David Sobey Retailing Centre awards three research grants to Sobey School of Business researchers

The David Sobey Retailing Centre is very pleased to award funding of $10,000 each to Sobey School of Business researchers Hadi Eslami, Bahareh Mansouri and Ethan Pancer.

Founded in 2014, thanks to a visionary and generous gift by the late Dr. David F. Sobey, CM, DComm’91, Chair Emeritus of Sobeys Inc., the David Sobey Retailing Centre is a leading expert and partner in the retail sector, shaping the future of retail through research, innovation and education. 

“Funding research in areas that are vital to the future of retail is a key priority for the David Sobey Retailing Centre” says Dr. Ramesh Venkat, Director of the David Sobey Retailing Centre, “Canada’s retail sector accounts for 15.6 per cent of Canada’s GDP and employs the most people of all sectors in our economy. An innovative, thriving and competitive retail sector is a vital contributor to Canada’s economy”.

Highlights of this new research are:

Hadi Eslami

Title: Buy Now Pay Later (BNPL) Adoption and Shareholder Value of Retailers

Description: While retailers have been at the forefront of adopting the Buy Now Pay Later (BNPL) payment method/system, we have limited knowledge regarding the performance effects of this adoption. In this research, we will examine how the adoption of BNPL influences retailers’ shareholder value performance across multiple consumer segments.

More about Hadi Eslami

Bahareh Mansouri

Title: Towards sustainable urban freight planning: the integration of micro-distribution centers into the urban transportation network

Description: This research project addresses the pressing challenges faced by the retail and service sectors in the context of urban freight transportation. It focuses on strategically integrating the Urban Micro-distribution Centers (UMCs), fed by the Urban Distribution Centers (UDCs), into the urban logistics network planning. This study employs optimization models, drawing from the Hub Location Problem (HLP) and the Location-Routing Problem (LRP) to minimize operational costs, reduce carbon footprints, and enhance customer satisfaction. 

More about Bahareh Mansouri

Ethan Pancer

Title: Consumer Responses to Product Innovation from Generative AI

Description: This project investigates how people perceive products created by generative AI compared to those made by humans, exploring the impact of a product's origin on its perceived value, trustworthiness, and acceptability. The findings aim to guide retailers in industries at the crossroads of technology and creativity in developing strategies that align with consumer attitudes in an increasingly AI-integrated market.

More about Ethan Pancer

David Sobey Retailing Centre attracts retail industry veterans to Advisory Council

The David Sobey Retailing Centre (formerly David Sobey Centre for Innovation in Retailing & Services) at the Sobey School of Business is delighted to welcome retail industry veterans Joe Jackman, Julia Knox, Dave S. Sobey and Wanda Walkden to its Advisory Council.

“The David Sobey Retailing Centre is extremely fortunate to have retail veterans and innovators of this calibre join our experienced Advisory Council,” says Vivek Sood, Executive Vice President, Related Business, Empire Company Limited and Chair, David Sobey Retailing Center Advisory Board. “The Advisory Council directly connects the centre with the retail sector, providing insights into industry issues and trends, and guiding the centre in its mission to shape the future of retail.”

Canada’s retail sector accounts for 15.6 per cent of Canada’s GDP and employs the most people of all sectors in our economy. “The David Sobey Retailing Centre is an integrated player in Canada’s retail community,” says Dr. Ramesh Venkat, Director, David Sobey Retailing Centre. “We are engaged in real-world retail innovation and training, world-class executive education and events, and research in areas vital to the future of retail including technology, AI, consumer psychology and behaviour, e-commerce and retail competition.”

New Advisory Council members:

Joe Jackman, Founder and Executive Chair, Jackman Reinvents

Joe Jackman is the Founder and Chairman of Jackman Reinvents, a management consulting firm specializing in transformative growth, and the CEO of Catapult Capital Partners, a venture capital and advisory firm focused on accelerating the growth of early-stage businesses.

