Save Hard; Then Splurge

Posted by & filed under Marketing & Strategy, Student life.

Description: Jennifer Anchan drives a 2001 Honda Accord that she bought for $1,700 cash; she also purchases used items off Kiiji, and shops more often at dollar stores these days. But she is willing to spend big for travel and concert tickets, savouring experiences with friends over acquiring new things. Recent data from the Royal… Read more »

WestJet Strike?

Posted by & filed under Marketing & Strategy, Student life.

Description: It’s probably not the news you wanted to hear as you wind down the winter term at university and get ready to travel back home for the summer break: WestJet’s pilots’ union is set for a strike vote. Bernard Lewall, a union representative, is frustrated by the results of the last six months of… Read more »

Here Comes Shake Shack

Posted by & filed under Marketing & Strategy, Student life.

Description: Canada will be getting its first Shake Shack in 2024. The American burger joint has targeted Toronto for its entry into our Canadian market, but it has said it plans to have 35 stores here by 2035. The fast food market in Canada reports growing sales, with the number up 9% in 2022 and… Read more »

Head West for the Summer!

Posted by & filed under Marketing & Strategy, Student life.

Description: If you ever thought of heading west for a summer job in tourist locations like Banff, Canmore or Lake Louise, this might be the year for you. Worker shortages have employers scrambling to meet their staff needs in the hospitality industry in these Rocky Mountain resort areas. Wages are heading up to help attract… Read more »

Nordstrom Out: Familiar Story

Posted by & filed under Marketing & Strategy.

Description: American high-end retailer Nordstrom is pulling out of Canada. The chain started Canadian operations in 2014, but it has not been making any money here, reporting losses of $72 million in 2022. The Retail Strategy Group’s Liza Amlani was not surprised by Nordstrom’s move, noting that it had made the same classic mistake as… Read more »

Freeze Lifted

Posted by & filed under Canadian Economy, Marketing & Strategy, Student life.

Description: High food prices have been impacting Canadian consumers in this inflationary environment, and some are expressing their displeasure via social media in the wake of Loblaw lifting a prize freeze it had set back in the fall of 2022. Loblaw has responded through its own social media channels to defend its actions against consumers’… Read more »