Frequently asked questions

At Renaissance, the health and safety of our employees, customers, donors, and business partners are our priority. To learn about the measures we have taken, please visit our Frequently Asked Questions that is specially devoted to the fight against COVID-19.

Yes. Participants are paid minimum wage ($13.10/hour) for 35 hours per week.

To participate in the integration program, you have to be deemed eligible by Emploi-Québec and meet the training admission criteria. However, Renaissance will take care of your online registration with the government. As such, it is not necessary to meet with an Emploi-Québec agent to validate your participation.

No. Renaissance training programs require you to be available during the day, evenings, and weekends. Hours are variable. Hours change each week based on the organization’s needs. It is therefore impossible for us to guarantee that you will have consistent availability to go to school.

Yes. By registering for a Renaissance program, you can also choose to obtain a Training Certificate for a Semiskilled Trade (TCST) for Cashier, Sorter/Labeller, or Public Building Cleaner, issued by the Quebec Ministry of Education. Certification is guided by a teacher who provides additional support on an academic level. The program demands little engagement outside of work hours.

To learn more about certification, consult the Certification section.

No. Public transport costs are not covered by Renaissance. However, if you choose an integration program with certification, you will have the right to pay student rates on the STM for trips on the bus and metro.

No. During training, you receive workshops to prepare you for finding a job (building a CV, interview preparation, etc.) as well as an advisor who supports your independent endeavours into finding a job. Moreover, follow-up support is offered for two years post-training.

The purpose of the Renaissance integration program is to rejoin the workforce, regardless of the job or place. After your six-month integration program, it would be possible for you to request a permanent job within the organization. You would then be considered alongside anyone else wanting to work at Renaissance.

Renaissance accepts all household items and clothing in good condition. As such, we invite you to give “what you would give to a friend”. For a detailed list, consult the What to give on our website.

For logistical reasons, Renaissance cannot offer a pick-up service for donations. If you have clothing or items to donate, we suggest you visit the Where to leave donations on our website to find the collection point nearest you.

Some clothing and other items that are donated to Renaissance are not reusable. We call them “rejects”. Clothing that is not reusable or has not been purchased in-store is sold by the pound to partner businesses, who, for their part, sort the items: part goes towards defibering, becoming padding, rags, or a variety of other uses.
While we have our own recycling network for our leftover materials, we invite you to give “what you would give to a friend”. Donations of clothing and other household items in good condition are the economic driver of Renaissance and support our program for integration into the workforce.

Renaissance does not issue tax receipts for donations of clothing or goods from the public. In fact, issuing tax receipts requires the time and resources that we unfortunately do not have. Nevertheless, it is possible in the case of large donations (for example hundreds or thousands of clothes) for us to make an exception. In such a situation, it is key to note that the value of the tax receipt would be determined by Renaissance and that a detailed inventory would need to be provided.
For all inquiries, please contact customer service at 514-276-3626 or email us at information@renaissancequebec.ca.

Once received, donations are sorted, labelled, and then put up for sale across the network of Renaissance stores. Items are offered at low prices and tax-free, and all revenue is reinvested back into the organization’s social mission, which is to reintegrate people into the job market. These activities allow the organization to self-fund up to 94% of its budget. To learn more, visit the Give article section on our website.

Renaissance is not a network of franchises. The opening of stores is planned by the head office. The group of stores is managed by staff recruited by the organization. If you would like to work at Renaissance, we suggest you visit the Available Positions page on our website, and submit your application.

Renaissance offers exciting positions centred around professional development across its branches and at its head office. For more information about employment opportunities, visit the Available Positions page on our website.
You can also introduce yourself in-person at one of the Renaissance branches to fill out a job application, or send your application by email to recrutement@renaissancequebec.ca or by phone at 514-276-9679 extension 358.

First, an open position is systematically posted internally, as Renaissance believes it is important to offer current employees the chance for transfer or promotion. If candidates already with Renaissance do not fulfill the job requirements, the position is then posted on the Renaissance website and elsewhere. Human Resources analyse all applications and will only contact those candidates whose profiles match the position. After a brief phone interview, preselected candidates are interviewed. Second, or even third, interviews may be necessary before a hiring decision is made.

For different Renaissance branches, an employee’s work schedule may vary each week depending on full-time or part-time work status. An employee’s weekly schedule is spread across the daytime, evenings, and weekends, depending on the organization’s needs. An employee at the head office works Monday to Friday, from 8:30 a.m. to 5:00 p.m.

Renaissance provides the equal employment opportunity for qualified persons without discrimination in regards to race, colour, sex, sexual orientation, age, civil status, religion, political convictions, language, ethnic or national origin, social status, or differing physical or mental abilities.

To apply to volunteer at Renaissance, get in touch with us by phone at 514-276-3626 or by email at information@renaissancequebec.ca.

If you have a sponsorship opportunity to offer Renaissance, please send the details of your request to marketing@renaissancequebec.ca outlining your needs and deadlines. Since we receive a large number of requests each year, we cannot accept them all. The established protocols are to prioritize projects with links to Renaissance’s missions.