For over 35 years, Jackman has helped leaders of retail, consumer packaged goods and B2B companies strengthen their strategic positions and accelerate value creation. An inductee into the Hall of Legends by the American Marketing Association, he is the author of the book The Reinventionist Mindset and is widely considered to be a leading expert on change and rapid business reinvention.

Julia Knox, Chief Technology and Analytics Officer and Chief Privacy Officer, Empire Company Limited

Responsible for technology, enterprise data and advanced analytics, Knox joined Empire in 2021 bringing with her extensive experience as a highly accomplished executive at Giant Tiger, where she was SVP, E-Commerce & Chief Merchandising Officer.

Knox’s leadership extends to community service; she serves as the Chair of the Board of the Ottawa Regional Cancer Foundation and is a founding activator of ShEO, a non-profit venture capital fund supporting women entrepreneurs. She is also a member of the Grocery Board for GS1 Canada.

Dave S. Sobey, Vice President, Operations, Atlantic, Sobeys Inc.

In his role, Sobey is accountable for Atlantic Operations of full-service and community banner stores. These include Sobeys, Foodland, and participating Co-ops within the four Atlantic provinces.

Sobey serves as the 2022-24 Chair of the Grocery Foundation Atlantic to benefit Atlantic Canada’s children’s hospital foundations and as Co-chair of the ‘Charting Our Course’ capital campaign for the Ship Hector Society to restore and relaunch the iconic ship in Pictou County.

Wanda Walkden, Chief Human Resources & Communications Officer, Staples Canada

Walkden leads Human Resources, Internal Communications and Corporate Social Responsibility, ensuring the alignment of these critical areas supports the engagement and retention of Staples’ 11,000 associates.

Prior to joining Staples, Walkden was the VP, Human Resources for Lowe’s Canada. She has over twenty-five years of human resources experience gained in a variety of industries including telecommunications, global outsourcing and retail, and has led the Human Resources function for multi-site teams based in Canada, U.S, Europe and Asia Pacific

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The David Sobey Retailing Centre, founded in 2014, was made possible thanks to a generous and visionary gift by the late Dr. David F. Sobey, CM, DComm’91, Chair Emeritus of Sobeys Inc.

To view the full list of David Sobey Retailing Centre Advisory Council members and find out more about the centre, please visit davidsobeycentre.ca

Innovative retail store will revolutionize how we shop

Saint Mary’s University, recognized as a top Canadian university, is teaming up with some of Canada’s most influential retail companies to create one of the foremost retail laboratories on the continent. It’s all part of the ground-breaking research at SMU’s David Sobey Centre for Innovation in Retailing and Services.

Visitors will soon become part of a living experiment designed to transform the future of shopping and reshape the retail landscape. Students and visitors to the south end of campus will walk into a deceptively simple convenience store that is actually a cutting-edge laboratory.

The retail robot is programmed to glide through stores tracking price tags, missing items and other information, which it relays to employees.

Inside, a retail robot glides through the aisles, logging items that have run low and sending messages to the stockroom. The robot is designed for large stores where it tracks inventory on shelves and assesses planogram and price compliance, explains Ramesh Venkat, Director of the David Sobey Centre. “The robot, equipped with cameras, matches price tags to the computerized lists, checks price tags for compliance for the latest discounts, spots misplaced or missing items, generates a report and sends a real-time alert to an employee.”

And if a shopper wants to take an item home? No need to look for a cashier; there isn’t one. Instead, when you exit the store your credit or debit card is charged automatically. But wait, maybe you want to try on something before purchasing? Step in front of 3D digital screen to model clothing using virtual fitting technology.

SMU researchers are building a futuristic “frictionless customer experience” without inconveniences such as line-ups and check-outs, where customer privacy and protection of information are priorities. “We don't collect any video footage or store any credit card or debit card information. We will provide best-in-class privacy and security, which will set us apart from companies that are doing computer vision in retail environments,” adds Venkat.

