The Bay Building on Saint Catherine Street is one of Montreal鈥檚 most iconic retail locations. But after the Hudson鈥檚 Bay Company dissolved in 2025, is future is unclear. One of the bidders for it is the Cree Nation Trust Fund. Called James Bay Eeyou Corporation, they鈥檙e partnering with JHD Real Estate on a $400 million bid that would transform the 134-year-old building into a mixed use development that includes commercial space, housing, a hotel development, and a heritage hub with an Indigenous cultural centre and a museum.
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Published on: 2 Oct 2025
Montreal-based clothing retailer SSENSE has filed for creditor protection. As recently as 2021, the company was valued at US$4 billion. 鈥淔or retailers, it鈥檚 been a double whammy,鈥� the Bensadoun School of Retail Management鈥檚 Executive Director Charles de Brabant told the BBC. 鈥淚nflation squeezed consumers, and U.S. trade policy changes have made it for a difficult landscape for retailers.鈥�
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Published on: 25 Sep 2025
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鈥檛 necessarily a sign that Royalmount won鈥檛 do well in the long run, according to Charles de Brabant, the Executive Director of the Bensadoun School of Retail Management.
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Published on: 10 Sep 2025
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鈥檚 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.
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Published on: 10 Sep 2025
2024 was a rough year for retail in Canada, and 2025 doesn鈥檛 look much better, writes Charles de Brabant in Retail Insider. The Executive Director of the Bensadoun School of Retail Management noted that the combination of high interest rates and high inflation has taken a toll on consumer pocketbooks, and they are expected to focus on the basics this year. That plays well for mid-market brands.
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Published on: 21 May 2025
Even as the venerable Hudson鈥檚 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鈥檚 tariffs are clouding the future for Canadian retailers.
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Published on: 27 Mar 2025
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. 鈥淎mazon puts pressure on speed of delivery and the customer always being right,鈥� says Charles de Brabant, Executive Director of the Bensadoun School of Retail Management.
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Published on: 6 Feb 2025
Christmas lights that glow softly through long winter nights are part of what makes the holiday season so atmospheric鈥攂ut they can add to the ambiance any time of year. Some shopping districts are leaving their lights up for exactly that reason.
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Published on: 29 Jan 2025
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. 鈥淭he brand is not standing out in an environment where other brands have done well,鈥� said Bensadoun School of Retail Management Executive Director Charles de Brabant in an interview with the Montreal Gazette.
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Published on: 17 Jan 2025
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. 鈥淵ou don鈥檛 necessarily understand the natural pitfalls until you fall into them,鈥� he tells The Globe and Mail.
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Published on: 15 Jul 2024
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.
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Published on: 9 Jul 2024
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. 鈥淚f I understand their business model correctly, they sell products at a loss, and make money from the data they collect,鈥� said Bensadoun School of Retail Management聽(BSRM) Executive Director Charles de Brabant in an interview with Radio-Canada.
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Published on: 14 Mar 2024
Among the low-rise industrial buildings that line the northern end of D茅carie 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.
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Published on: 13 Nov 2023
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.
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Published on: 10 Oct 2023
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鈥檚 Retail Innovation Lab provides such an example. At the highly automated Couche-Tard location on 91黑料网 campus, cameras in the store allow customers to make frictionless purchases that don鈥檛 require bar codes to be scanned. Still, many people don鈥檛 want to use them.
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Published on: 22 Aug 2023
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