If the incident occurred in a store, you can immediately ask to speak to the manager so as to solve the problem.

If the incident occurred in a donation centre, or for any other complaint, you can contact us at 514-276-9679, extension 250, or at information@renaissancequebec.ca

Upon suspicion of theft, a Renaissance employee or a store security guard may ask to see your opened bag and inspect its contents.

Upon suspicion of the switching of price tags, an employee at the cash may suspend the transaction until it can be verified that the item’s price tag was not switched.

To enjoy the Privilege program, all members must create an online account. When creating your account, you will be asked to enter a card number if you obtained one in store. Otherwise, you can check the “digital card” option.

1. To get a digital card:
If you opt for the digital card, you can get it now by registering online. Be sure to download your card to your smartphone before your next visit. Simply present your virtual card at the checkout to earn points (Renaissance does not offer wireless internet access in store; make sure you have your own).
By choosing this option, you’ll get 20 points as a gift for your first transaction at the checkout, and 10 bonus points for this greener alternative within 30 days of your online registration!

2. To get a physical card:
If you prefer to have a physical card*, you must ask for it at the cash counter of one of our stores. It will be possible to collect points even before you have created your online account. However, you will have to create your online account afterwards by entering the card number given in store.
Once your online profile is completed, you will receive 20 points as a gift with your first transaction within 30 days of your online registration.
*Physical cards are made of recycled plastic.

No, you have to choose between the two. The physical card cannot be converted to a digital card, and vice versa.

No, the program is free.

Click here to follow the procedure to download your virtual card once your registration is completed.

The basic benefits of the program are:
1) point offer with every purchase: $1 spent = 1 point earned;
2) bonus points on the first purchase after completing an online profile;
3) gift points on your birthday.*

Other exclusive benefits:
Members will enjoy other exclusive benefits. These will take the form of bonus points and/or discounts, sweepstakes, etc. These limited-time offers will be communicated to our members by email.

*Renaissance will double your points on the first purchase made within 7 days of your birthday.

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Simply get a new card from one of our stores and notify us of the lost and the number of your new card by email clientprivilege@renaissancequebec.ca. Any earned points on the lost card will be transferred to the new card and we will disable the old card.

The Trésors card cannot be used at the following branches:

• Liquidation Centre
• Faubourg-des-Prairies bookstore.

Yes, every dollar spent will earn you 1 point, regardless of the item you purchase.

No points are earned on purchases made with a gift card or points Trésors.

Your online profile has to be completed before you can use your points. Before paying, inform the cashier that you would like to redeem your Trésors points.

Please note that you must have earned 150 points before redeeming your points for the first time.

Your point balance will be on your receipt. You can also find the balance online by looking on your profile.

According to Quebec law, the points on your card can expire if the member is inactive for a period of at least one year. Inactivity is defined as not using the card, either for a redemption or to accumulate points.

In such a case, a notice is sent to the member within 30 to 60 days before the expiry date.

Yes. You must send an email to clientprivilege@renaissancequebec.ca with a clear photo or your bill and the number of your card. Once all verifications made, your points will be manually added to your account.

The information provided when creating your account is confidential and is not transmitted to third parties. For more details, please refer to the Renaissance Privacy Policy.

Either you do not have earned the required 150 points before your first redemption or your profile is not complete.  Connect  to your account and make sure you fill out all of the fields.

No. If you do have two cards on your profile, simple email us at clientprivilege@renaissancequebec.ca letting us know which card you want to keep.  We will transfer the points to the card you keep.

Check out the Terms and Conditions of the Privilege Program for more information.

You can choose the amount to load on your gift card, knowing that the minimum value is $5, and the maximum value is $150.

No. You may not add value to your gift card after a purchase. Your gift card will not be functional once it reaches a value of zero.

Gift cards are sold in all Renaissance stores, with the exception of the Liquidation Centre and the Pierrefonds, Chambly-Rémillard, and Faubourg-des-Prairies bookstores.

You can find your gift card’s balance on the transaction receipt after making a payment with the gift card. You can also ask the cashier, or call 514-276-3626.

The gift card is valid so long as it has a positive balance. However, it is the responsibility of the gift card’s owner to keep it in good condition, so that it is readable when being used.

Yes. The gift card can be used so long as it has a positive balance.

No. Gift cards are not refundable, exchangeable or redeemable for cash. Renaissance will not be held responsible for replacing or refunding the amount on a lost, stolen, or damaged gift card. The owner must treat the gift card as they would cash.

Consult the Terms and Conditions for Gift Card Sales or call us at 514-276-3626.

Renaissance allows only the exchange, and not the refund, of items purchased in its network of stores (see our exchange policy).

Exceptions are made for electronics or electric devices, if they prove defective. The customer must bring the device back within three (3) days with the price tag still attached, along the receipt, to receive a refund.

No. Jewellery, books, paint, CD, VHS, DVD, cassettes, vinyl, stationery, new items, cosmetics and gift cards are always final sale.