Ontario is home to the largest French-speaking community in Canada outside Quebec, with more than 600,000 Franco-Ontarians. Francophone communities are especially strong in Ottawa and Eastern Ontario, the Sudbury area, and Northeastern Ontario communities such as Timmins, Hearst, and Kapuskasing, with significant populations in the GTA and elsewhere as well.
Right next door is Quebec, with millions of French-speaking consumers. Add French-speaking newcomers from around the world, and bilingual commerce becomes a meaningful growth opportunity for Ontario businesses.
Yet many Ontario small and medium businesses operate only in English. This article explains why offering French matters, what legal considerations apply, and how to create a bilingual experience using Shopify's online store and Shopify POS.
Why French matters for growth
Reaching underserved customers
Many Franco-Ontarians are bilingual and can shop in English, but research on consumer behaviour consistently shows that people respond more positively to marketing and service in their preferred language. Offering French signals respect and builds trust, especially in communities where francophone identity is an important part of daily life.
Standing out from competitors
In many markets, few independent businesses offer French online. A bilingual store can differentiate you from competitors and from large retailers whose French content is sometimes a machine-translated afterthought.
Expanding into Quebec
Quebec is a natural next market for Ontario businesses. It's close, shipping is often relatively fast and affordable from Ontario, and there's no customs border. However, Quebec has strong French-language requirements for businesses (discussed below), so a bilingual Shopify store is essentially a prerequisite for serious growth there.
Serving tourists and newcomers
French-speaking visitors from Quebec, France, Belgium, Switzerland, and francophone Africa travel through Ontario, particularly to Ottawa, Toronto, and Niagara. Newcomers from francophone countries also settle across the province.
Legal considerations
Ontario
Ontario's French Language Services Act primarily governs provincial government services, not private businesses. Most private Ontario businesses aren't legally required to offer French-language service or websites.
Federal labelling requirements
Federal rules, including the Consumer Packaging and Labelling Act and food labelling regulations, generally require certain mandatory information on prepackaged consumer products sold in Canada to appear in both English and French, subject to specific exemptions. If you make or import packaged products, review these requirements with the Canadian Food Inspection Agency (for food) or Competition Bureau guidance (for non-food products).
Quebec
Quebec's Charter of the French Language, strengthened by Bill 96, sets strict requirements for businesses operating or selling in Quebec. Requirements can affect product labelling, packaging, user manuals, warranties, contracts, catalogues, and commercial websites. If you actively sell to Quebec consumers, get professional advice. Requirements have been phased in over several years, with some provisions taking effect as recently as 2025.
This article isn't legal advice; consult a qualified professional if you plan to target Quebec.
Planning your bilingual approach
Before translating everything, decide on your goals and scope.
Questions to consider
- Are you primarily serving Franco-Ontarian customers, Quebec customers, or both?
- Do you want a full French store or a partial translation to start?
- Will you offer French customer service by email, phone, or in person?
- Do you have French-speaking staff?
- What's your budget for professional translation?
Choosing between Canadian French and European French
Canadian French differs from European French in vocabulary, spelling conventions, and tone. For Canadian audiences, use a translator experienced with Canadian French. For example, "courriel" (email) and "magasiner" (to shop) are common in Canada but less so in France.
Setting up a bilingual Shopify store
Shopify supports selling in multiple languages. Here's how to approach it.
Step 1: Add French as a language
In Settings → Languages, add French and publish it when your translations are ready. Your store can have one default language and additional published languages.
Shopify's checkout supports French, which is important because a French storefront with an English checkout creates a confusing, incomplete experience.
Step 2: Choose a URL structure
Shopify typically uses subfolders for languages (for example, yourstore.ca/fr). This structure is good for SEO because search engines can index each language version separately. Shopify adds hreflang tags that tell search engines which language each page targets.
With Shopify Markets, you can also assign languages to markets, such as making French available for your Canadian market and setting it as the default for a Quebec-focused experience where appropriate.
Step 3: Translate your content
Shopify's Translate & Adapt app allows you to:
- Translate products, collections, pages, blog posts, navigation, and theme content
- Use automatic translation for a starting draft (with limits depending on your plan)
- Manually edit translations
- Adapt content for specific markets
Many merchants use machine translation as a first draft and have a professional translator review it. Don't publish unreviewed machine translation for important content. Errors in product descriptions, sizing, safety information, or policies can confuse customers and damage trust.
