Retail Innovation Challenge winners

Retail Innovation Challenge 2023

We wrapped our 4^th edition of the Retail Innovation Challenge on November 4, 2023 and it was a huge success! We hosted the finals in person and welcomed student teams from Concordia University, McMaster University, University of Ottawa, and McGill University. The finalist teams showcased innovative solutions and ideas to help Quebec SMEs succeed in the new realities of retail.

We are thrilled to announce that McGill’s Master of Management in Retailing team won the $10,000 Grand Prize powered by our title sponsor SAQ as well as their respective case. We would also like to congratulate teams GPT and Case Crafters from Concordia University for winning their respective cases and $2,500 prize. We also awarded a special prize for teamwork, creativity, and risk-taking to the Jarvis team from McMaster University.

We would like to especially recognize the business-case SMEs for their generous involvement throughout the competition: Véronique Beaulieu-Fowler and Sarah Tremblay from Banques Alimentaires du Québec, Adrien Benatek from ENVOI Québec, and Xavier, Vincent, Zachary from Carole Thrift Shop.

A special thank you our judges – Marie-Hélène Lagacé from SAQ, Stéphanie Bleau + Étienne Poulin from Ernst & Young, and Zahoor Chughtai from the Sustainable Growth Initiative @ Desautels Faculty of Management - for their involvement in selecting the winners along with the business owners.

Thank you to all participants, case coaches, Brigitte Martin and the BSRM team, and our partners SAQ, CQCD, and EY for making this Retail Innovation Challenge one to remember!

Grand prize winners Master of Management in Retailing team Gaga Bon with Charles de Brabant, Executive Director at Bensadoun School of Retail Management and Marie-Hélène Lagacé, VP Public Affairs, Communications & Sustainability at SAQ.

Retail Innovation Challenge 2022

Thank you to everyone who participated in the third edition of the Retail Innovation Challenge! We were thrilled to host the finals in-person and welcome student teams from universities across Canada.

Congratulations to the MacKenzie & Co team from Telfer School at University of Ottawa for winning the $10,000 Grand Prize powered by our title sponsor SAQ! We would also like to congratulate the Red Maple Consulting team from Concordia University and the Zoomtopia team from McGill University for winning their respective cases and $2,500 prize.

We would like to especially recognize the case-subject companies and their representatives for their generous involvement throughout the competition: Eric Légaré, Joelle Arsenault, and Cédric Plante from Hockey Supremacy, Guillaume Couture and Christoffer Baur from Équipe Nutrition, and Catherine Speth and Alex Chicoine from Louis Garneau.

A special thank you to the Phase 3 judges - Philippe O’Connell from SAQ and Prof. Julia Scott from the Desautels Faculty of Management - for their involvement in selecting the winners along with the business owners.

Thank you to all participants, coaches, volunteers, sponsors, and partners for making this edition of the Retail Innovation Challenge a success!

Grand Prize winners from the University of Ottawa with Philippe O'Connell from the SAQ.

Retail Innovation Challenge 2020