient choice, supplemented by B2B corporate programs and travel planning services.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Brands

• La Forfaiterie Travel Agency: Accredited travel agency offering personalized stays, vacation packages, cruises, and all-inclusive trips. Permit holder #702303.

Products and services

• Gift Packages and Experiences Curated gift packages that bundle dining, accommodation, spa/wellness, and leisure activities redeemable at partner establishments across Quebec. Prices range from approximately $50 to over $2,000 per package. Targeted at individual gift buyers for occasions such as weddings, birthdays, anniversaries, and holidays.

Quantifiable outcome

• 500+ trusted local partners across Quebec
• +2 more outcomes

Named customers2 records

Segments3 records

Ideal customer profiles3 records

Technology focussed No

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Integration4 records

Feature2 records

Partnerships

Twelve partnerships are on record, tiered core, flagship and minor.

• Entourage Sur le Lac ResortcoreOthersFeatured partner offering accommodation and lakeside resort experiences as part of La Forfaiterie's gift package catalog.
• Strom Spa Nordique (Multiple Locations)coreOthersStrom Spa locations in Vieux-Québec, Sherbrooke, Mont-Saint-Hilaire, and Île-des-Sœurs featured for Nordic spa and wellness gift packages. Strøm was founded in 2009 combining Nordic spa with urban accessibility.
• Esterel ResortcoreOthersFeatured partner offering resort accommodations in the Estérel region of Quebec.
• Fairmont Le Manoir RichelieuflagshipOthersLuxury hotel in Charlevoix offering accommodation, dining, and spa experiences. Located at 181 Rue Richelieu, La Malbaie. Flagship partner offering high-value gift packages including gastronomic experiences, golf, and duvet & coffee packages.
• Manoir HoveycoreOthersHistoric manor hotel offering romantic getaways, gourmet dining, and spa experiences in Quebec's Eastern Townships.
• Le Quarante 7 Cuisine CréativecoreOthersUpscale restaurant in Quebec City near Grand Théâtre de Québec. Features creative world cuisine, tartars, and blind tasting menus. Owned by Joseph Sarrazin, Yvan Ouellet, Harold Slater, Véronique Gauthier, and Amélie Rhéaume-Parent. Flagship of Quebec City gastronomy.
• Fairmont Château FrontenacflagshipOthersIconic luxury hotel in Quebec City offering premium accommodation and dining experiences. Flagship partner for high-value gift packages.
• Transat Distribution Canada Inc.coreOthersParent company operating as 'La Forfaiterie' for travel services. Responsible for travel bookings, itineraries, and travel document delivery under the Travel Terms and Conditions.
• Tour ChanteclercminorChannel Partner/ Reseller/ DistributorTour operator partner for international travel packages including Japan, Thailand, Morocco, and Tanzania tours. Provides guided group travel experiences sold through La Forfaiterie's travel agency services.
• Club MedminorChannel Partner/ Reseller/ DistributorAll-inclusive resort brand featured for vacation packages including Club Med Marrakech La Palmeraie and Club Med Charlevoix offerings.
• Parc Aventures Cap JaseuxminorOthersAdventure park in Saguenay-Lac-Saint-Jean offering tree-top courses, fjord experiences, and dome accommodations in nature.
• Amerispa (Multiple Locations)coreOthersSpa and wellness provider with locations including Amerispa Sheraton Laval offering spa treatment gift packages.

Scale indicators4 records

Recent moves7 records

Expansion highlights5 records

Emerging players

• Giftbit: Canadian digital gift card distribution platform serving businesses with bulk gift card programs — comparable on the gift card and corporate rewards distribution side, less so on curated experiences.
• Airbnb Experiences: Online experiences platform inside the Airbnb marketplace — competes for the Quebec activity/experience consumer wallet, particularly with local-led experiences comparable to La Forfaiterie's activity category.

Broad incumbents

• Travelzoo: Public deals and experiences publisher offering curated local experiences, hotels, and vacation packages — comparable curation approach but broader in geography and travel-style inventory.
• GetYourGuide: Global marketplace for tours, activities, and experiences — overlaps with La Forfaiterie's activity/experience packages but with a much larger supplier network, mostly targeting travelers vs. gifting use cases.

Direct peers

• Buytopia: Canadian deals and experiences marketplace offering discounted local experience vouchers — operates in Canada with comparable gift/experience packages though deal-pricing oriented vs. La Forfaiterie's premium gift positioning.
• Smartbox Group: Global leader in gift experience boxes — directly comparable to La Forfaiterie's curated, multi-merchant gift package model. Operates across Europe with thousands of partners and similar packaging/redemption logistics.
• Tinggly: Global experience gift voucher company offering experiences across categories (stays, dining, adventures) with no-expiration value — directly competes with La Forfaiterie's lifetime-value protection and multi-category gift experience offering.
• Cloud9 Living: US-based experience gifting platform selling curated experience packages (flights, sports, dining, adventure) redeemable at partner establishments — same core model as La Forfaiterie, different geography.
• Uniqk: Quebec-based experiences and short-stay getaway platform with a curated catalog of regional partners — comparable regional focus and curated local-experience model serving Quebec consumers.

Others

• Transat Distribution Canada: Canadian travel agency distribution network referenced in La Forfaiterie's Travel Terms as the parent entity for travel operations — adjacent network partner and operational parent for travel services.

Market position

Strengths5 records

Weaknesses5 records

Competitive moat5 records

Key risks7 records

Key highlights6 records

Customer concentration

• Xx.com/laforfaiterie
• Facebookfacebook.com/laforfaiterie

Compliance4 records

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Profiles7 records

Funding overview

Funding rounds

Investors

Funding detail is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

M&A

Investments

M&A and investment is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

Frequently asked questions about La Forfaiterie