McGill Teams With Mamie Clafoutis To Create The Bakery Of The Future

Experts from the Bensadoun School of Retail Management advise on how to integrate new technology while maintaining human touch

In early 2023, Joseph Sabatier and Nicolas Delourmel, co-founders and owners of the popular Mamie Clafoutis bakery chain, had bold plans to make their new location at 3660 St. Denis contactless and fully automated.

That had seemed to them the best way to address the series of post-pandemic challenges they faced: a shortage of in-store staff, inventory-management issues and customer complaints about lineups.

But when they spoke to the people at McGill’s Bensadoun School of Retail Management (BSRM) in the spring of 2023, they came to realize the bakery of the future would be wise to maintain the human touch.

“[Saibal Ray, AJung Moon and James Clark] are professors who work with technology, data and robotics, yet every time we met, they would ask, “Are you sure this is what you want to do? Are you sure this is what your customers want?’” said Sabatier with a smile. “They challenged us, much more than I thought they would.”

The results speak for themselves: The new bakery won the “Coup de Coeur” special prize from the jury in the category of digital transformation at the 2024 Salon sur les meilleures pratiques d’affaires (best business practices) in Montreal in November.

Full automation is not for every business
BSRM has a wealth of experience with contactless retail, having opened the Retail Innovation Lab in partnership with Alimentation Couche Tard in 2021. They know the benefits and the pitfalls of full automation, and they didn’t think it was right for Mamie Clafoutis.

“As its name implies, the bakery’s storyline is tied to memories of a grandmother baking in her kitchen. The human dimension is a big part of its identity,” said Charles de Brabant, Executive Director of BSRM. “After discussing with our professors, Joseph and Nicolas decided that a hybrid model would be the best. The question was, when and where to use technology most efficiently?”

Researcher identified pain points
That job was tasked to McGill’s Master of Management in Retailing student Mehdi Ghazvinizadeh.

Through the internship program of the small- and medium-enterprise assistance project funded by Quebec’s Ministère de l’Économie, de l’Innovation et de l’Énergie, Ghazvinizadeh spent seven months evaluating Mamie Clafoutis and drafting a plan to improve store efficiency and customer experience.

“Mehdi identified two pain points where people were spending a lot of time and getting frustrated,” said de Brabant. “The lineup for the cash and the wait time for coffee.”

Ghazvinizadeh conducted a detailed assessment of the store’s staff, processes, technologies and in-store computer systems, while identifying automation opportunities, available technologies and potential providers.

Creating a business plan based on this information, Sabatier and Delourmel hired Leav, a Montreal-based retail technology company specializing in store automation to redesign and equip the St. Denis store, which opened earlier this fall.

Seamless integration of technology
Today, customers can browse the St. Denis branch from 7 a.m. to 7 p.m. The cashier-less, self-service model means no more lineups. Shoppers can conduct contactless shopping via their smartphone or interact directly with personnel. People can make their own coffee at the state-of-the-art automated station, or, if they prefer, the customer advisors will assist them.

“If you are in a rush, you can get in and out very quickly,” said Sabatier. “But if you have time, we’ll inform you, listen to you, suggest the right products and walk around the store to serve you. The experience is much more personal, and people are staying in the store longer than ever.”

Finishing touches are being made that will allow the St. Denis store to be open after hours. Using a QR code, hungry patrons will be able to unlock the door, walk around, select a delicacy or two and pay with their phone.

Collaboration with McGill has been ‘exceptional’
Sabatier said collaborating with McGill has been “a dream.”

“When I first contacted BSRM, I thought they would laugh at us, just a little bakery with big ideas,” he said. “But they’ve been exceptional, so professional and approachable. A truly dedicated team of professors and dedicated students.”

“It’s a great story because it has so many elements,” said de Brabant. “It’s about entrepreneurs. It’s about this link to their grandmother. It’s about bringing this bakery to the next level using new technology without betraying the brand. It’s about bringing together local partners to improve the performance of the company that, in the end, better serves its customers.”

“I’m proud of the role McGill played in this.”