Alumni

Inflation and tariffs a double whammy for retailers

admin — Thu, 25 Sep 2025 15:47:15 +0000

Montreal-based clothing retailer SSENSE has filed for creditor protection. As recently as 2021, the company was valued at US$4 billion. “For retailers, it’s been a double whammy,” the Bensadoun School of Retail Management’s Executive Director Charles de Brabant told the BBC. “Inflation squeezed consumers, and U.S. trade policy changes have made it for a difficult landscape for retailers.”

SSENSE bankruptcy could be harbinger of trouble for Canadian retailers

admin — Wed, 10 Sep 2025 17:04:06 +0000

On August 29, the United States ended the de miminis exemption, a rule that had allowed small value shipments to cross the border without duties for decades. It’s already affecting some retailers in Canada. The Montreal-based luxury fashion retailer SSENSE filed for bankruptcy the same day the de minimis rule was changed, and cited the change as a reason that it did. As recently as 2021, the company was valued at $4 billion by Sequoia Capital, a U.S. venture capital firm.

Mid-market brands to benefit from consumers’ renewed focus on the basics

admin — Wed, 21 May 2025 19:39:28 +0000

2024 was a rough year for retail in Canada, and 2025 doesn’t look much better, writes Charles de Brabant in Retail Insider. The Executive Director of the Bensadoun School of Retail Management noted that the combination of high interest rates and high inflation has taken a toll on consumer pocketbooks, and they are expected to focus on the basics this year. That plays well for mid-market brands.

Cree Nation Trust Fund part of bid to turn Bay Building into cultural centre

admin — Thu, 02 Oct 2025 16:05:48 +0000

The Bay Building on Saint Catherine Street is one of Montreal’s most iconic retail locations. But after the Hudson’s Bay Company dissolved in 2025, is future is unclear. One of the bidders for it is the Cree Nation Trust Fund. Called James Bay Eeyou Corporation, they’re partnering with JHD Real Estate on a $400 million bid that would transform the 134-year-old building into a mixed use development that includes commercial space, housing, a hotel development, and a heritage hub with an Indigenous cultural centre and a museum.

One year in, Montreal’s luxury-focused Royalmount mall is still seeking its sweet spot

admin — Wed, 10 Sep 2025 17:05:48 +0000

It has been one year since the Royalmount Mall opened its doors, with a goal of transforming luxury retail in Montreal. The gleaming concourses of the upscale shopping centre are often largely empty, but that isn’t necessarily a sign that Royalmount won’t do well in the long run, according to Charles de Brabant, the Executive Director of the Bensadoun School of Retail Management.

Businesses need to adapt to change to grow

admin — Thu, 10 Jul 2025 18:21:07 +0000

For Quebec, small and medium sized enterprises (SMEs) are an engine of economic growth. Many SMEs have grown into prosperous companies, writes Bensadoun School in Retail Management student William Bernasconi in an article for the Conseil québecois du commerce de detail. But it’s important to consider failures as well as successes. And local businesses have often struggled to grow because of operational constraints, shifting consumer behaviour, and intense competition.

Management Science Research Centre (MSRC) Seminar: Yifan Feng

admin — Fri, 24 Oct 2025 13:02:29 +0000

Yifan Feng NUS Business School, Singapore

A Mallows-type Model for Preference Learning from Ranked Choices

Ottawa threatens to sue auto maker Stellantis for violating funding agreements

admin — Thu, 23 Oct 2025 18:11:19 +0000

When the auto maker Stellantis announced its plan to shift production of the Jeep Compass SUV from Brampton, Ontario to Belvidere, Illinois, the Government of Canada didn’t take the news sitting down. It threatened to sue the multinational company, saying that the shift violated previous agreements between the multinational automotive company and the government, which stipulated the automaker had to maintain its Canadian footprint. “There is a huge amount of taxpayer money that has gone in to this company,” Prof.

Starbucks’ choice to shut pick-up only locations could hurt bottom line

admin — Thu, 23 Oct 2025 17:48:13 +0000

Beginning in 2026, Starbucks will be phasing out its mobile order pick-up only locations, abandoning an approach built for speed and efficiency. In an earnings call, Starbucks CEO Brian Niccol said the pick-up only locations had a transactional feel that lacks warmth and human connection. The move favours ‘stay and savour’ customers over ‘grab-and-go ones’, writes Vivek Astvansh in The Conversation. The move could come at a cost, argues the Associate Professor of Quantitative Marketing and Analytics at �� Desautels.

European Union is in the early stages of regulating AI’s use of sensitive data

admin — Thu, 23 Oct 2025 17:50:51 +0000

Artificial intelligence is still an emerging technology, and we are only in the early stages of its regulation. The European Union is at the forefront of the technology’s regulation, says Simon Blanchette, Lecturer at �� Desautels. The EU already has an artificial intelligence act, which centers on the level of privacy risk associated with individual use cases. “For example, when AI is used to evaluate loan or job applications, lots of sensitive, private information will be gathered,” Blanchette told CTV News.

Nearly half of most recent MBA cohort are Quebec residents - but the program retains its international outlook

admin — Fri, 02 May 2025 16:33:10 +0000

Desautels has one of the country’s top MBA programs, and its students come from all over the world. But nearly half of this year’s cohort are Quebec residents. “This allows us to offer an experience tailored to the Quebec market, all while keeping the program’s international perspective,” says Prof. Demetrios Vakratsas, the program’s academic director.

Leedana is bringing agriculture to the desert--and it got its start at Desautels

admin — Thu, 05 Jun 2025 16:54:52 +0000

Egypt’s Nile River Valley has some of the most fertile land in the world. But most of the country is a barren desert where few plants can grow. Hassan Elrakhawy (BCom’24) wants to change that. The Egyptian-born entrepreneur founded Leedana, a startup that uses a technique called sandponics, which can reduce the amount of water needed to cultivate crops by up to 90%. The company already has farms in Egypt that grow cherry tomatoes, peppers, kale, lettuce and more. And other farms are under construction elsewhere.

Global public relations firm delivers �� course content to staff in 12-week boot camp

admin — Wed, 02 Jul 2025 18:29:08 +0000

Being happy doesn’t just make life more enjoyable, it can help you get things done. In 2024, �� Desautels Adjunct Lecturer Anita Nowak co-designed a course on the power of positive psychology called Happiness means business, and it is gaining traction beyond the university’s walls. The global public relations and marketing consultancy Edelman brought in Prof. Anita Nowak to teach staff course materials. The intensive 12-week ‘boot camp’ teaches concepts like altruism and forgiveness to give employees new tools to use in client relationships.

Master's degree offering in Luxembourg brings �� Desautels to Europe

admin — Wed, 30 Jul 2025 17:12:06 +0000

�� Desautels will offer its Master of Management in Finance program in Luxembourg. The version of the program delivered in Luxembourg will be the same as the one taught in Montreal. A strategic partnership between ��, Luxembourg’s Ministry of Finance, the Luxembourg Bankers’ Association (ABBL) and the Association of the Luxembourg Fund Industry (ALFI). Luxembourg is a major financial hub, and Dean Yolande Chan calls the program “a new chapter in our mission do develop impactful leaders in finance.”

Buy now, pay later loans promise to boost purchasing power—but can come with strings

admin — Thu, 04 Sep 2025 19:00:31 +0000

Buy now, pay later (BNPL) programs allow consumers to pay for items in instalments. And the market for these financial products has been growing at a 12% annual rate, and is projected to reach $7.5 billion in 2025. Fintech companies like Afterpay, Flexiti and Sezzle allow users to break down major purchases into more manageeable monthly or quarterly payments.