涩里番

2025听听触听听2024听听触听听2023听听触听听2022听听触听听2020

Retail Innovation Challenge 2025

The 6^th edition of the Retail Innovation Challenge brought together student teams from across Canada to develop creative, practical solutions for real-world challenges in food retail. This year鈥檚 competition focused on three core areas: generating revenue growth, improving the guest experience, and optimizing digital footprint.

Congratulations to the final six teams for reaching the Final Phase, spanning 涩里番, Queen鈥檚 University, Ivey Business School at Western University, and Rotman School of Management at the University of Toronto. Participants worked on business cases for Mandy鈥檚, Bass茅 Nuts, and 脡conomus茅e 鈥� Microdistillerie Gin 鈥淕rand D茅rangement.鈥� Our partner companies were impressed by the teams鈥� creativity, strategic thinking, and collaborative spirit.

We extend our gratitude to our title sponsor, SAQ, for their support, and to EY for facilitating a problem-solving workshop, mentoring finalist teams, and participating in the judging panel for the finals.

2025 winners

Mandy鈥檚 case

• 1^st place & grand prize winner: Eat the Market from 涩里番: $10,000
• 2^nd place: K5 from University of Toronto: $1,000

Bass茅 Nuts case

Tie for case winner: Alchemists and Dundas Strategy from Western University: $1,750 each

脡conomus茅e 鈥� Microdistillerie Gin 鈥淕rand D茅rangement鈥� case

• 1^st place: Let the Wild Rumpus Start from Queen鈥檚 University: $2,500
• 2^nd place: T4 from Queen鈥檚 University: $1,000

Special Prize for Best Collaboration

Shared by: Alchemists and Dundas Strategy from Western University: $500 each

A huge round of applause to all finalist teams and participants! Your creativity, hard work, and thoughtful solutions continue to reflect the future of retail innovation.

Grand prize-winning team: Eat the Market from 涩里番

Retail Innovation Challenge 2024

That鈥檚 a wrap on the 5^th anniversary of our Retail Innovation Challenge! This milestone is a celebration not only of our journey but of the incredible growth and impact we've seen over the years within the Quebec retail ecosystem. This year, over 80 teams from 15 universities across Canada registered to participate in the Retail Innovation Challenge, making it our biggest competition yet.

Congratulations to the final six teams for making it to the top, spanning Concordia University | John Molson School of Business, 涩里番 | Desautels Faculty of Management, Queen鈥檚 University | Smith School of Business, University of Toronto | Rotman School of Management, and Western University | Ivey Business School! This year鈥檚 challenge pushed boundaries, as participants tackled real-world cases focused on business model transitions 鈥� an area crucial to the evolving retail landscape. Our SME partners鈥擫IB Microcommerce, Cellcom, and Sports Experts | Groupe Angelo-Beaulieu 鈥攚ere impressed by the innovative solutions presented by student teams to help advance their retail strategies. We extend our gratitude to our title sponsor SAQ, and our partners MEIE and EY, for their generous support.

This year鈥檚 winners:

Sports Experts | Groupe Angelo-Beaulieu case

• 1^st place & grand prize winner: Catalyst Consulting from Concordia University: $10,000*
  *This is the first time an undergrad team has won the RIC grand prize!
• 2^ndplace: Pivot from Queen鈥檚 University: $1,000

Cellcom case

• 1^st place: Whimsical Retail Wizard from 涩里番鈥檚 MMR: $2,500
• 2^nd place: Rot McMan from University of Toronto: $1,000

LIB Microcommerce case

• 1^st place: Retail Edge Consulting from Western University: $2,500
• 2^nd place: Consumer Crew from University of Toronto: $1,000

Special prize for depth of research & company engagement

Retail Edge Consulting from Western University: $1,000

A huge round of applause to all participants. Your passion and hard work inspire us, and we鈥檙e excited to see how you continue to shape the future of retail!

Grand prize winners Catalyst Consulting from Concordia University with Charles de Brabant, Executive Director at Bensadoun School of Retail Management and Rita Saad, CX Strategy & Innovation Domain Lead, Consulting Services at EY.

Retail Innovation Challenge 2023

We wrapped our 4^th edition of the Retail Innovation Challenge on November 4, 2023 and it was a huge success! We hosted the finals in person and welcomed student teams from Concordia University, McMaster University, University of Ottawa, and 涩里番. The finalist teams showcased innovative solutions and ideas to help Quebec SMEs succeed in the new realities of retail.

We are thrilled to announce that 惭肠骋颈濒濒鈥檚 Master of Management in Retailing team won the $10,000 Grand Prize powered by our title sponsor SAQ as well as their respective case. We would also like to congratulate teams GPT and Case Crafters from Concordia University for winning their respective cases and $2,500 prize. We also awarded a special prize for teamwork, creativity, and risk-taking to the Jarvis team from McMaster University.

We would like to especially recognize the business-case SMEs for their generous involvement throughout the competition: V茅ronique Beaulieu-Fowler and Sarah Tremblay from Banques Alimentaires du Qu茅bec, Adrien Benatek from ENVOI Qu茅bec, and Xavier, Vincent, Zachary from Carole Thrift Shop.

A special thank you our judges 鈥� Marie-H茅l猫ne Lagac茅 from SAQ, St茅phanie Bleau聽+ 脡tienne Poulin from Ernst & Young, and Zahoor Chughtai聽from the Sustainable Growth Initiative @ Desautels Faculty of Management - for their involvement in selecting the winners along with the business owners.

Thank you to all participants, case coaches, Brigitte Martin and the BSRM team, and our partners SAQ, CQCD, and EY for making this Retail Innovation Challenge one to remember!

Grand prize winners Master of Management in Retailing team Gaga Bon with Charles de Brabant, Executive Director at Bensadoun School of Retail Management and Marie-H茅l猫ne Lagac茅, VP Public Affairs, Communications & Sustainability at SAQ.

Retail Innovation Challenge 2022

Thank you to everyone who participated in the third edition of the Retail Innovation Challenge! We were thrilled to host the finals in-person and welcome student teams from universities across Canada.

Congratulations to the MacKenzie & Co team from Telfer School at University of Ottawa for winning the $10,000 Grand Prize powered by our title sponsor SAQ! We would also like to congratulate the Red Maple Consulting team from Concordia University and the Zoomtopia team from 涩里番 for winning their respective cases and $2,500 prize.

We would like to especially recognize the case-subject companies and their representatives for their generous involvement throughout the competition: Eric L茅gar茅, Joelle Arsenault, and C茅dric Plante from Hockey Supremacy, Guillaume Couture and Christoffer Baur from 脡quipe Nutrition, and Catherine Speth and Alex Chicoine from Louis Garneau.

A special thank you to the Phase 3 judges - Philippe O鈥機onnell from SAQ and Prof. Julia Scott from the Desautels Faculty of Management - for their involvement in selecting the winners along with the business owners.

Thank you to all participants, coaches, volunteers, sponsors, and partners for making this edition of the Retail Innovation Challenge a success!

Grand Prize winners from the University of Ottawa with Philippe O'Connell from the SAQ.

Retail Innovation Challenge 2020