David Ian Gray

Recent interview with @RetailInsider_ on BF, CM and Holiday shopping over the years (based on our tracking)....

@build_canada Thoughtful 'memo'. Great example LIBS '94. Great to build on a win. The CBC, I feel needs more thought. Trust has dropped largely due to the relentless targeting by CPC. There is still much good there. Seek ideas to keep it poli-neutral? CAD radio now shock jock or US feeds

It's time to refocus. Canada now has the lowest real GDP per capita growth in the G7. Federal government spending has ballooned 45% over the last decade. Our productivity has stagnated, our debt is climbing, and our economy is under threat from a trade war with the United States. At the same time, services delivered by the federal government are not meeting the standards Canadians expect or deserve. Less than 16% of Canadians feel they get great value from government services. Policy experts, including former senior public servants, have been ringing alarm bells about challenges confronting the public service, highlighting the need for a reset. It's time to refocus. For our federal government, this means re-evaluating programs that may no longer serve Canada's best interests. This process must be done urgently and with transparency. It should be led from within the government by courageous political leaders and with support from our public service. It should be informed by external experts from all parts of our economy and leverage the best talent and technology in the country. The memo below offers some ideas for how to get started. It identifies $35.1B in potential annual program and operational savings. This is nearly 7% of actual spending and over 50% of the latest $62B operating deficit. Implementing this plan would mean making hard choices about priorities. But by making tough decisions now, we can ensure the social programs that Canadians value most – like health care, dental care, child care, children's benefits, and benefits for seniors – remain fully funded, while maintaining our commitment to defence and security. There may be some ideas in here that you disagree with. There are likely things that have been missed. There may be things you’d do differently. That’s okay. The intent is to start the conversation and outline a process and potential opportunities for adjustment that the government can consider. Now is the time for rigorous assessments and tough decisions. Canada’s economy depends on it.

Recent comments on Canada's largest retailer. Thanks for including me, @MTone123 and @RetailInsider_

Canadian Black Friday participation was at an all-time high this year even though consumers weren't particularly impressed with what they considered great bargains. My story where @DavidIanGray explains: #retail #costofliving #holidayshopping #BlackFriday biv.com/article/2023/1…

Thx @JacquelineBNNB for exploring the Holiday Shopping story (thus far) with me on @BNNBloomberg Lets see if our mutual Boxing Day/Week prediction holds - more deal seeking shoppers amidst more reluctance from retailers to deep discount. The wild card? Who is overstocked?

Will join briefly today at 2PM PST with Ian Hanomansing , on CBC #CrossCountryCheckup. Will plant some thoughts around the possible pullback of self checkout, retail's battle with organized theft, and shifting shopper experiences. cbc.ca/radio/checkup/…

Canadian Black Friday will be similar - and different - to past years. How is that for "consultant-speak". A couple of interviews are in the comments below.

@Miss604 Great shot, Miss 604

This is very troubling and sad. If anyone has any information, please reach out to IHIT.

@JenStDen @JenStDenis Thanks for responding. It was a " non partisan" ask in that there are lots of opinions but not always with facts. I have my own hypothesis about the market, having lived nearby in Gastown and walking through it.

@DavidIanGray @JenStDenis I don’t know if any study but that issue is discussed in the story

@JenStDenis Has study been done on how much of the market merch is stolen? If so, what %? Is this part of the discourse? #systemsthinking

@gordmcintyre We are watching a mega shift in slo-mo. Thanks for showing us the big picture of what we might be missing. As digital costs escalate, even if advertisers wanted to allocate some spend back to print (or broadcast) channels... will they be there?

I second that!

Better late than never.... this is a non-partisan issue and O'Toole is doing good to call it out.

The question is... when does it drop to 4%?

For what...?

#Nordstrom in #Canada has started liquidating today. Here are 6 thoughts I am sharing it media hits. linkedin.com/posts/davidian…

@BSwirlsi What the hell does any prime minister have to do with either sentence? As Shoresy says: "give your nuts a tug!"

She deserves every fucking year.

@_legless_wonder Good review of office space trends