Setting aside the Quebec bashing comments in this thread. Here is a TLDR of what I said when it came out: 1. There is less information on that website than Goo

Setting aside the Quebec bashing comments in this thread. Here is a TLDR of what I said when it came out: 1. There is less information on that website than Google Maps, it is pretty much useless right now. I am convinced the investigators of the project are sincere, but they are disconnected from reality (Alexandre Taillefer is a failure as a business man, but he has friends in high places) 2. They spend 300k$ on this project which is made by an non-profit. This is nowhere near enough to pretend you want to compete with Amazon. This is due to incompetence of bureaucrats in the government who have no clue how to build a software project. 3. What they could have done is a partnership with Shopify since they already built all the functionalities (search, payment, shipping, etc.) and create a real platform that looks and feel like 2020 not 1995.... But its the Not Invented Here syndrome that stroke again. 4. What people want is speed of delivery and low cost of shipping. I am simplify not waiting a week for my package to arrive via a shitty service like UPS where I need to be home to receive it. I am also proposing the government subsidies the shipping cost for small retailers to make it more appealing to buy from them. 5. Another idea I had would be to create a competing product to Amazon prime which would combine a subscription to tou.tv, free shipping on this Amazon-like website and an audio streaming service for Quebec music, I am 100% sure it would be a hit. In summary, we have to stop the "magical" thinking that if we create a broken website in bootstrap that feels like its 1995 all over again we are going to save local businesses and make people shop in local stores. We have to build something that is modern and appeal to customers. But considering the people they have on board, I doubt it will ever happen...