Professor Saibal Ray recently made a guest appearance on The Bill Kelly Show on Global News Radio to discuss the current vaccine shortage in Canada.
From Ray鈥檚 perspective, politics has played a central role in many countries鈥� decision to reserve vaccines for their own citizens, but navigating a complex supply chain has also factored into the difficulties experienced by countries like Canada.
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鈥檚 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.
Fashion retailer Le Ch芒teau is currently under liquidation, but not all hope is lost.
Charles de Brabant, Executive Director of the Bensadoun School of Retail Management, says it鈥檚 possible for the Quebec chain to stage a comeback by shifting to an e-commerce model.
Anwar White, Program Director for the Master of Management in Retailing (MMR) program,聽recently joined 鈥淭he Voice of Retail'' podcast with Michael LeBlanc to discuss everything from the Faculty鈥檚 new retail innovation lab to future directions in retail.
He points to social media as the greatest factor in evolving retail trends, stressing that companies must continuously innovate post-pandemic to stay competitive.
Professor Yu Ma, Academic Director of the Master of Management in Retailing (MMR) program, weighs in on the ongoing impact of the pandemic on Canadian retail trends, particularly the steep rise in e-commerce. From his perspective, the convenience of online shopping comes at the expense of the social aspect that encourages customers to spend their money in-store.
According to Professor Saibal Ray, most companies were ill-prepared to deal with the surging demand for essential goods after the outbreak of the pandemic in March 2020.
Panic buying and hoarding combined with transport shutdowns to make shortages even more severe.
One year later, we are still feeling the ripple effects of the initial shock to the supply chain.
A generous $500,000 contribution from KPMG to the Made by 91丝瓜视频 campaign will support the Bensadoun School of Retail Management (BSRM) through funding an annual retail summit that fosters collaboration among leading global retailers.
A portion of the contribution will fund a new Equity, Diversity and Inclusion (EDI) award for students enrolled in specialty master鈥檚 programs at the Desautels Faculty of Management, allowing students from diverse backgrounds to focus on education without financial restrictions.
Emerging 鈥榮hop local鈥� trends have helped set the Canadian retail industry on a fast track to recovery despite pandemic-induced closures.
According to Charles de Brabant, Executive Director of the Bensadoun School of Retail Management, the sense of community pride that has motivated shoppers to shop local makes all the difference for Canadian retailers that are struggling to weather the pandemic.
As Canada struggles with a shortage of vaccine doses, Professor Saibal Ray says the government has an opportunity to get a mass vaccination plan in place by the time the supply chain stabilizes.
He points to indoor sites such as convention centres and malls as possible vaccination sites during the winter and larger venues like NHL arenas during summer months.
Under the leadership of co-director Professor Maxime Cohen, 91丝瓜视频鈥檚 new retail innovation lab is experimenting with contactless shopping, a rising trend in retail innovation.
By downloading an app, shoppers can use QR codes to unlock store doors and pick up any items they want without having to check out in the store. Cohen joins Global News Morning Montreal to share more.
As the COVID-19 pandemic continues to reshape consumer preferences in the retail industry, large shopping centres will either pivot or fade into memory.
Charles de Brabant, the executive director of the Bensadoun School of Retail Management, is disappointed with the stagnancy and inefficiency he鈥檚 witnessed in recent years. With the rise of online shopping cutting into their profit margins, large shopping centres must adapt more nimbly to have a shot at survival.
A new wave of sustainability-focused retailers are embracing a package-free retail trend to minimize the environmental impact of shopping for groceries and everyday goods.
Professor Saibal Ray, the academic director of the Bensadoun School of Retail Management, applauds the innovative attempts to avoid packaging while pointing out the difficulty of implementation.
In recent months, property firms behind prominent shopping malls across North America have taken Hudson鈥檚 Bay Co. (HBC) to court to claim unpaid rent totaling millions of dollars. While industry analysts question the financial security of the Canadian icon, recently taken private following a months-long process, key HBC executives cite the landlords鈥� unwillingness to absorb the share the costs of the pandemic as the primary reason for the dispute.
Quebec will receive only half of the expected Pfizer-BioNtech vaccines by February 8th聽due to strategy adjustments made by production facilities in Europe. Accelerated vaccine deliveries are planned for February and March to address the shortfall. The shortage will mainly affect elderly patients in long-term care, who were set to receive the second round of the vaccine in mid-March.
Partnering with Alimentation Couche-Tard Inc., the new retail innovation lab at 91丝瓜视频鈥檚 Bensadoun School of Retail Management will enable ground-breaking research and test innovations, including frictionless technologies
