Jim Harris

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Record Setting Black Friday & Cyber Monday Expected

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Black Friday is the Busiest US shopping day of the year; Cyber Monday the busiest for online shopping Black Friday sales will top $7.5 billion on November 29 – up 20.3% from 2018, while Cyber Monday sales are predicted to hit $9.4 Billion on December 2 – up 19%, according to Adobe Analytics. Black Friday is the busiest US shopping day of the year and has been every year since 2005. A staggering 151 million people went to shopping malls or centers on Black Friday in 2018, according to the International Council of Shopping Centers. The term Cyber Monday, was coined in 2005. Many consumers, who were too busy to shop over the US Thanksgiving weekend, shopped for bargains online on Monday from home or work. Cyber Monday in 2018 was the biggest US online shopping day in history. The five days between Thanksgiving and Cyber Monday will account for 20% of total holiday US retail spending – so for retailers these five days are critical. Millennials are now the largest group in the US workforce and their lives are smartphone centric. Smartphone sales will account for 50% of the seasonal sales growth in 2019. And on Christmas Day consumer will purchase more on their smartphones than on desktop for the first time ever, predicts Adobe Analytics. Smartphone purchases are 21% smaller by dollar volume, as consumer leave larger purchases for researching on bigger laptop and desktop screens, notes Adobe Analytics. The best days for shopping online, based on retailers’ … [Read more...] about Record Setting Black Friday & Cyber Monday Expected

Davos: Talking Champagne on a Sinking Titanic

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I am in Davos at the World Economic Forum (WEF) where the top issues that world leaders must address are: unstable global economy, eurozone fragility; and financial system instability. Climate change only ranks as the 7th issue. To me, it's like a group of business leaders and "experts" on the sinking Titanic discussing the fragility of champagne sales. I am deeply concerned about the Alice-in-Wonderland perception of the environment's big picture. On the morning of Saturday, January 12 when I logged onto Facebook, a friend's status update jumped out at me: "WHY DO MEDIA FAIL TO DISCUSS OPENLY THE SIGNS OF CLIMATE CHANGE? IT"S NOW 12 DEGREES IN TORONTO, NO SNOW, AND THE SIGNS OF SPRING IN JANUARY ARE NOT GOOD FOR ECOLOGY, HYDROLOGY, OR HUMAN PROSPERITY." Later in the day the temperature rose to 15ºC, at 3 p.m. setting a new record according to Environment Canada. It is deeply disturbing that we experience +15ºC in the middle of winter. And I am disturbed listening to the media commentary about how wonderful this warm weather is. A friend mentioned that the Magnolia tree in their neighbourhood was showing signs that it was about to bud. If this Spring weather continues in the middle of winter it will bud. And its flowering will be killed off with the inevitable return of winter weather. The stability and predictability of the seasons is defined as "security" by many Aboriginal peoples. The changing of the weather on a global scale is bringing unprecedented, … [Read more...] about Davos: Talking Champagne on a Sinking Titanic

Identifying barriers to adoption of sustainable business practices

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In October, sustainability consultant and former federal Green Party leader Jim Harris presented the business case for sustainability to delegates of the CIMA Canada Conference 2012. Mr. Harris put forward the argument that sustainable business practices weren’t just a matter of ethics, but also tools for cost reduction and profitability, citing several studies and examples that proved his thesis. However, he also noted that few organizations have adopted sustainability practices because the issue simply isn’t on their radar. He recently spoke with the Financial Post’s Dan Ovsey about why he believes this to be true and what he sees as the biggest barriers to sustainability. Following is an edited transcript of their conversation. [...] … [Read more...] about Identifying barriers to adoption of sustainable business practices

24 Hours of Reality: The Dirty Weather Report

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Join me on November 14 for 24 Hours of Reality: The Dirty Weather Report. Broadcast live online, it’s an event that anyone can attend. And it’s your chance to join millions around the world to demand real solutions. Taking place over 24 hours, this event will put a spotlight on every region of the globe — featuring news, voices, and multimedia content across all 24 time zones. Every hour will be different. You’ll hear from experts, musicians, comedians, and everyday people about the impacts of climate change on their lives and homes. Leading the event will be our Chairman, former Vice President Al Gore, who will conclude with a presentation on November 15 at 7 p.m. Eastern Time. Most of all, we want to hear from you. During these 24 hours, we’ll ask you to sign a pledge and join a global movement to demand action. You can join the social media conversation, make connections, and send us your ideas. Find out how we can, and we must solve the climate crisis — and how you can help. Looking for ways to improve your business? Jim Harris is a professional business innovation speaker, contact him today! … [Read more...] about 24 Hours of Reality: The Dirty Weather Report

What’s Really Killing Print Journalism

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Print journalism is changing fundamentally. Three dramatic events last week make the point: On October 18, Newsweek magazine announced it will become a digital only publication in 2013, ending 80 years in print. The same week, John Stackhouse, Editor-in-Chief ofThe Globe and Mail, announced that the paper will launch a paywall for its articles. You will get to read the first 10 articles a month for free and then have to pay for the remainder. Finally Huffington Post Canada announced it has become Canada's largest national news site, with a record 3.9 million monthly unique visitors. In the US HuffPost's traffic has trumped the New York Time's. [...] … [Read more...] about What’s Really Killing Print Journalism

