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Montreal retailer Frank and Oak files for creditor protection for second time

admin — Fri, 17 Jan 2025 17:25:58 +0000

In January 2025, the Montreal-based retailer Frank and Oak filed for creditor protection for the second time in recent years. A company statement said it was to protect employees, assets and operations from creditor claims while exploring options to restructure. “The brand is not standing out in an environment where other brands have done well,” said Bensadoun School of Retail Management Executive Director Charles de Brabant in an interview with the Montreal Gazette.

Keeping Christmas lights on to add ambiance can help set a shopping district apart

admin — Wed, 29 Jan 2025 20:07:13 +0000

Christmas lights that glow softly through long winter nights are part of what makes the holiday season so atmospheric—but they can add to the ambiance any time of year. Some shopping districts are leaving their lights up for exactly that reason.

For international students, advance preparation can smooth move to new country

admin — Fri, 31 Jan 2025 19:01:02 +0000

Canada has some of the world’s leading business schools and attracts MBA students from around the world. However, moving to a new country is a major change, and Nitin Bishnoi (MBA’25) recommends taking care of as much as you can before you make the move. “There are certain things which students are generally stressed about when they arrive in a new country,” said Bishnoi in an interview with the Association for the Advancement of Collegiate Business Schools. “These small things, if we take care of them before arriving, they take a lot of stress away.”

McCall MacBain Scholar Brandon Greenall shares his MBA journey

admin — Tue, 18 Mar 2025 18:04:52 +0000

Brandon Greenall’s journey from Hazelton and Prince George, B.C., to the halls of 51�Թ��’s Desautels Faculty of Management exemplifies ambition and transformation. The 2024 McCall MacBain Scholar has leveraged his background in finance, marketing, and project management to embrace the international perspectives offered by 51�Թ��Desautels' MBA program.

International diversification helps hedge against Trump tariff risk

admin — Thu, 27 Mar 2025 19:42:59 +0000

US tariffs are a concern for all Canadians—and companies on both sides of the border stand to lose out. But investors shouldn’t necessarily head for the exits, according to Benjamin Croitoru, an associate professor of finance at 51�Թ��Desautels. “Emotion is a bad financial advisor,” Croitoru told Radio-Canada. “It’s a time of great uncertainty, but also a good time to think about how internationally diversified your portfolio is. You don’t want to have all your eggs in one basket.”

US trade policy changes present challenges and opportunities

admin — Wed, 16 Apr 2025 17:47:03 +0000

Among the many changes to U.S. trade policy announced during the early days of the second Trump administration was the intention to eliminate the de minimis exemption on shipments to the United States. This exemption allows shipments valued at less than $800 to cross the border duty-free, presenting challenges for businesses that rely on smaller shipments. However, the real focus of this change isn't on small retailers but rather on large Chinese e-commerce companies, such as Shein, that sell products at ultra-low prices.

Tariffs are remaking global supply chains in real time

admin — Wed, 28 May 2025 19:28:50 +0000

The imposition of tariffs on an ever changing array of products is disrupting global supply chains. Businesses are scrambling to reroute shipments to avoid the hefty fees they could incur as tariffs exceeding 100% are imposed, delayed, or removed entirely—all seemingly at whim. “In the short term, this will be almost like COVID 2.0,” said Saibal Ray, Professor of Operations Management at 51�Թ��Desautels.

Hamid Etemad earns global recognition

admin — Fri, 06 Jun 2025 17:13:49 +0000

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.

President Trump’s trade antics could be a prelude to 2026 USMCA renegotiation

admin — Thu, 13 Feb 2025 20:16:22 +0000

It is not yet clear whether US President Donald Trump will follow through on his threat to impose a 25 per cent tariff on all goods imported from Canada—or even what the motivation for that threat really is. Inconsistent messaging could be a deliberate tactic by the US president, Vivek Astvansh told canadianfamilyoffices.com. “We should care less about the reasons Trump is threatening tariffs, because they keep shifting,” says the Associate Professor of Quantitative Marketing and Analytics at 51�Թ��Desautels.

How one MBA student finds time for healthy living

admin — Mon, 10 Mar 2025 19:54:58 +0000

For Liela Touré, an MBA student at 51�Թ��juggling a marketing role at a consultant firm, grocery shopping is more than a necessity—it’s a form of self-care. With long days and limited time to cook, she meal-preps in bulk, freezes balanced meals, and prioritizes high-quality pantry staples. Making intentional choices has helped her stay energized and avoid burnout. She has cut out alcohol for the semester, limits caffeine, and swaps restaurant outings for home-cooked meals.

Employees tend to own workplace successes, but blame external factors for failures

admin — Thu, 27 Mar 2025 18:54:59 +0000

Nearly two-thirds of employees feel they’ve been ‘thrown under the bus’ by their colleagues—but an even higher number say they’ve never engaged in blame-shifting themselves. “The axe forgets, but the tree remembers,” says Jean-Nicolas Reyt, an Associate Professor of Organizational Management at 51�Թ��Desautels. “When we hurt someone, we are quick to forget about it, but when people hurt us, we remember it forever. But there’s more to it than that, Reyt told HR Reporter.

Musk meddling could be at root of Tesla stock’s tank

admin — Fri, 11 Apr 2025 15:57:37 +0000

Tesla’s stock price nosedived in the first few months of the second Trump administration, and Elon Musk’s involvement in controversial initiatives like the Department of Government Efficiency’s wide-ranging cuts to the public service could have a lot to do with it. But also may not, according to Jiro E. Kondo, an Assistant Professor of Finance at 51�Թ��Desautels.

Nearly half of most recent MBA cohort are Quebec residents - but the program retains its international outlook

admin — Fri, 02 May 2025 16:33:10 +0000

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.

Political pressure impacts Canada's top pension funds

admin — Fri, 07 Feb 2025 01:54:06 +0000

Canada’s Maple 8 pension funds are globally respected for strong returns and independence from government influence. However, recent political moves threaten this model. The federal government has encouraged more domestic investment, while Alberta’s government fired AIMCo’s board, raising fears of political interference. “When you start investing based on political objectives, you risk compromising returns,” warns Associate Professor of Finance Sebastien Betermier.

Political tensions between long-time allies fuelled ticket price spike for Canada-USA hockey game

admin — Tue, 25 Feb 2025 19:23:02 +0000

When Canada and the United States faced off in the NHL’s 4 Nations Face-Off hockey tournament, the game held at the Bell Centre was the hottest ticket in Montreal, with some asking prices topping $10,000 a ticket on online ticket selling services. The intense demand was likely driven in part by the political tensions between the long-time allies.