Toronto's Presse Internationale named Magazines Canada retailer of the year

Huashan Liu and Qing Yang

Presse Internationale on Bloor Street in Toronto, has been named Magazines Canada's retailer of the year. 

"Since August 24, 2005, this magazine superstore has been run by husband and wife team Huashan Liu and Qing Yang," said the organization's citation. "The store is a franchise of the once powerful Presse Internationale chain, which at its peak had four stores in Toronto and another in Ottawa. Now two remain (the other is in Toronto's Beaches neighbourhood). 

"Presse Internationale and the convenience store model (with cigarettes, soft drinks, phone cards and lottery) that devotes the bulk of its energy—and space—to French and English press, is one of the last of its kind in Toronto. Good stores adapt and Presse Internationale is no different, recently adding a white pull-down screen and offering passport photos. But it's a big magazine store at heart."

The Magazines Canada Retailer of the Year Award is made annually to an outstanding client of Magazines Canada's distribution service who cultivates this connection between consumers and their Canadian magazines. It will be presented at the Magazines Canada luncheon on Thursday, April 27, 2017 at MagNet: Canada's Magazine Conference at the Courtyard Toronto Downtown at 475 Yonge St. in Toronto.