Students

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.

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.”

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.

Women of Desautels: past, present and future

admin — Wed, 14 May 2025 13:07:32 +0000

The Laidley Centre for Business Ethics and Equity and the �� Desautels EDI Initiative recently hosted a panel for Women's History Month to honour the past, present, and future of women of the Faculty. The women featured included the granddaughter of the first �� Commerce graduate (past), current BCom students (present) and accomplished Desautels alumnae (future).

Announcing the 2025 Lionel Pelham Kent Scholarship recipients

admin — Mon, 02 Jun 2025 15:08:35 +0000

Congratulations to Harley Belfer (BCom’23), Isabelle Erb (BCom’24), Veronica Hall (BCom'24), Raphael Lafleur (BCom’24), Andrea Peck (BCom’24), and Dylan Winick (BCom’24) who were awarded the Lionel Pelham Kent Scholarship by the Graduate Certificate in Professional Accounting (GCPA) program.

Nine directors at large Canadian pension funds also hold fossil fuel positions

admin — Thu, 10 Jul 2025 18:28:10 +0000

Nine of the directors who oversee Canada’s largest pension funds also hold positions at fossil fuel companies, according to a report by Pensions and Investments.

IT teams can bring insights into how best to deploy AI

admin — Thu, 07 Aug 2025 17:36:45 +0000

Business leaders understand that AI has the power to generate tremendous value, but it is IT teams that have a deeper understanding of the underlying processes and what’s going on behind the scenes. “They better understand the potential dangers and pitfalls,” says Maxime Cohen, Professor of Retail and Operational Management and Director of Research at the Bensadoun School of Retail Management. And because AI needs significant human oversight, they need to be involved in its ideation and deployment.

Former Provost Anthony C. Masi receives Lifetime Achievement Award

admin — Thu, 16 Oct 2025 20:59:28 +0000

�� Desautels Professor Anthony C. Masi was honoured with the Morty Yalovsky Lifetime Achievement Award for Excellence in Academic Leadership at Fall 2025 Convocation. Over his 46-year career, Masi has shaped the University through his leadership as Provost and contributions to digital transformation, faculty development, and teaching innovation. He founded Teaching and Learning Services, modernized ��’s IT infrastructure, and advanced the University’s research and academic mission.