McGill Desautels MBA team wins Retail Innovation Challenge
A team of McGill Desautels MBA students has won the 2025 Retail Innovation Challenge, earning the $10,000 grand prize for their innovative business solution for Mandy’s Gourmet Salads.
For Indigenous entrepreneurs, business can be a vessel for culture
When Brittanny Janvier enrolled in the Master of Management program at McGill in 2022, she was the only Indigenous student in her class. Now, Janvier is McGill’s Director of Indigenous Initiatives, and is creating space for Indigenous entrepreneurs on campus. A recent event focused on how Indigenous-led businesses can serve as a powerful vessel for cultural narrative.
Ottawa threatens to sue auto maker Stellantis for violating funding agreements
When the auto maker Stellantis announced its plan to shift production of the Jeep Compass SUV from Brampton, Ontario to Belvidere, Illinois, the Government of Canada didn’t take the news sitting down. It threatened to sue the multinational company, saying that the shift violated previous agreements between the multinational automotive company and the government, which stipulated the automaker had to maintain its Canadian footprint.
McGill DataSphere Lab proving to be good for business
At McGill’s 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 McGill 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’s 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’s most iconic retail locations. But after the Hudson’s 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. “For retailers, it’s been a double whammy,” the Bensadoun School of Retail Management’s Executive Director Charles de Brabant told the BBC. “Inflation squeezed consumers, and U.S. trade policy changes have made it for a difficult landscape for retailers.”
One year in, Montreal’s 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’t necessarily a sign that Royalmount won’t 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’s 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 québecois du commerce de detail. But it’s important to consider failures as well as successes.
Mid-market brands to benefit from consumers’ renewed focus on the basics
2024 was a rough year for retail in Canada, and 2025 doesn’t 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 McGill Desautels, took part in a week-long study trip to Dubai, to explore one of the world’s most dynamic retail hubs.
Tariff-induced economic uncertainty is affecting Canadians’ purchasing decisions
Even as the venerable Hudson’s 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’s tariffs are clouding the future for Canadian retailers.