The David Sobey Centre for Innovation in Retailing and Services brings together university researchers and Canadian retailers to test new technologies such as artificial intelligence, augmented reality, and robotics. Vivek Sood MBA’98, Executive Vice President, Related Businesses, Empire Company Limited and Sobeys Inc., and Chair of the David Sobey Centre notes, “The retail sector is one of the main drivers of Canada’s economy and an incredibly exciting place of major innovation right now. Each time I visit campus I am eager to see the advances being made by the professors and their top research students.”

Students gain hands-on experience building tech solutions for retail

The retail store and its related labs offer SMU students unparalleled opportunities for hands-on learning and collaboration. Saint Mary’s University professors and students are building leading-edge tech from scratch: computer vision systems, augmented reality and robots.

The digital lab and mock store will allow researchers to track shoppers as they interact with digital platforms, including websites and advertisements. In the biometrics lab, graduate students will use advanced tools such as EEG (Electroencephalography), eye-tracker glasses and GSR (Galvanic Skin Response) sensors to understand customer behaviour and decision-making. Faculty and student researchers from several disciplines–marketing, psychology, information systems, engineering, and computer science all benefit.

Jason Rhinelander

Engineering Professor Jason Rhinelander, Head of Technology and Innovation for the David Sobey Centre, understands that the David Sobey Centre presents him and SMU students with a huge opportunity. “Retail has so many challenges and that is key for engineers and computer scientists. We don’t invent algorithms for the sake of it. We need problems to solve.”

“We can benefit small and medium-sized Atlantic Canadian companies recovering from the pandemic and battling stressors like inflation. By placing their products in our store which acts as a ‘living lab,’ we can provide data about how customers feel about their packaging, service and overall quality. We can also test the retail environment for accessibility: lighting levels, noise levels, and colour schemes.”

Watch: Jason Rhinelander loves solving problems with technology

Vinod Bachhao

Vinod Bachhao came to SMU as a Master’s student in 2015, graduated to PhD studies and is now the university’s first AI engineer. “I could have gone to Toronto, but I love Halifax and the environment here. I grabbed the opportunity to work on the SMU robot and state-of-the-art AI and computer vision. There is nothing better than this.”

The labs, mock store and the cashier-less store all provide the infrastructure for exploring new ideas and innovations that can shape the future of Canadian retail. “The purpose of the David Sobey Centre is to develop and share innovations, expertise and skills that help build a vibrant retail sector–domestically and globally. This new infrastructure and the collaboration between researchers, retailers and technology companies vitally enable us to achieve that vision. It's really exciting,” says Venkat.

Remembering Dr. David Sobey, C.M., DComm'91, Chancellor Emeritus

Dr. David Sobey, CM, DComm’91, Chancellor Emeritus
1931-2023

The Saint Mary’s University community mourns the passing of Dr. David Sobey, C.M., DComm’91, Chancellor Emeritus of Saint Mary’s University. We join with his family, friends and colleagues in sharing their grief and honouring the life of this steadfast Nova Scotian and exemplary Canadian.

David has left an indelible mark on the lives of students, faculty and staff at Saint Mary's University. His unwavering generosity and guidance over the years have transformed the university and the Sobey School of Business. His legacy will continue to shine through the countless students he has empowered to pursue their dreams and through the David Sobey Centre for Innovation in Retailing and Services established through David’s generosity and vision.          

David Sobey had a long and warm association with the university and in particular with the Sobey School of Business named in honour of his father, Frank H. Sobey. David received an Honorary Doctorate of Commerce in 1991 and cut the ribbon for the new Sobey Building in 1998.  Along with his wife, Faye, he was a strong supporter of Saint Mary’s for more than three decades, beginning in 1986 with his service on the Board of Governors. From 1991 to 1998, he chaired the Building on Strength Capital Campaign, helping to raise $24 million. When the Sobey School of Business Advisory Committee met for the first time in 2002, David was a member. From 2008 to 2010, he served as Saint Mary’s first lay chancellor, conferring degrees to thousands of students at convocation.

