Some Canadian retailers are counting on their loyalty programs as they cope with the arrival of U.S. discounter Target.…Alan Middleton, marketing professor at York’s Schulich School of Business, believes that in the next two or three years, every major retailer will either invent its own loyalty program, or have a connection with an existing one. Also on the horizon, more directed marketing: Once they analyze what you purchase, you’ll get special deals on certain items. “It’s like Amazon: ‘We’ve noticed you like these books, have you looked at these?’ You’ll be getting that much more,” Middleton said in the Toronto Star April 5. Read full story.
Statistics seldom tell the whole story: Goar
According to the number-crunchers, our beliefs are wrong, our instincts misguided, reported the Toronto Star April 5. The gap between the wealthy elite and the rest of population hasn’t widened significantly, York University Professor George Fallis says in an essay in the current edition of the Literary Review of Canada. “It is said that Canada has a severe and growing problem of income inequality – the rich get richer while the poor get poorer and the middle class struggles to stay even. The picture is not accurate,” he argues, using a battery of statistics as proof. Read full story.
MuchMusic regular Eddie Della Siepe at charity comedy cabaret this Sunday
Eddie Della Siepe, a regular on MuchMusic’s “Jury Duty”, “Video on Trial” and “Love Court”, will be performing alongside a bevy of other comics at Raising the Roof’s 16th Annual Comedy Cabaret, reported the City Centre Mirror April 4….While the comedian always figured he would make his mark performing stand-up, he studied sociology at York University. His time there differed greatly from his high school days, when he was the class clown. “In university, if you joked around, you were wasting people’s time. People would look at you like, ‘I paid $50,000 to be here. I don’t care what the teacher looks like.’” Read full story.