Gin is a classic British spirit, but dozens of Quebec distillers have taken to making it their own, embracing James Bond’s favourite drink. The SAQ, however, is not doing Quebec’s gin distillers many favours. Even though the provincial alcohol sales monopoly has sometimes promoted local producers, it removed more than 50 Quebec-made gin products from their stores to make shelf space. It stunts the growth of the province’s home-grown spirits industry, which saw sales rise by 75% between 2019 and 2022.

Published on: 16 Apr 2025

Casual dining chains such as Applebee’s and TGI Friday’s were once ubiquitous in the United States. However, the middle-class restaurant is fading fast. TGI Friday’s has filed for bankruptcy, while Applebee’s has shuttered dozens of locations. Rising costs have contributed to the struggles of these chains, but their generic branding fails to resonate in an era where authenticity matters. Millennials, in particular, demand authenticity, according to Associate Professor Daphne Demetry. “I can’t think of anything more inauthentic than TGI Fridays,” Demetry says.

Published on: 16 Apr 2025

Among the many changes to U.S. trade policy announced during the early days of the second Trump administration was the intention to eliminate the de minimis exemption on shipments to the United States. This exemption allows shipments valued at less than $800 to cross the border duty-free, presenting challenges for businesses that rely on smaller shipments. However, the real focus of this change isn't on small retailers but rather on large Chinese e-commerce companies, such as Shein, that sell products at ultra-low prices.

Published on: 16 Apr 2025

When U.S. president Donald Trump announced a sweeping tariff policy in April 2020, stock markets plunged. Certain sectors were more affected than others, with large technology firms like Apple and NVIDIA among the biggest losers. “Sectors like tech that rely on international supply chains are going to be more heavily affected by tariffs,” Professor Sebastien Betermier told CBC News.

Published on: 16 Apr 2025

In March 2025, students in the Master of Management in Retailing (MMR) program at McGill 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.

Classified as: Bensadoun School of Retail Management, Master of Management in Retailing (MMR)
Published on: 16 Apr 2025

How can we prevent greenwashing from undermining real climate progress? That's the question students from across Canada tackled at the 2025 SGI Annual Grand Challenge on Sustainability, hosted by McGill’s Sustainable Growth Initiative (SGI).

Classified as: Sustainable Growth Initiative (SGI), Laidley Centre for Business Ethics and Equity, McISCE
Published on: 16 Apr 2025

The McGill Desautels Faculty of Management acknowledges the vital contributions of research, teaching, service, and public engagement in inspiring future leaders. Through our annual Faculty Awards, we celebrate the exceptional achievements of our faculty members across various programs and disciplines. This year, we are proud to honour the following distinguished individuals:

Research

Desautels Faculty Scholar Award: Ruslan Goyenko

Classified as: Faculty Awards, desautels research, Ruslan Goyenko, Aytek Malkhozov, Jean-Nicolas Reyt, David Schumacher, Daphne Demetry, Saibal Ray, Genevieve Bassellier, Patrick Augustin, Wuyang Zhao, Sarah Gordon, Amandine Ody-Brasier, Matissa Hollister, Sujata Madan, Maxime Cohen, Jeraul Mackey
Published on: 16 Apr 2025

Tesla’s stock price nosedived in the first few months of the second Trump administration, and Elon Musk’s involvement in controversial initiatives like the Department of Government Efficiency’s wide-ranging cuts to the public service could have a lot to do with it. But also may not, according to Jiro E. Kondo, an Assistant Professor of Finance at McGill Desautels.

Published on: 11 Apr 2025

In times of great economic uncertainty, even institutional traders can be at a loss for how to manage a portfolio. At large pension funds, portfolio managers use data-driven models to assess risk and allocate assets. But even the most advanced economic models struggle to make sense of economic scenarios that change rapidly and in unpredictable ways.

Published on: 11 Apr 2025

In a time of great uncertainty, voter preferences in Canada have undergone a historic shift. Just a few months ago, voters were tired of Trudeau and a Conservative victory seemed all but assured. But Mark Carney has brought the party back from the brink. He has only been prime minister for a short time, but the role has rarely been as closely watched as during the Trump trade war. Carney’s strong pro-Canada rhetoric seems to be paying off: the latest polls show the Liberals as the likely winners of the late April election.

Published on: 11 Apr 2025

Canada fared better many countries when US President Donald Trump announced sweeping tariffs on his so-called Liberation Day. But in this time of tariff turbulence, stability is a rare and fleeting commodity. And we never know when we’ll end up in the crosshairs of a presidential tariff tantrum.

Published on: 11 Apr 2025

McGill students continue to make their mark on the national stage through the L’Oréal Brandstorm Case Competition, one of the world’s leading innovation challenges for students under 30.

Classified as: Career Management, Case Competitions and Challenges
Published on: 9 Apr 2025

Universities are typically organized into silos – engineering, business, medicine – but sustainability requires collaboration across these fields. “For example, solar energy involves policy, engineering, business,” says Juan Camilo Serpa, an Associate Professor at McGill Desautels.” To foster cross-disciplinary collaboration among sustainability researchers, Serpa created the Sustainability Action Network—or SUSAN for short.

Classified as: Juan Serpa
Published on: 1 Apr 2025

When OpenAI released ChatGPT in late 2022, the hype around AI began building to a fever pitch. Big money poured in to big tech, sending the stock of companies like Microsoft and Nvidia soaring. But a December 2024 AI chatbot release from a much smaller Chinese tech firm is showing that generative AI can be built a much more modest budget. “Deepseek shows that smaller companies with more limited resources can compete with tech giants,” Prof. Ruslan Goyenko told Benefits Canada.

Classified as: Ruslan Goyenko
Published on: 1 Apr 2025

The federal election campaign is well underway, and the leaders of the Liberal and Conservative parties are both proposing tax cuts for the lowest income tax bracket. Income up to $57,375 is currently taxed at a rate of 15%, and Conservative leader Pierre Poilievre has proposed a 2.25% reduction to this rate. For his part, Liberal leader Mark Carney is proposing a 1% reduction. In either case, the tax savings do not just benefit the lowest income earners. Anyone who earns more the personal deduction amount -- $15,705 in 2024-- would save money on their taxes.

Classified as: Preetika Joshi
Published on: 1 Apr 2025

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