In 2019, David announced the $18 million gift from the Sobey family, The Sobey Foundation, Sobeys Inc. and Empire Company Limited. As part of that gift, the Sobeys Inspiration Hub is opening this fall, another stellar tribute to the legacy of David Sobey, the Sobey family, The Sobey Foundation, Sobeys Inc. and Empire Company Limited.

“We are very saddened to hear the news of David’s passing,” said President and Vice-Chancellor Dr. Robert Summerby-Murray. “We are honoured to count David Sobey as a friend and guide over many years. He visited campus not only for important events and meetings but often came to watch the progress of the latest building project or meet with faculty, staff and students and hear about their achievements. I will miss his presence and thoughtful leadership that have touched the lives of so many.”

We invite the campus community to sign a book of condolences that will be in the lobby of the Sobey School of Business.

David with members of the Sobey family

A Saint Mary’s Times article from 1992

Dr. Sobey at Convocation in 2010

David Sobey and honorary degree recipient Bob Kelly

David Sobey at convocation

L-R: David Sobey, Rob Dexter, Fred Smithers, Paul Sobey

David Sobey with Myra and Larry Freeman

David Sobey announcing the $18 million Sobey gift in 2019

Meet the new face of retail: the Saint Mary's retail robot

L-R, Mohammad Rahimipour MSc in Applied Science; Professor Adel Merabet; Lucas Orychock first-year Diploma of Engineering; Uzair Tahir MSc in Applied Science; Abhishek Vijayakumar Latha MSc in Computing and Data Analytics; Francis Kuzhippallil MSc Computing and Data Analytics.

Students are arriving to Saint Mary’s University from Nova Scotia and around the world to create the next generation of robots.

Uzair Tahir

“It was a very big decision to leave my country, my family, come to Canada and start from zero,” says Uzair Tahir, a Master of Science in Applied Science student who left Pakistan to join the team in Dr. Adel Merabet’s lab on the third floor of the McNally Building. Only three months into his studies, he is enhancing his skills in computer vision and machine learning and can see a bright future. “My work here leads to a career in robotics and I see the potential for commercial application.”

The Saint Mary’s robot is the brainchild of the university’s David Sobey Centre for Innovation in Retailing and Services. The robot is just one of several technology-based innovations currently being pioneered at the Centre, all designed to transform our everyday shopping experience. The robot will certainly free up retail employees from humdrum tasks, but that is only the beginning. The real advantage is its ability to capture voluminous data about customers’ buying habits, which can lead to greater efficiency in inventory management and eventually enable retailers to anticipate shopper demands. Combine the robot with machine learning and AI, as the Saint Mary’s team is doing, and we are entering the Fourth Industrial Revolution which will transform how we work, conduct business and how we shop for goods and services.

Does this mean robots will commandeer grocery aisles or replace humans at your favourite big box store? No, but robots are finding their niche by enabling better data capture before and after point of sale, allowing managers to respond more quickly to customer demands for everything from potato chips to batteries.

Students work together on the retail robot in Professor Merabet’s lab

Francis Kuzhippallil and Abhishek Vijayakumar Latha, both current students in the Master of Science in Computing and Data Analytics program, see the project as a great gain for their future careers. They contributed to the development of algorithms and codes that enable the robot to take photos of products on store shelves and transmit the information without overlap or duplication, a key factor in planogram compliance, which lets retailers know exactly which products have been moved or purchased and when to restock.

“I want to be one step ahead and this project gives me that opportunity,” says Latha. For Francis Kuzhippallil, the project has boosted his portfolio. “Interviewers and colleagues are always interested to know more about this project. I am honoured to have a role.”

