9I�� News - Charles de Brabant

Software helps combat online shopping fraud

webfull — Fri, 07 Feb 2025 02:07:47 +0000

Buying clothing, wearing it once or twice, and then returning it is not a new practice, but online shopping has amplified the issue. To stay competitive with e-commerce giants, retailers have had to simplify their return processes, making them more vulnerable to abuse. “Amazon puts pressure on speed of delivery and the customer always being right,” says Charles de Brabant, Executive Director of the Bensadoun School of Retail Management.

Published: 6 February 2025

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

webfull — 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.

Published: 29 January 2025

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

webfull — 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.

Published: 17 January 2025

Pricing models for fitness memberships often hide hidden fees

webfull — Mon, 15 Jul 2024 18:05:10 +0000

Gym memberships come with varying price tags and fee structures that can be confusing. Often, a membership contract can come with unanticipated charges. In addition to monthly fees, some charge for signing up, cancellation costs, and annual dues, which is why it is important to do research before signing up, according to Bensadoun School of Retail Management Executive Director Charles de Brabant. “You don’t necessarily understand the natural pitfalls until you fall into them,” he tells The Globe and Mail.

Published: 15 July 2024

Even in challenging times for department stores, Quebec-based Simons is expanding

webfull — Tue, 09 Jul 2024 18:37:28 +0000

The rise of e-commerce decimated the business of department store chains, with names like Nordstrom pulling out of Canada altogether. But, department store chain Simons recently announced it is opening two new stores in Toronto. The Quebec City-headquartered retailer has slimmed-down offerings, with no in-store furniture sales or fragrance counters and lots of private label clothing brands.

Published: 9 July 2024

Temu’s low prices are drawing in consumers despite product quality issues

webfull — Thu, 14 Mar 2024 16:44:20 +0000

The online marketplace Temu, launched in 2022, has become one of the most downloaded apps in North America. The platform is known for ultra-low prices, though the quality and safety of the products it sells are sometimes suspect. “If I understand their business model correctly, they sell products at a loss, and make money from the data they collect,” said Bensadoun School of Retail Management (BSRM) Executive Director Charles de Brabant in an interview with Radio-Canada.

Published: 14 March 2024

New Royalmount real estate development will bring greater luxury retail options to Montreal

webfull — Mon, 13 Nov 2023 17:26:20 +0000

Among the low-rise industrial buildings that line the northern end of Décarie Boulevard, a major new shopping centre is taking shape. The $7-billion Royalmount luxury retail and lifestyle centre is slated to open in summer 2024, after numerous construction delays.

Published: 13 November 2023

Bensadoun School of Retail Management Road Shows work with businesspeople in rural Quebec

webfull — Tue, 10 Oct 2023 17:58:15 +0000

The way that we shop is changing, and for small- and medium-sized enterprises, it can be challenging to keep up with the pace of innovation. But the Bensadoun School of Retail Management (BSRM) is helping them do it. Since spring 2023, it has been hosting regional networking events that meet Quebec businesspeople where they live and work. Regional roadshows aim to help SMEs become omni-channel retailers, and consist of workshops that showcase the innovative research happening at BSRM.

Published: 10 October 2023

Consumers take time to adapt to frictionless check-out technology

webfull — Tue, 22 Aug 2023 20:09:24 +0000

Technologies like artificial intelligence are changing the way we shop. But change can be intimidating, and people can be reluctant to adopt it. The Bensadoun School of Retail Management’s Retail Innovation Lab provides such an example. At the highly automated Couche-Tard location on 9I�� campus, cameras in the store allow customers to make frictionless purchases that don’t require bar codes to be scanned. Still, many people don’t want to use them.

Published: 22 August 2023

Vaudreuil-Soulanges entrepreneurs connect with BSRM researchers to learn retail best practices

webfull — Thu, 20 Apr 2023 20:45:39 +0000

About sixty entrepreneurs from Vaudreuil-Soulanges region joined Desautels faculty and staff for a conference on best practices in retail.

Published: 20 April 2023

9I��������� News - Charles de Brabant