The price of groceries is rising—and so is the number of liquidation grocery stores. Once considered a niche option for cash-strapped shoppers, liquidation grocery stores are now being used by a broader cross-section of Canadian society, according to reporting in Canadian Grocer. The growth of liquidation of stores like Liquidation Marie reflects broader supply chain pressures, says Yu Ma, a Professor of Marketing at McGill Desautels.
Category:
Published on: 23 Feb 2026
Prime Minister Mark Carney recently announced the Canada Grocery and Essentials Benefit, a direct payment for low-income Canadians that will replace the GST credit. While it should improve the purchasing power of those who need it most, it won’t lower grocery prices. “To lower the grocery bills, we need to improve our food supply chains in Canada,” says Yu Ma, a Professor of Marketing at McGill Desautels.
Category:
Published on: 13 Feb 2026
The price of groceries is going up, and it’s fuelling demand for discount grocers. At stores like the ultra-discount chain Liquidation Marie, prices can be as much as 50% lower than they are at big box supermarkets. The Quebec chain doubled its number of locations last year and is planning for a similar rate of growth in 2026.
Category:
Published on: 20 Jan 2026
Black Friday and Boxing Day are marketed as single‑day events with dramatic price drops, yet the reality is that these sales now stretch well beyond one day. These events have slowly transformed from a one-day bargain bonanza into a long season of discounted prices.
Category:
Published on: 14 Jan 2026
Concertgoers are increasingly facing a seemingly impossible battle for tickets, often losing out to resellers who quickly inflate prices. Marketing and analytics professor Vivek Astvansh argues this stems from a structural failure making live entertainment unaffordable for the average fan. Astvansh attributes the sharp price increase to three factors: demand significantly outpacing supply; the ticketing market being a near-monopoly, with Ticketmaster (owned by Live Nation) controlling 70% of sales; and the absence of laws regulati
Category:
Published on: 27 Nov 2025
Good gravy! Quebec’s rotisserie chicken chain St-Hubert has frozen prices for all main courses on its menu and reduced prices on appetizers–all while maintaining portion sizes. This is part of a broader trend toward value in quick-service restaurants. “Food price inflation has hit both grocery stores and restaurants, but it’s more noticeable in restaurants,” Associate Professor Yu Ma tells CTV News. “There is the cost of food, but also labour, taxes, and tips.
Category:
Published on: 22 Oct 2024
Authors: Sudha Mani, Vivek Astvansh and Kersi D. Antia
Publication: Journal of Marketing, Forthcoming, EXPRESS: First published online July 27, 2023
Abstract:
Category:
Published on: 23 Aug 2023
Authors: Vivek Astvansh and Kamran Eshghi
Publication: Journal of Business Research, Volume 167, November 2023, Article 114052
Abstract:
Category:
Published on: 23 Aug 2023
Authors: Ernan Haruvy, Meisam Hejazi Nia, Özalp Özer, and A. Serdar Şimşek
Publication: Manufacturing & Service Operations Management; Volume 25, Issue 3, May-June 2023, Pages 1155-1175
Category:
Published on: 13 Jul 2023
On Friday, May 13, members of the Desautels Faculty of Management gathered to celebrate the innovative and impactful research conducted by its scholars.
Fifteen professors were on hand to deliver two-minute presentations of their most interesting and research.
Before jumping into the presentations, Dean Yolande Chan took the time to highlight this year's Desautels Faculty Scholar awardees. Congratulations to this year's awardees!
Category:
Published on: 20 May 2022
Today’s consumers demand and expect a wealth of choices in everything from sneakers to potato chips, but while large product lines provide abundance and variety, they don’t always result in sales—and can even take away from a company’s bottom line. In new marketing research, Desautels Professor Demetrios Vakratsas explores breadth and depth in product lines to determine their role in consumer choice-making today.
Category:
Published on: 31 Mar 2022
Bruce P. Doré, Assistant Professor of Marketing awarded 2021 NSERC Discovery Grant
Category:
Published on: 22 Jul 2021
Bruce P. Doré, Assistant Professor of Marketing, awarded 2021 SSHRC Insight Grant
Category:
Published on: 22 Jul 2021
The world needs to see that Japan can stage a safe Olympics, the country's prime minister told sports officials on Tuesday, July 20 ahead of the Tokyo Games. Tens of thousands of athletes, officials, games staff and media have arrived in Japan amid a local state of emergency and widespread opposition from the general public. Health experts in Japan have questioned allowing so many international visitors for the games. (CBC News)
Category:
Published on: 21 Jul 2021
Authors: Yu Ma, P.B. Seetharaman and V. Singh
Publication: Journal of Business Research, Volume 124, January 2021, Pages 152-162
Abstract:
Category:
Published on: 16 Jun 2021
Pages
