Micro vs. Macro
MICRO
Not so fresh: Joe Mimran steps down from namesake company
After nine years at the helm of one of Canada’s premiere sources for modern style and accessible design, Canadian fashion designer Joe Mimran is stepping down from his namesake company, leaving many to wonder what will become of the Joe Fresh brand. An exclusive fashion label for Loblaw Companies Limited, Joe Fresh launched in 2006 and has more than 350 stores across Canada. While Mimran has stated publicly that he intends to stay on as a brand ambassador, CBC-TV recently announced that the fashion retail giant will be in the next season of reality TV show, Dragon’s Den.
The bitter end: Ontario government to dismantle The Beer Store
With the Ontario government’s recent announcement that beer and wine will soon be available for purchase at major supermarket chains, it appears that The Beer Store’s quasi-monopoly is finally coming to an end. Owned by three foreign mega-brewers—Anheuser-Busch InBev SA, Molson Coors Brewing Co., and Sapporo Breweries Ltd.—The Beer Store has been charging craft brewers a premium fee for placement in its stores; upwards of $30,000 for 100 stores according to Andrea Chiodo, the creative director for Flying Monkeys. But that’s coming to an end with Kathleen Wynne’s recent pledge to dismantle the beer retailer, expected to take effect as early as this spring. Overall, it will allow craft breweries to grow and expand beyond the boundaries of Ontario’s outdated beer retailer.
MACRO
Leveling up: Nintendo ventures into new gaming territory
We all hoped it would happen eventually, and apparently
it is. Nintendo’s CEO Satoru Iwata just announced that Nintendo is partnering with Japanese mobile game company DeNA Co. to develop app-based mobile games for smartphones and other mobile devices. Finally we’ll be able to play Nintendo’s trademark games, like Super Mario and Donkey Kong Racing on our iPhones and Androids! But the $182-million deal isn’t the only big news coming out of Nintendo headquarters. Company reps have announced that they’re working on a new gaming platform code-named “NX.” Unfortunately, Nintendo doesn’t plan to unveil the new system until 2016. But in the mean time, keep your eyes peeled for the release dates of Nintendo’s smartphone games.
A crude reality: Canadian dollar to depreciate as oil prices sink
Remember last summer when it seemed like oil was the hottest commodity on the market? The price per barrel was a feverish $107 in June! Fast-forward 9 months to today and crude oil is trading for less than half that—about $45 per barrel. And experts predict that prices will continue to sink as crude oil producers deal with over-supply. You can expect the Canadian dollar to slide as this trend persists at least into the summer.
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