Bensadoun School of Retail Management - BSRM News

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

��ɫ��Ƶ — 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.

MMR students explore retail innovation in Dubai

��ɫ��Ƶ — Wed, 16 Apr 2025 16:38:58 +0000

In March 2025, students in the Master of Management in Retailing (MMR) program at ��ɫ��Ƶ Desautels, took part in a week-long study trip to Dubai, to explore one of the world’s most dynamic retail hubs.

The itinerary included meetings with industry leaders from Dubai Economy and Tourism, Huda Beauty, Apparel Group, Kitopi, DAMAC, Carrefour, and Majid Al Futtaim Group. Students gained firsthand insights into retail innovation, digital strategy, localization, and customer experience.

Tariff-induced economic uncertainty is affecting Canadians’ purchasing decisions

��ɫ��Ƶ — Thu, 27 Mar 2025 19:38:04 +0000

Even as the venerable Hudson’s Bay Company liquidates its iconic department stores, some Canadian retailers are experiencing a renaissance. Quebec department store has been expanding, even as others struggle to stay in the black. But Trump’s tariffs are clouding the future for Canadian retailers.

Identifying tariffed products could be seen as attempt to mask increased margins

��ɫ��Ƶ — Thu, 27 Mar 2025 19:03:24 +0000

Since U.S. President Donald Trump took office in January, frequent tariff threats have disrupted the economy. It is difficult to keep track of which products will be tariffed, when they will be tariffed, and how much they will be tariffed by. But Provigo stores in Quebec are taking steps that will help shoppers understand the factors that affect the price of their groceries. They are developing signage that will mark tariffed items with a “T” to explain price hikes.

Software helps combat online shopping fraud

��ɫ��Ƶ — Fri, 07 Feb 2025 02:07:47 +0000

Buying clothing, wearing it once or twice, and then returning it is not a new practice, but online shopping has amplified the issue. To stay competitive with e-commerce giants, retailers have had to simplify their return processes, making them more vulnerable to abuse. “Amazon puts pressure on speed of delivery and the customer always being right,” says Charles de Brabant, Executive Director of the Bensadoun School of Retail Management.

Keeping Christmas lights on to add ambiance can help set a shopping district apart

��ɫ��Ƶ — Wed, 29 Jan 2025 20:07:13 +0000

Christmas lights that glow softly through long winter nights are part of what makes the holiday season so atmospheric—but they can add to the ambiance any time of year. Some shopping districts are leaving their lights up for exactly that reason.

Montreal retailer Frank and Oak files for creditor protection for second time

��ɫ��Ƶ — Fri, 17 Jan 2025 17:25:58 +0000

In January 2025, the Montreal-based retailer Frank and Oak filed for creditor protection for the second time in recent years. A company statement said it was to protect employees, assets and operations from creditor claims while exploring options to restructure. “The brand is not standing out in an environment where other brands have done well,” said Bensadoun School of Retail Management Executive Director Charles de Brabant in an interview with the Montreal Gazette.

Healthy snacks make good business sense

��ɫ��Ƶ — Wed, 11 Dec 2024 19:04:02 +0000

A 2022 study by researchers at ��ɫ��Ƶ Desautels revealed that when shoppers were offered a promotion that gave them a choice between a healthy snack and a pastry with their coffee, sales of healthy snacks increased by more than 1000%.

Meet the winning teams of our Retail Gen AI Hackathon

��ɫ��Ƶ — Thu, 10 Oct 2024 14:45:28 +0000

Congratulations to our winning teams of the Bensadoun School’s 2^nd annual Retail Gen AI Hackathon.

We had 38 student teams register representing diverse faculties across ��ɫ��Ƶ. Over two days, 10 finalist teams hacked creative Gen AI solutions for our title sponsor ALDO Group.

Each team had an AWS mentor and access to support from IVADO Labs and DataSphere Lab team members.

Participate in the Fall 2023 edition of the Retail Gen AI Hackathon

��ɫ��Ƶ — Fri, 11 Aug 2023 16:22:07 +0000

October 5-13, 2023

Want to work collaboratively in a fun yet competitive environment to develop innovative generative AI solutions for the ALDO Group’s Data & Analytics Corporate Team?

This first edition of the Retail Gen AI Hackathon, powered by ALDO Group, is a unique opportunity to work on a real-life problem, develop a solution in a fast-paced environment, and learn how AI and data analytics can help retailers make better data-driven decisions within their operations.

Bensadoun School receives $5M in provincial funding for retail innovation

��ɫ��Ƶ — Wed, 31 Mar 2021 15:24:02 +0000

The Quebec Ministry of Economy and Innovation has awarded the Bensadoun School of Retail Management with $5 million in funding over the next four years. According to Minister Pierre Fitzgibbon, a significant portion of the funds will support the Bensadoun School’s retail innovation lab. Unveiled earlier this year, the live laboratory store is designed to provide insights that will help accelerate Quebec retailers along the path of digital transformation.

��ɫ��Ƶ and Alimentation Couche-Tard launch unique laboratory store to propel retail industry and customers into the future

��ɫ��Ƶ — Thu, 14 Jan 2021 20:41:49 +0000

Partnering with Alimentation Couche-Tard Inc., the new retail innovation lab at ��ɫ��Ƶ’s Bensadoun School of Retail Management will enable ground-breaking research and test innovations, including frictionless technologies