One year later, COVID-19 still disrupting supply and demand

According to Professor Saibal Ray, most companies were ill-prepared to deal with the surging demand for essential goods after the outbreak of the pandemic in March 2020.

Panic buying and hoarding combined with transport shutdowns to make shortages even more severe.

One year later, we are still feeling the ripple effects of the initial shock to the supply chain.

Mass vaccination possible for Canada despite supply shortage

As Canada struggles with a shortage of vaccine doses, Professor Saibal Ray says the government has an opportunity to get a mass vaccination plan in place by the time the supply chain stabilizes.

He points to indoor sites such as convention centres and malls as possible vaccination sites during the winter and larger venues like NHL arenas during summer months.

Package-free stores aim to eliminate waste

A new wave of sustainability-focused retailers are embracing a package-free retail trend to minimize the environmental impact of shopping for groceries and everyday goods.

Professor Saibal Ray, the academic director of the Bensadoun School of Retail Management, applauds the innovative attempts to avoid packaging while pointing out the difficulty of implementation.

Pfizer delay causing vaccine shortage in Quebec

Quebec will receive only half of the expected Pfizer-BioNtech vaccines by February 8th due to strategy adjustments made by production facilities in Europe. Accelerated vaccine deliveries are planned for February and March to address the shortfall. The shortage will mainly affect elderly patients in long-term care, who were set to receive the second round of the vaccine in mid-March.

Avoiding a vaccine vial shortage

The launch of the largest vaccination campaign in history involves the mass production of medical vials constructed out of borosilicate glass.

Restaurant automation gains new appeal during pandemic

As social distancing measures remain in replace across Canada, consumers are flocking to buy automated food and drink kiosks for fresh, made-to-order food and beverages with little to no human contact.

Logistical challenges stand in the way of COVID-19 vaccine

Professor Saibal Ray, Academic Director of the Bensadoun School of Retail Management, describes the daunting complexity involved in ramping up the first round of COVID-19 vaccine production.

Retail for a post-COVID world

Professor Saibal Ray weighs in on the strategies that will propel retailers to success in a post-pandemic landscape where the optimal customer experience is a frictionless experience. As the academic director of the Bensadoun School of Retail Management, Prof.

Montreal retailers plan for month-long Black Friday to stay afloat

Struggling Montreal retailers hope to build a critical mass of shoppers downtown through offering traditional Black Friday sales and events for multiple days, even up to a month in some stores. Professor Saibal Ray, Academic Director of the Bensadoun School of Retail Management, weighs in on their Hail Mary strategy.

Delve: Adapting our Global Supply Chains During a Historic Pandemic

For the last several decades we have been conditioned to assume that necessities like food items and cleaning supplies will be readily available whenever we require them. But the COVID-19 pandemic has upended those supply chains, as well as those for other necessities, such as medical devices (e.g. respirators) and personal protective equipment (e.g. masks, gloves).

Delve: The Retailer’s Post-Pandemic Playbook

Even if the spread of COVID-19 shows signs of slowing down and retail stores begin to reopen, the economic recovery from the shutdown will be long and convincing people to visit brick-and-mortar stores will be a challenge.

Delve: Consumer Behaviour in the Post-Pandemic Retail Landscape

As the world rallies to contain the spread of COVID-19, consumers continue to adapt to the new normal, characterized by stringent physical distancing and self-quarantining measures. In such a context, few aspects of consumer behaviour will be left unchanged over the long term.

Protecting consumers from supply chain disruptions during global crises

COVID-19 has resulted in significant disruptions to the supply chain, particularly for necessities such as medical devices and personal protective equipment (PPE). Such large-scale disruptions have become a matter of life or death for some, with manufacturing and transportation systems almost coming to a global standstill.

Professor Saibal Ray publishes new book

In his new book Channel Strategies and Marketing Mix in a Connected World, Professor Saibal Ray puts the spotlight on how the digitalization of the retail channel affects consumers, products, and sustainability.

Learn more

Consumers show a rising interest in retail events

As we see a growing interest in retail events, retailers are tasked with the challenge of finding new and exciting ways to draw in customers. The expansion of Black Friday and Cyber Monday sales into a week-long event indicates that the retail industry is showing no signs of slowing down.