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Alimentation Couche-Tard expands frictionless retail experience

Through its partnership with the retail innovation lab, Alimentation Couche-Tard is working steadily to develop frictionless shopping solutions using AI tracking and smartphone technology.

Now, the company is expanding its efforts to pioneer a new customer experience as Circle K, one of its daughter brands, rolls out a fully frictionless option in several Arizona stores.

Published: 14 Oct 2021

Explore a McGill Desautels graduate business degree

Whether you are looking to begin an MBA or delve deeper into the world of finance, retail or analytics, when considering a graduate degree there are four main things to look at: what you learn, who you learn it from, who you learn it with, and who else has learned it. In other words, the curriculum, the faculty, your classmates, and the alumni.

Published: 14 Oct 2021

Welcoming inaugural cohort of MMR program

On September 1, 2021, the first ever cohort in the Master of Management in Retailing (MMR) commenced with 31 students in total. Hailing from eight nations across the world and with eight languages spoken among them, this cohort features a diverse set of academic backgrounds. Our inaugural class holds degrees in economics, finance, business, engineering, marketing and communications, and retail management, from universities around the globe.

Published: 28 Sep 2021

Raising the bar for real-world learning in analytics and retail

KPI Digital entrepreneur Benny Cohen (BCom’82) shares business acumen and scholarship support with students in McGill’s Master of Management in Analytics (MMA) and Master of Management in Retail (MMR) programs.

Learn more

Published: 23 Sep 2021

Where technology meets retail

According to Charles de Brabant, Executive Director of the Bensadoun School of Retail Management, investing in smart technologies may help retailers profit in the long-term despite a steep upfront cost. In a pandemic world, frictionless alternatives to face-to-face interactions prioritize consumer safety, which could lead to increased brand loyalty and in-person browsing.

Published: 22 Sep 2021

Weekend hope for retail

The labour shortage created by the pandemic forced many large retailers to decrease their hours of operation, leading to significant revenue losses, particularly over weekends. As the academic year progresses, Charles de Brabant, Executive Director of the Bensadoun School of Retail Management, predicts more students will be willing to work weekends if it means regaining some semblance of normal, pre-pandemic life.

Published: 22 Sep 2021

McGill’s Retail Innovation Lab can help solve labor shortage in Quebec

Eric Bosco, the head of business development and partnerships at MITACS, provides recommendations for solving the current labour shortage in Quebec. He cites the Bensadoun School of Retail Management’s new Retail Innovation Laboratory as an essential partner in encouraging and supporting innovation within local companies.

Published: 8 Sep 2021

Uptick in back-to-school spending

Across Canada and the U.S., schools are opening their doors for in-person learning, causing a spike in back-to-school revenues that retailers haven’t seen since before the pandemic. Anwar White, Program Director of the Master of Management in Retailing, predicts that parents will spend more money than usual on supplies in their eagerness to give their children a normal back-to-school experience.

Published: 8 Sep 2021

In-store technology is transforming retail spaces

Throughout the pandemic, in-store technologies like price-check kiosks and self-checkout have created a more convenient shopping experience for consumers and provided retailers with greater access to valuable data on shopping habits. But consumers are concerned about privacy, and retailers may not have the necessary resources to purchase and upkeep in-store tech.

Published: 23 Aug 2021

Discovering a new normal in retail

As national borders and business doors open once again, retail experts are taking a careful look at how this newfound freedom and mobility impacts consumer behaviour. According to Anwar White, Program Director of the Master of Management in Retailing, many retailers are concerned about how to bring customers back in-store in a time when online shopping is becoming an increasingly convenient and reliable option.

Published: 28 Jun 2021

Frictionless shopping pays off

As convenient becomes more synonymous with contactless, Professor Saibal Ray, Academic Director of the Bensadoun School of Retail Management, sees a wealth of opportunity for retailers to innovate.

By providing more digital options, both in-store and online, retailers can set the stage for a boost in sales and customer loyalty that exceeds their investment in technology upgrades.

Published: 17 Jun 2021

Gauging progress in Canada’s vaccination efforts

Professor Saibal Ray, Academic Director of the Bensadoun School of Retail Management, joins a group of experts on the Bill Kelly Show podcast to share his perspective on the status of Canada’s COVID-19 vaccination rollout initiative, including the growing pressure to expand vaccine access on a global scale.  

Published: 9 Jun 2021

Desautels thought leadership publication Delve launches delve.mcgill.ca and new podcast episodes 

Throughout the COVID-19 pandemic, Delve, the thought leadership publication of McGill’s Desautels Faculty of Management, has examined how organizations grapple with a rapidly changing world.

Published: 31 May 2021

Luxury retailer embraces athleisure during pandemic 

Menswear retailer Harry Rosen Inc. built its brand by dressing Canadian men in tailored designer suits, but the mass exodus from offices and boardrooms across the country during the pandemic sent demand spiraling downward. In response, Harry Rosen expanded its casual collections and made a foray into the male grooming and personal care product arena.

Published: 27 May 2021

Delve - The "New Normal" podcast: Black Swan Event with Saibal Ray

In episode 1 of The ‘New Normal’ hosted by Dave Kaufman, Professor Saibal Ray highlights the successes and failures of the COVID-19 vaccine procurement and global distribution, compares Israel's effort to Canada's, and questions if Canada will want to do all that’s necessary to be prepared should similar incidents arise in the future.

Published: 21 May 2021

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