Quebecor continued its aggressive expansion throughout the 1980s, adding acquisitions and new launches to its family of companies. The Company's sales passed the $1 billion mark before the decade's end.

Magazines
Quebecor began expanding its magazine publishing operations in September 1980, when Isabelle Péladeau, the founder's daughter, launched Filles d'aujourd'hui. That was followed by the launch of a string of monthlies and the acquisition of a number of special-interest publications. Later, Quebecor would develop expertise in contract publishing and begin providing turnkey publishing services to businesses.

Newspapers
Pierre Péladeau had always been interested in the English-language newspaper market, and in fact had been publishing the Montréal weekly Sunday Express since 1974. In the 1980s, he made the first of a series of acquisitions of English papers in Québec and the rest of Canada. The purchase of the Winnipeg Sun from Thompson in 1983 was a foretaste of things to come.

Forest products
Pierre Péladeau chafed at his reliance on the paper industry giants for raw materials. He had long wanted to buy a paper mill and to have full control over all stages of the printing process. The opportunity presented itself at last in 1987, when the Québec government put Donohue up for sale. Quebecor bought the paper producer in partnership with British press magnate Robert Maxwell.

Printing
During the decade, Quebecor added a number of printshops in the United States and Canada to its network of printing facilities. The Company bought Pendell Printing in Michigan, laying the cornerstone of Quebecor Printing (USA) Inc., which would become the second largest commercial printer in the United States. Closer to home, Quebecor bought BCE's printing operations and established Quebecor Printing Inc., a new company which would become the number 1 commercial printer in Canada.