Written By: Tanya Singh

Access to consumer data has brought about a focal change in the business environment, from small scale industries to tech giants, the synthesis of consumer information to make it relevant to the business operations, and the curation of products became a priority. Interestingly, the storage of data dates back to the 18,000 BCE, when the Palaeolithic tribespeople would mark notches into sticks or bones to keep a track of trading activities. Now, most firms use consumer data to create an unbeatable competitive advantage in the market – the more customers a firm has, the greater the data gathering process is.However, more often than not,firms grossly overestimate their ability to gain a competitive advantage through consumer data which we shall be talking about in detail. 

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Written By: Tanya Singh

The US-China trade relationship has expanded immensely after China’s reformation of its economy and liberalization in 1979.The world’s two largest economies have persevered bitter rivalry locked by a trade battle for a year now. The onset of the pandemic revealed new dynamics in the US-China trade wars, overshadowing the agreement made in January that was meant to draw President Trump’s policy still endeavours to encourage domestic production and purchases leading it to impose more than $360bn worth of tariffs on Chinese goods. According to the “phase one” deal signed in January, China vowed to boost US imports by $200bn above 2017 levels and extend intellectual property rules, however, Trump seems to have delayed the upliftment of tariffs and with the recent indictments regarding Covid-19, it seems that both the countries are back to square one. Here’s how we can break this situation down:

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Written By: Amit Shteyer

The issue at hand

With COVID-19 and the current lockdown, Canada’s economy is in a state of shock; lines to go grocery shopping, businesses going bankrupt, job losses and a negative inflation rate. Money troubles and fear obstruct the lives of consumers and businesses alike.

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Written By: Natasha Kozak

The rental market is no stranger to the students of Waterloo, Ontario. Everywhere you look there are “for rent” signs in windows, and major housing corporations seem to be taking over, as there seem to be more high-rise student apartment buildings than geese on UW campus. Increasing availability of student housing is a positive thing, as it gives more options for incoming students. However, even though supply of housing is increasing, rental prices are increasing as well. How is this so? Given the basics of supply and demand this phenomenon seems to defy economics. In this article we will look at the discrepancy in rental rates between landlords and tenants and tenant sublets. We will then explore reasons for this discrepancy, and pinpoint who is absorbing the deadweight loss (which, as any student of economics would know, is a less-than-pareto optimal position in which to be).

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Written by: Irina Chen

A global epidemic named coronavirus (also known as COVID-19), first appeared in China in early January. As of March 27^th, the virus has infected approximately 590,000 and killed at least 27,000 people worldwide. Schools and businesses have been forced to shut down. The global economy has become unimaginably fragile in recent months. In this article, two aspects, economics and education, are discussed concerning the impact of COVID-19 to humankind.

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