Pre-empting the energy shockwave

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The inevitable long-term rise of energy prices poses a serious risk to corporate profitability. A Deloitte study, released at the World Economic Forum in Davos in 2009, showed that even modest 3.5 per cent year-over-year increases in energy and resource input costs could wipe out the profitability of a vast number of North American firms. To put 3.5 per cent increases into perspective: The price of oil was $10 a barrel in 1999 and ran up to $147 in 2008 – that represented a 40% annual compounded increase. Jeff Rubin, the former chief economist of CIBC World Markets, predicts oil will hit $225 a barrel in 2012. Heightened tensions with Iran, the fourth largest oil producing country worldwide, could be the catalyst for the run up in oil prices. A risk for Canadian manufacturers is that the Canadian dollar has become a petro dollar. When the price of oil rose to $147 a barrel, the Canadian dollar hit its highest point in decades against the U.S. dollar. And that in turn hit Canadian exporters hard. How can exporters mitigate the risk of a high Canadian dollar? One way is by becoming more energy efficient, lowering the cost of production. Another, of course, is through hedging against a rising Canadian dollar through currency swaps. Energy efficiency is a powerful profit driver and risk mitigation strategy. Walmart is spending $500 million a year on fuel and energy efficiency projects with paybacks of four years or less. During the recession, the company’s … [Read more...] about Pre-empting the energy shockwave

Harper Conquers Canada, One Robocall at a Time

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This robocall scandal is not just about some inconvenient phone calls, it's about subverting our democracy and altering the outcome of the election. And it's about Harper remaking Canada in his own image. The widening "robocall scandal" is deeply disturbing -- as is its media coverage. The language we use to describe a situation, the words that a journalist uses in their coverage of an issue, literally frame the issue and how we think about it. This isn't a story about "dirty tricks," it's about election fraud. This isn't "stupid," it's illegal. This isn't "folly," it was a deliberate, systematic, strategic, targeted campaign to steal the election. This isn't "voter suppression," it's stealing democracy. We should not treat this as some petty misdemeanor. This is a grave threat to our very basic freedom. This is a threat to our democracy. This is corruption. You would expect this in some tin-pot dictatorship--not in Canada. The stakes are much, much higher than most people or commentators realize. Harper won his "majority" with 6,848 votes. That's the difference between a Conservative candidate getting elected and the second place candidate in the 14 closest races that the Conservatives "won." For instance, in Nipissing-Timiskaming the Conservatives "won" the riding with a mere 18 votes. In Etobicoke Centre it was just 26 votes. Out of the 14.7 million votes cast across Canada that is an infinitesimally small margin for a majority … [Read more...] about Harper Conquers Canada, One Robocall at a Time

Occupy Davos?

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"Severe income disparity" is the most likely risk facing business and political leaders according to the World Economic Forum's Global Risk 2012 Report. This finding really caught me by surprise. So while the Occupy movement isn't anywhere on the agenda, here at Davos, its impact has been very much felt.   There's the published agenda for the World Economic Forum (WEF) this week in Davos -- and then there are the elephants in the room. "Severe income disparity" is the most likely risk facing business and political leaders according to the World Economic Forum's Global Risk 2012 Report. This finding really caught me by surprise. So while the Occupy Wall Street movement isn't anywhere on the agenda here at WEF in Davos, its impact has been very much felt. "Capitalism, in its current form, no longer fits the world." A statement from an occupy protester? No, it was uttered by WEF Founder Klaus Schwab. But it's not a view that I have found widely shared by the 2,600 delegates here. The ultimate irony, of course, is that those at WEF aren't even the one per cent -- they're the 0.0001 per cent of global corporate and political elites. There's a lot of talk about the European debt crisis, which centres on Greece. At the heart of it is the fact that wealthy Greeks don't pay taxes; tax evasion is a national past time for the rich. In turn the Greek government's austerity program will cut the benefits and pensions of average citizens. Here's a warning: That's the … [Read more...] about Occupy Davos?

Billions of kWhrs can be saved with motor efficiency on escalators

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My latest column in the National Post this past Friday (July 3) focused on the billions of kilowatt hours than can be saved by improving the efficiency of escalators -- with litlle or no investement. Read the column at http://bit.ly/5Be86o … [Read more...] about Billions of kWhrs can be saved with motor efficiency on escalators

Green Energy Act could create 90,000 jobs in Ontario

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By: Jordana Levine The Green Energy Act (GEA) could employ over 90,000 Ontarians in green jobs. The government of Ontario is prepared to initiate the GEA, which focuses on the possibilities for employment if a large investment is made in green practices.  Along with increasing employment opportunities, the program could have a huge positive impact on the environment. The main goals of the GEA are to ensure that Ontario is the country’s leading green economy, create over 50,000 green collar jobs, and generate billions of dollars worth of economic activity as quickly as possible – ideally in three years.  The plan involves phasing out the province’s coal plants by 2014 and shifting the province’s economy so that it is based on energy efficiency and renewable energy sources. Building the Green Economy: Employment Effects of Green Energy Investments for Ontario is a report done by the Political Economy Research Institute, which gives recommendations and ideas regarding the GEA.  The report identifies two levels of investment that would help the GEA.  The first program is the baseline Integrated Power System Plan (IPSP), which would invest $18.6 billion over the next ten years in: conservation and demand management, hydroelectric power, on-shore wind energy, bioenergy, waste energy recycling and solar power. However, the report also looks at an enhanced green investment program, which is referred to as the Green Energy Act Alliance (GEAA) … [Read more...] about Green Energy Act could create 90,000 jobs in Ontario