Higher airfares likely upshot of Sunwing-WestJet integration, experts say – Business News
Higher airfares on way
The Canadian Press – Jun 19, 2023 / 9:35 am | Stories: 432620
Photo: The Canadian Press
Experts say WestJet’s decision to shut down Sunwing Airlines and fold it into its main operations will mean less service and higher fares — particularly in Western Canada and smaller cities across the country.
Sunwing told its employees it was being absorbed by its new owner on Wednesday, less than a week after WestJet announced plans to shutter discount subsidiary Swoop.
John Gradek, who teaches at McGill University’s aviation management program, says the latest move is bad news for…
British brewers sell weaker beer but don’t cut prices
LONDON –
Brewers in the United Kingdom are cutting the alcohol content — but not the price — of several of their most popular beers in what’s been described as another example of “shrinkflation.”
Greene King, a major UK brewer and pub chain, has cut the ABV, or alcohol content, of its popular Old Speckled Hen pale ale to 4.8% from 5%, a spokesperson for Greene King told CNN.
In March, the country’s oldest brewer, Shepherd Neame, slashed the ABV of its bottled Spitfire and Bishop’s Finger ales to 4.2% and 5.2% respectively, from 4.5% and 5.4%, a spokesperson said.…
How student loans keep some people trapped in debt
When Samuel Bonne received $15,000 in student grants to fund his studies, he wasn’t expecting to have to pay it back. But just two years later — in the middle of the pandemic — those grants were converted to loans.
At the end of his sophomore year at the University of Toronto, the Ontario Student Assistance Program (OSAP) asked Bonne, originally from Mauritius, for his parents’ financial documents, but they couldn’t provide them.
“My dad works in Kenya and my mom doesn’t work,” said Bonne. “So I ended up having $15,000 in loans that I did not know about.”
Bonne,…
Dollarama 21 per cent sees an increase in sales year-over-year
MONTREAL –
Dollarama Inc. enjoyed a 21 per cent year-over-year jump in sales in its latest quarter as the discount retailer scooped up consumers seeking cheaper products amid high inflation.
In the quarter ended April 30, the company said strong demand was held up across the board, from consumables to seasonal items and general merchandise, resulting in a profit boost of 23 per cent from a year earlier.
For same-store sales, the number of transactions grew nearly 16 per cent while purchase sizes also nudged up.
“We had a good Easter,” said chief executive Neil Rossy. “But there’s a slight…
Shakeup at Indigo as almost half of the company’s board exits and chair Heather Reisman will also leave soon
Four members of Indigo’s board of directors have abruptly resigned, and the company has announced that chair Heather Reisman will retire this summer.
Indigo Books and Music Inc. says Frank Clegg, Howard Grosfield, Anne Marie O’Donovan and Chika Stacy Oriuwa are no longer on the company’s 11-person board.
In a statement Wednesday, the company indicated that Oriuwa was resigning “because of her loss of confidence in board leadership and because of mistreatment.”
No reason was given for the other exits. “Indigo wishes the departing directors well and thanks each of them for their contributions during their tenure on the board,”…
Here’s why the PGA Tour just merged with LIV Golf
The PGA Tour announced Tuesday it would merge with LIV Golf, a Saudi-backed men’s golf organization that formed last year to compete with the PGA.
News of the merger sent shock waves through the sports world and even reached the highest echelons of the US government, after a reporter sought comment from the Biden administration about the Saudi government’s taking such a large stake in men’s golf. Biden spokeswoman Karine Jean-Pierre declined to comment.
Here’s what it all means.
What is LIV Golf?
LIV was created in 2022 by Saudi Arabia’s Public Investment Fund (PIF) alongside two of the world’s…
The Bank of Canada raises the key interest rate
OTTAWA –
The Bank of Canada raised its overnight rate by 25 basis points to 4.75 per cent on Wednesday, its first increase since pausing hikes in January. The central bank’s key interest rate has not been this high since April 2001.
Several factors led to the bank’s decision to raise the key interest rate, including economic growth in Canada. Gross Domestic Product exceeded expectations in the first quarter of this year, growing by 3.1 per cent.
The central bank says demand in the economy has rebounded, with surprisingly strong consumer spending. Housing market activity has picked up again…
The Family Business Succession Puzzle
Two weeks ago today we bade farewell to everyone’s favorite oedipal billionaires as the final episode of “Succession” wrapped up. The show’s immense cultural impact is due to many factors: top-class writing, heart-rending performances, and the sheer power Brian Cox could load into the letter ‘F’ all they played their part.
At its heart, the series highlights the often messy interlacing of family dynamics and 21st-century capitalism — and while we believe few viewers could truly relate to the Roys, that dynamic is deeply entrenched in real-world economics. Around 60% of the US workforce is employed by family-run businesses, and…