Francis Kuzhippallil

Abhishek Vijayakumar Latha

Mohammad Rahimipour, who is in the Master of Science in Applied Science program, came to Saint Mary’s from Iran in 2022. “My experience here has been amazing,” says Rahimipour. “Saint Mary’s University is very multi-cultural. The environment is collaborative; students know their input is valued and the professors support us.”

Mohammad Rahimipour

Rahimipour is the team leader—he has led the construction of version 3, a robot that is autonomous and able to operate without a human controller. New cameras allow it to take accurate photos at a greater distance, all advantages for a machine that will need to navigate around bargain shoppers or avoid a ‘cleanup on aisle two.’

“I have made a lot of changes to the robot. I see my progress every day as the robot performs and the project improves. I can’t wait to try out the robot in a real store. That’s the next step,” says Rahimipour.

Lucas Orychock

Entering his second year in Engineering at Saint Mary’s, Lucas Orychock from Bedford, Nova Scotia, knows it is unusual for an undergraduate student to gain this type of first-hand experience. During his summer work with Dr. Merabet’s team, he had the opportunity to learn how to use sophisticated tools to capture photos from high-quality cameras. “Achieving this level of exposure to hands-on research is motivating. There is a place for everybody’s input.”

For Professor Adel Merabet, the collaboration with the David Sobey Centre for Innovation in Retailing and Services and the participation of many students from programs such as Engineering, the Master of Science in Applied Science and Computing and Data Analytics, is the perfect example of a project that is interdisciplinary, combining the talents of many researchers and pragmatic, demonstrating real-world application and commercial potential.

Sustainability and technology solutions lead sixth annual National Retail Innovation Awards

L-R: Austin Castellanos (DSC), Josh Domingues (Flashfood), Virgile Ollivier (Livescale), Donny Ouyang (Blackcart), Dr. Ramesh Venkat (DSC)

Three Canadian retailers were recognized for sector leadership at the 2023 David Sobey Centre National Retail Innovation Awards.

“For a robust, competitive and successful Canadian retail sector, it's important for the industry to continue to innovate,” said David Sobey Centre (DSC) Director, Dr. Ramesh Venkat. “As a multidisciplinary research institute, we take pride in leading the way in supporting and championing innovation and new technologies to make further advancements in the sector.”

The winners used creative means to find solutions to advance technology, improve customer experiences and address sustainability.   

Meet the winners

Retail Sustainability Innovation Award: Flashfood

Josh Domingues

Flashfood is an innovative waste reduction solution that has successfully diverted over 40 million pounds of food from landfills while continuing to provide affordable access to food for consumers through an easy-to-use app. 

“This is great recognition for Flashfood, but we are nothing without our grocery partners who have given us an opportunity to make this incredible impact together.” - Josh Domingues BComm’13, Flashfood Founder.

Retail Technology Innovation Award: Livescale

Virgile Ollivier

Livescale is unique in the global market thanks to its integrated checkout, immersive client resources and outstanding customer service. It is changing how brands interact with communities by increasing customer engagement and sales.

“As a Canadian company, we were thrilled to receive the award as a recognition of our efforts in supporting Canadian retailers to adopt and succeed in social commerce. It rewards our mission as a company and motivates us to continue to achieve our vision for the retail space, and to continue empowering retailers, merchants and brands” – Virgile Ollivier, Livescale Founder.

Retail Customer Experience Innovation Award: Blackcart

Donny Ouyang

Blackcart is changing the future of e-commerce. Its innovative try-before-you-buy approach and proprietary fraud artificial intelligence provides a safe customer experience while increasing sales and merchants’ average order value.

"No one sets out on the chaotic ride of building a startup just for the sake of winning awards, so this recognition means the world to us. It's a fantastic reminder of all the hard work our team has invested in crafting impactful solutions for the retail industry." – Donny Ouyang, Blackcart Founder.

Keynote address

Tech entrepreneur and keynote speaker Lane Merrifield delivers his address to the crowd.

Tech entrepreneur and former “dragon” on CBC’s Dragons’ Den, Lane Merrifield, provided an impassioned keynote address to the crowded room of 200 people. Guests included members of the Sobey family and Sobeys Incorporated, retail business leaders, members of government, the local business community, students, faculty and staff. 

His keynote address challenged people in the room to not be afraid to take risks in their professional and personal lives. “Courage is a muscle that needs to be exercised,” Mr. Merrifield shared with the crowd. “What do we do with complex challenges and fears? We have to break them down into small, manageable bites—action cures fear.”

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Industry impact

President and CEO of the Retail Council of Canada Diane Briseboise and David Sobey Centre Director Dr. Ramesh Venkat stand for a photo.   

Disruptive forces have dramatically shifted the global retail landscape. Consumers have been looking to retailers to provide solutions to address sustainability, product accessibility and affordability to improve technology and customer experience. 

“By recognizing outstanding organizations for their unique contributions to retail, the David Sobey Centre continues to ensure that businesses can succeed, prosper and provide benchmarks for others to learn from and emulate,” said Diane Brisebois, David Sobey Advisory Council member and President & CEO of Retail Council of Canada. “The Retail Council of Canada is honoured and proud to support the Centre and these important awards.”

About the Awards

The awards were created in 2017 to recognize retailers and companies supporting the retail sector for their innovation and unique contributions to Canadian retailing each year. They specifically recognize the most innovative up-and-coming companies and change-makers in the retail industry.

About the David Sobey Centre for Innovation in Retailing & Services

The DSC is on the cusp of the most innovative, ground-breaking and cutting-edge changes in the retail industry. The Centre is the leading source of expertise in retailing and service management and prepares students to become industry leaders within Canada and globally. Every day the Centre is building a stronger and more vibrant national retail sector through research, innovation and education.

See photos from the National Retail Innovation Awards event on March 30, 2023

David Sobey Centre for Innovation in Retailing and Services celebrates Retail Month

Dr. David Sobey, CM at the National Retail Innovation Awards.

The David Sobey Centre for Innovation in Retailing and Services at Saint Mary's University is hosting a series of online events and discussions on the retail industry this October as part of Retail Month.

Retail Month, hosted by the David Sobey Centre, celebrates the retail industry and leads discussions to uncover the latest trends, practices and future predictions in retail.

"We have hosted several well-received Retail Weeks over the past several years, and one of the main comments we kept receiving was why only a week," says Dr. Ramesh Venkat, the director of the David Sobey Centre. "Retail Month offers industry leaders, and members of the retail sector increased opportunities to discuss trends and innovations they see in the sector. The pandemic has created unusual challenges and opportunities for the retail sector, making this year's Retail Month even more valuable."

Retail Month reach extends beyond the business community to students. There are many opportunities for university students and graduates in the retail sector.  With many companies promoting employees from within, recent graduates have extensive growth opportunities when joining the industry.

Speakers for Retail Month events include senior executives from national retail companies such as Sobeys Inc., Hudson's Bay Company, Staples, IKEA, and Dillard's. Representatives from these companies, and more, will be sharing their experience in various panel discussions. The topics are e-commerce and the future of retailing, women in retail, and sustainable retailing.

As part of Retail Month, the 4th annual National Retail Innovation Awards will occur on Thursday, Oct. 29. The National Retail Innovation Awards celebrates Canadian retailers' achievements and retailers who have demonstrated innovation and excellence in the industry. This year the award categories are retail business model innovation, retail technology innovation, and community service innovation. The award categories reflect the areas where retailers had to successfully adapt their business practices during the global pandemic.

The Sustainability Case Competition is also taking place during Retail Month. Students will participate in a case competition to support a local, sustainable retailer. This competition is in partnership with the 2nd Annual Sobey School of Business Responsibility Conference hosted by the Sobey School of Business.

For more information on Retail Month and the speaker series, visit: https://www.bigmarker.com/series/retail-month-20201/series_summit.