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A current awareness resource for students & faculty members in Business & Economics


On meal kits: Primary research questions & secondary resources

Published by Mark Bodnar

Line drawing of a bowl with chopsticks
One of our BUS 345 sections (hi, D100!) will be doing some primary market research focused on meal kits this term.

The students have a huge amount of flexibility when it comes to choosing the research questions they want to explore, so it would be difficult to suggest specific resources and search strategies for them. Instead, I thought I'd try a different approach: 

Simple line drawing of two people with a light bulb above them to indicate creative ideas
I'll highlight just a few of the possible research questions to give you a sense of the range of research that goes into marketing (section A below). I'll aim to highlight the amount of lateral/creative thinking that a market researcher has to do, but my list won't be anywhere near as detailed as that of a real marketer.

Then I'll list the guides and blog posts that cover the sorts of resources I'd normally use to answer such questions (section B).

Finally, I'll return to the target product and talk about research resources that are specifically about meal kits (section C).

Here we go...   <Read on!>

Refreshed & ready for research: Check out our updated IBISWorld industry reports!

Published by Mark Bodnar

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IBISWorld logo
ur IBISWorld database received a much needed refresh earlier this year. 

The content hasn't really changed -- it's still a great collection of over 2100 regularly updated industry reports -- but browsing & searching to find those reports is now a smoother, more efficient process. If you haven't used IBISWorld lately, explore and let me know what you think!

<Read on for links to a few sample reports, and details on the under-used "BEP" part of the database!>

One year in: The business of (legal) cannabis

Published by Mark Bodnar

Time flies when you're having fun...

drawing of a cannabis leaf with dollar signs between each segment
It was one year ago today that Canada legalized cannabis. Now that we are a year into this new world of legalized sale and consumption, we are seeing innovations such as edibles & low-cost, bulk buying, and there are reports of a boost to the economy of over $8 billion.

I thought I'd do a quick "anniversary" check today to see what new information resources might now be available on this hot topic... 

<Read on for lots of recent resources on this fast-changing topic!>

What do amusement parks, bread, and wireless telecom have in common?

Published by Mark Bodnar

logo for IBISWorld Industry Reports database
I was just scanning the usage stats for our IBISWorld database -- a key source for overviews of industries in Canada, the USA, and China. 

During the month of August, likely the slowest period of the year for research and instruction here at SFU, our researchers downloaded almost 1100 IBISWorld reports.

If past patterns hold true, a further 10,000+ IBISWorld reports will be downloaded and used in SFU assignments this semester.

<Read on to find out how amusement parks, bread, and wireless fit into this story...>

Renewable energy industry information via SFU Library

Published by Mark Bodnar

I was just scanning the news (that's what a business researcher does to relax) and spotted the following story at the BBC site: Britain in two-week coal-free record.

As the article states, "Britain has not used coal to generate electricity for two weeks - the longest period since the 1880s." The move toward alternative energy sources is gathering momentum in the UK and having measureable impacts. [...]

Since I am an opportunist at heart, this is a chance for me to highlight the many alternative energy industry overviews available in our databases...

<Read on.. learn lots... take action...>

 

Trending today... Cannabis business resources

Published by Mark Bodnar

There's an old saying that "twice is a coincidence, but three times is a trend."  In the last half hour I've spotted three new cannabis/marijuana business related resources in our collection, tipping us over into trend territory.

Image of a cannabis leaf with dollar signs interspersed between the leaves
Such a trend toward information on the business aspect of marijuana isn't really a surprise: with legalization just around the corner, businesses have been scrambling for months (if not years) to line up a good starting position.  The people who produce the reports, data, and ebooks needed to support new businesses have also been scrambling to fill this new niche.

If you are among those who are looking into this new market (academically or entrepreneurially), check out these new resources available through the SFU Library: 

<Click here for the resources!>

Downstream effects of steel tariffs: IBISWorld

Published by Mark Bodnar

Image of steel girders with the text: Canada is the largest supplier and buyer of U.S. steel. 43.2% of U.S. iron and steel is exported to Canada. IBISWorld
I see that IBISWorld has published an analysis of the possible effects of a US steel & aluminum tariff on Canadian industries and consumers:  Trump Tariff to Hit Consumers, Canadian Steel and Construction.

As I'm sure you could guess, such tariffs are expected to touch on many industries.  Here are direct links to IBISWorld reports on some ...

<Read on for links to industry and business environment reports!>

NAFTA renegotiations: Stress relief through research

Published by Mark Bodnar

simple line drawing of two people facing each other at a table with a dollar sign in the middle
I'm sure you've been following the news about the NAFTA discussions, right? 

As with most negotiations, these early stages are full of drama and posturing, so it can be hard to avoid getting emotional about the whole thing.  This may be a librarian thing, but when I'm stressed, I seek out more information. Here's a quick run through a few resources that might help...  <Read on for more!>

New to IBISWorld for SFU researchers: business environment data and analysis

Published by Mark Bodnar

Very few things exist completely independent of the rest of the world, including businesses.

To properly understand a business or its industry, you must also understand the water in which it swims: the key economic, demographic, and consumer behaviour indicators that can determine the success or failure of all its plans.

Start with the following new modules in our super-popular IBISWorld database: