Colourless foods reshape perceptions of health and flavour
As food companies move away from artificial dyes, some are eliminating colour altogether rather than using costly, less stable natural alternatives.
Yu Ma, professor of marketing at McGill Desautels, says this shift may appeal to health-conscious consumers who associate colourless products with purity, authenticity and natural ingredients.
Rising prices reshape back-to-school shopping
As rising prices put pressure on family budgets, Canadian parents are taking a more strategic approach to back-to-school shopping.
Siddhanth Mookerjee, professor of marketing at McGill University, says families are starting earlier and making multiple shopping trips to find the best value on clothing, shoes and school supplies.
Merch pop-ups reshape the concert experience
As concert merchandise pop-ups become a standard feature of major music tours, Ariana Grande’s Montreal shop drew thousands of fans seeking exclusive items and a shared experience.
Making plant‑based eating easy: Why visibility and affordability matter
Shifting diets toward more plant-based foods could significantly benefit both human and planetary health, yet progress remains slow. Food choices are not simply personal—they are shaped by price, convenience and what stands out in everyday shopping environments.
Professor Emerita Laurette Dubé receives McGill’s highest academic honour
Desautels Professor Emerita Laurette Dubé has been awarded the McGill University Medal for Exceptional Academic Achievement, the University's highest academic honour, in recognition of a career spent bridging science, policy and real-world impact.
High prices and poor supply chain management are driving the growth of liquidation grocery stores
The price of groceries is rising—and so is the number of liquidation grocery stores.
To lower grocery prices, Canada must invest in supply chains
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.
Cost of living crunch driving growth in ultra-discount grocers
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.
Nine McGill Desautels researchers named to Stanford-Elsevier top researchers list
Each year, the world’s most influential researchers are recognized in the Stanford-Elsevier Top 2% Scientists lists. The list ranks researchers from around the world, based on the impacts of their citations, their h-index, and other bibliometric indicators. In 2025, nine McGill Desautels researchers earned the honour: Yolande E.
Money lessons from Shakespeare’s Timon of Athens still ring true today
Shakespeare’s Timon of Athens is a riches to rags story. Its wealthy title character squanders his money on opportunistic ‘friends’ and grows jaded with the world.
Hamid Etemad earns global recognition
Hamid Etemad has been named a 2024 Top Scholar by Scholar GPS. Over a long and distinguished career, the Associate Professor of Marketing has been recognized for his excellence in teaching and research, Scholar GPS recognized Etemad as being in the top 0.5% of scholars in his field. Etemad’s research has probed the role of technology in business and its impact in emerging market economies.
Reparative consumption: The role of racial identity and white guilt in consumer preferences
Authors: Rishad Habib, Ekin Ok, Karl Aquino, Siddhanth Mookerjee and Yann Cornil
Nearly half of most recent MBA cohort are Quebec residents - but the program retains its international outlook
Desautels has one of the country’s top MBA programs, and its students come from all over the world. But nearly half of this year’s cohort are Quebec residents. “This allows us to offer an experience tailored to the Quebec market, all while keeping the program’s international perspective,” says Prof. Demetrios Vakratsas, the program’s academic director.
For many restaurant diners, GST Holiday won’t amount to much
With inflation pinching household budgets, the Government of Canada has introduced a temporary two-month GST holiday on select goods and services.. While restaurant meals are included, diners are unlikely to notice much of a difference, says Yu Ma, Associate Professor of Marketing at McGill Desautels. On a $20 restaurant tab, the 5% GST amounts to only one dollar.