Third-party translation apps offer additional workflows, including professional translation services and glossary management.
Step 4: Translate what matters most first
If budget is limited, prioritize:
- Navigation, header, and footer
- Top-selling product titles and descriptions
- Collection pages
- Shipping, returns, and privacy policies
- Checkout and notification emails
- Homepage content
- FAQs and contact page
Step 5: Translate notifications
Customer notifications (order confirmations, shipping updates, pickup notifications) should be sent in the customer's language. Shopify can send notifications in the language the customer used at checkout when translations are available. Review each template in French.
Step 6: Localize images and media
Images containing English text (banners, infographics, size charts) need French versions. Shopify allows you to translate or adapt certain media and theme settings by language. Where possible, use HTML text rather than text embedded in images, which also improves accessibility.
Step 7: Translate apps and third-party content
Review apps such as reviews, loyalty, pop-ups, and chat to ensure they support French. An English-only pop-up on a French page undermines the experience.
Step 8: Optimize French SEO
- Translate page titles and meta descriptions.
- Translate URL handles where supported.
- Research French keywords rather than directly translating English ones. Customers may search differently in French.
- Translate image alt text.
- Create French blog content targeted at francophone interests.
Bilingual service in store with Shopify POS
POS language and receipts
Shopify POS supports multiple languages for the interface. Staff can use the POS in their preferred language. Receipts and customer-facing displays can be customized, and you can consider bilingual receipt templates for stores in francophone areas.
Bilingual signage
In-store signage in both languages welcomes francophone customers. Priorities include:
- Welcome signs
- Pricing and promotion signs
- Return policies
- Payment and pickup instructions
- Accessibility information
Staff and service
- Identify French-speaking staff with a "Bonjour / Hello" or "Je parle français" pin, a common practice in bilingual regions.
- Offer an "active offer" of service in both languages, such as greeting customers with "Bonjour! Hello!"
- If no French speakers are on shift, have translated reference materials available.
Bilingual customer profiles
Record customers' preferred language in their Shopify customer profile. This helps staff greet them appropriately and ensures marketing is sent in the right language.
Bilingual marketing
Segment customers by language preference and send campaigns in each language. Avoid long bilingual emails where one language follows the other; they're harder to read. Remember that CASL requirements apply regardless of language.
Social media
Options include separate French and English accounts, bilingual posts, or alternating languages. Choose based on your audience and capacity.
Advertising
Run French-language ads targeted to francophone audiences. Many advertising platforms allow language targeting.
Community engagement
Participate in francophone events and organizations, such as local francophone festivals, community centres, and business associations. Ontario marks Franco-Ontarian Day on September 25 each year, an opportunity for celebration and community connection.
Measuring success
Track:
- Traffic to French pages
- Conversion rate on French pages versus English
- Orders placed in French
- Sales by region (Eastern Ontario, Northeastern Ontario, Quebec)
- Customer feedback from francophone customers
- French keyword rankings
These metrics help you decide where to invest further.
Common mistakes to avoid
- Publishing unreviewed machine translation.
- Translating the storefront but not the checkout or emails.
- Forgetting apps, pop-ups, and images.
- Ignoring Canadian French conventions.
- Assuming Quebec's requirements are the same as Ontario's.
- Neglecting updates: When you add a new product in English, add the French version at the same time.
A bilingual readiness checklist
- [ ] I've defined my target francophone audience.
- [ ] French is added and published in Shopify.
- [ ] Priority content is professionally translated or reviewed.
- [ ] Checkout and notifications are available in French.
- [ ] Images with text have French versions.
- [ ] Apps support French.
- [ ] French SEO metadata is in place.
- [ ] In-store signage is bilingual where appropriate.
- [ ] Customer language preferences are recorded.
- [ ] I understand federal labelling rules and any Quebec requirements that apply.
Key takeaways
- Ontario has a large francophone population, and Quebec is a natural expansion market.
- Private Ontario businesses generally aren't required to offer French services, but federal labelling rules and Quebec's language laws may apply.
- Shopify supports multilingual storefronts, French checkout, and translated notifications, with tools like Translate & Adapt.
- Use professional review for translations, prioritize key content, and localize images and apps.
- Extend bilingual service to your POS, signage, staff, and marketing.
This article is general information, not legal advice. Consult qualified professionals about labelling and Quebec language requirements.