海角精品黑料 DataSphere Lab proving to be good for business
At 海角精品黑料鈥檚 Desautels Faculty of Management, the DataSphere Lab is transforming how companies use data and how students learn.
Launched in 2023, the lab connects organizations eager to make smarter, data-driven decisions with 海角精品黑料 students who apply advanced analytics, machine learning, and AI to real-world challenges.
When AI is used to set wages, it sets them higher than humans would
When AI sets wages, it pushes them higher, according to recent research by Maxime Cohen, a Professor of Retail and Operations Management at the Bensadoun School of Retail Management. Cohen conducted a study that asked AI to recommend wages for 60,000 freelance profiles in a variety of industries. He found that AI sets wages higher than humans do.
How AI and big data are reshaping the future of retail
The emergence of e-commerce has made for a revolution in retail. Whenever you make a purchase online, you generate data, and that data allows for a higher degree of personalization.
Insights from the Reshaping the Future of Retail Conference
Meghan Markowski (MMR'25) captures key takeaways from this year's Reshaping the Future of Retail Conference, which brought together over 250 retail leaders, academics, and students at Montreal鈥檚 Sofitel Golden Mile on September 26.
Cree Nation Trust Fund part of bid to turn Bay Building into cultural centre
The Bay Building on Saint Catherine Street is one of Montreal鈥檚 most iconic retail locations. But after the Hudson鈥檚 Bay Company dissolved in 2025, is future is unclear. One of the bidders for it is the Cree Nation Trust Fund.
Inflation and tariffs a double whammy for retailers
Montreal-based clothing retailer SSENSE has filed for creditor protection. As recently as 2021, the company was valued at US$4 billion. 鈥淔or retailers, it鈥檚 been a double whammy,鈥� the Bensadoun School of Retail Management鈥檚 Executive Director Charles de Brabant told the BBC. 鈥淚nflation squeezed consumers, and U.S. trade policy changes have made it for a difficult landscape for retailers.鈥�
One year in, Montreal鈥檚 luxury-focused Royalmount mall is still seeking its sweet spot
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鈥檛 necessarily a sign that Royalmount won鈥檛 do well in the long run, according to Charles de Brabant, the Executive Director of the Bensadoun School of Retail Management.
SSENSE bankruptcy could be harbinger of trouble for Canadian retailers
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鈥檚 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.
Businesses need to adapt to change to grow
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 qu茅becois du commerce de detail. But it鈥檚 important to consider failures as well as successes.
Mid-market brands to benefit from consumers鈥� renewed focus on the basics
2024 was a rough year for retail in Canada, and 2025 doesn鈥檛 look much better, writes Charles de Brabant in Retail Insider.
MMR students explore retail innovation in Dubai
In March 2025, students in the Master of Management in Retailing (MMR) program at 海角精品黑料 Desautels, took part in a week-long study trip to Dubai, to explore one of the world鈥檚 most dynamic retail hubs.
Tariff-induced economic uncertainty is affecting Canadians鈥� purchasing decisions
Even as the venerable Hudson鈥檚 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鈥檚 tariffs are clouding the future for Canadian retailers.
Identifying tariffed products could be seen as attempt to mask increased margins
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 鈥淭鈥� to explain price hikes.
Software helps combat online shopping fraud
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.
Keeping Christmas lights on to add ambiance can help set a shopping district apart
Christmas lights that glow softly through long winter nights are part of what makes the holiday season so atmospheric鈥攂ut they can add to the ambiance any time of year. Some shopping districts are leaving their lights up for exactly that reason.
