Priape (meaning Priapus in French) is a privately held Canadian company, headquartered in Montreal, Quebec. Priape owned and operated several retail stores specializing in DVDs, books, clothing, leather, sex toys, and other products that appeal to the gay consumer.
Priape
Industry
sex shop
Founded
1974
Founder
Robert Duchaîne and Claude Leblanc
The company was founded in Montreal, Quebec in 1974 by Robert Duchaîne and Claude Leblanc, originally at 1111 De Maisonneuve Boulevard.[1] The flagship store moved to 1661 Rue Sainte-Catherine East in 1975, and then to 1311 rue Sainte-Catherine in 1987.[1] Additional Priape stores opened in Toronto, Ontario, in 1998, Calgary, Alberta, in 2004, and Vancouver, British Columbia, in 2005.[2] In 2001, the chain's then-owner, Bernard Rousseau, purchased Montreal's Librairie L'Androgyne bookstore,[3] although he closed that store within a year due to declining sales.[4]
In 2011, the store briefly became an international news story when Greg Davis, the then-mayor of Southaven, Mississippi, came out as gay after a forensic audit of his expense claims revealed that he had made a purchase at the store during a business trip to Toronto.[5]
The company also operated ManWear, which designed and sold t-shirts, tank tops, jeans, and accessories. Priape was also a minority investor in Maleflixxx Television, a Canadian subscription cable channel offering gay porn programming.
The company filed for bankruptcy protection on 27 June 2013.[2] All four of its stores across Canada were closed the morning of 21 October.[2] On 30 October, a Quebec Superior Court hearing approved a purchase offer by former general manager Denis Leblanc and theatre producer Stephen Pevner;[6] under its new ownership, the flagship store in Montreal and the website, Priape.com, have reopened while the Toronto, Vancouver, and Calgary stores remain closed;[6] however, other stores in those cities carry selections of Priape-branded merchandise.
Referencesedit
^ ab"Restructuration et rationalisation en vue pour la chaîne de commerce de détail". Fugues, 25 July 2013.
^ abc"Gay retailer Priape closes all four Canadian stores". Xtra!, 21 October 2013.
^"L'Androgyne settles in: Bookstore moves to Gay Village after 16 years on the Main". Montreal Gazette, 3 August 2001.
^"L'Androgyne closing: Move to Gay Village wasn't enough to save bookstore specializing in materials now sold online or at Indigo". Montreal Gazette, 20 July 2002.
^Kirsten Boyd Johnson, Mississippi Mayor Outed After Visiting Gay Sex Shop With City Credit Card. Wonkette, 16 December 2011. Retrieved 17 December 2011.
^ ab"Priape saved from extinction by new owners". Xtra!, 30 October 2013.
priape, meaning, priapus, french, privately, held, canadian, company, headquartered, montreal, quebec, owned, operated, several, retail, stores, specializing, dvds, books, clothing, leather, toys, other, products, that, appeal, consumer, industrysex, shopfound. Priape meaning Priapus in French is a privately held Canadian company headquartered in Montreal Quebec Priape owned and operated several retail stores specializing in DVDs books clothing leather sex toys and other products that appeal to the gay consumer PriapeIndustrysex shopFounded1974FounderRobert Duchaine and Claude LeblancThe company was founded in Montreal Quebec in 1974 by Robert Duchaine and Claude Leblanc originally at 1111 De Maisonneuve Boulevard 1 The flagship store moved to 1661 Rue Sainte Catherine East in 1975 and then to 1311 rue Sainte Catherine in 1987 1 Additional Priape stores opened in Toronto Ontario in 1998 Calgary Alberta in 2004 and Vancouver British Columbia in 2005 2 In 2001 the chain s then owner Bernard Rousseau purchased Montreal s Librairie L Androgyne bookstore 3 although he closed that store within a year due to declining sales 4 In 2011 the store briefly became an international news story when Greg Davis the then mayor of Southaven Mississippi came out as gay after a forensic audit of his expense claims revealed that he had made a purchase at the store during a business trip to Toronto 5 The company also operated ManWear which designed and sold t shirts tank tops jeans and accessories Priape was also a minority investor in Maleflixxx Television a Canadian subscription cable channel offering gay porn programming The company filed for bankruptcy protection on 27 June 2013 2 All four of its stores across Canada were closed the morning of 21 October 2 On 30 October a Quebec Superior Court hearing approved a purchase offer by former general manager Denis Leblanc and theatre producer Stephen Pevner 6 under its new ownership the flagship store in Montreal and the website Priape com have reopened while the Toronto Vancouver and Calgary stores remain closed 6 however other stores in those cities carry selections of Priape branded merchandise References edit a b Restructuration et rationalisation en vue pour la chaine de commerce de detail Fugues 25 July 2013 a b c Gay retailer Priape closes all four Canadian stores Xtra 21 October 2013 L Androgyne settles in Bookstore moves to Gay Village after 16 years on the Main Montreal Gazette 3 August 2001 L Androgyne closing Move to Gay Village wasn t enough to save bookstore specializing in materials now sold online or at Indigo Montreal Gazette 20 July 2002 Kirsten Boyd Johnson Mississippi Mayor Outed After Visiting Gay Sex Shop With City Credit Card Wonkette 16 December 2011 Retrieved 17 December 2011 a b Priape saved from extinction by new owners Xtra 30 October 2013 External links editPriape Website Priape tv Portals nbsp Canada nbsp Companies nbsp LGBT Retrieved from https en wikipedia org w index php title Priape amp oldid 1211078899, wikipedia, wiki, book, books, library,
