Netflix Rising

Posted by & filed under Financial Reporting and Analysis, Marketing & Strategy.

Description: If you’re a Netfllix subscriber, get prepared to dig a bit deeper into your pocketbook. The monthly rate for the two-stream plans in Canada are heading to $16.49 from the current price of $14.99. Netflix asserts that the increase will help the company provide a “better experience” in a market that seems to be… Read more »

Good Year for Vinyl

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

Description: In the music business, 2021 was a good year for Adele; and for vinyl records. Though vinyl accounts for only 2% of U.S. music sales, for the first time since 1991, vinyl outsold CDs as the primary physical medium. Of course, streaming outstrips these older technologies by a huge order of magnitude. Date:  January… Read more »

Right to Repair

Posted by & filed under Accounting Principles, Marketing & Strategy.

Description: After sustained pressure from the so-called right to repair movement, Apple has agreed to make certain spare parts available to consumers who want to fix their own iPhones and laptops. Apple had previously resisted the notion of consumers repairing their own devices, though a couple of years ago, it opened its parts and tool… Read more »

An $8.5 Billion Drop

Posted by & filed under Financial Reporting and Analysis, Marketing & Strategy.

Description: Peleton, the exercise equipment manufacturer that benefited greatly from a pandemic-fueled rise in home exercise, has suffered a loss of $8.5 billion in market valuation after decreasing its sales forecasts for 2022. Net income will also be impacted by a price-cut on Peleton’s flagship bike as well as rising shipping costs. A loss of… Read more »

Clothing our Olympians

Posted by & filed under Marketing & Strategy.

Description: Lululemon has won the right to be the exclusive clothing outfitter for our Canadian Olympic teams through to 2028. Bruce Winder, a Toronto based analyst, termed this move as a “game-changer” for Lululemon. The costs of the deal have not been disclosed, though Lululemon has pledged a proportion of associated sales will help fund… Read more »

Big Bets

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

Description: The NFL is off and running for another season. And with this kickoff comes the news of just how much betting is going on out there. Legal bets on college and NFL football are likely to exceed $20 billion this year. With news like that, Draft Kings stock has been up 17% over the… Read more »

Beer Store Losing Money?

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

Description: It’s a headline that sounds like a joke: the Beer Store is losing money. But the retailer owned by the big breweries has lost about $50 million in the last year. Part of the problem is the pandemic, with tavern closures shutting down the sales of kegs. The availability of beer at grocers has… Read more »

The High Cost of Construction

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

Description: The nesting phenomenon – people renovating homes during the Covid-19 pandemic – has bumped up both lumber demand and prices. And, of course, this has driven up the cost of building a new home. The cost of thousand board feet of 2×4 has increased from $550 pre-Covid to over $1,400 this spring. Ouch! Date:… Read more »

Canada Goose Flying

Posted by & filed under Marketing & Strategy.

Description: Despite the global corona virus pandemic, Canadian clothier Canada Goose has been flying high. With traditional retail establishments in reduced operations, Canada Goose has taken advantage of digital commerce. With three of its eight Canadian factories unionized, CEO Dani Reiss has also spoken out against the notion that the maker of luxury jackets is… Read more »

Defying the Odds

Posted by & filed under Marketing & Strategy.

Description: Many would probably say that the pandemic has been a terrible time for business. But a number of entrepreneurs have confounded the conventional wisdom by starting businesses in Canada during these tough times. For instance, Mike Livingstone saw losing his job as an executive in the transportation business as a chance for him to… Read more »