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Chic or cheap? Quebeckers cool to online shopping

Twenty years ago, undergraduate economics students rarely, if ever, had a chance to do original research. Today, everything from the Canadian census microdata files to hockey player statistics and the World Bank’s data catalogue is readily available on-line. Statistical packages are cheap and/or easy to use — and this generation of students learns how to use software at lightning speeds.

This past term, students in my honours research essay class have written original papers on topics ranging from the determinants of obesity to the impact of inheritance expectations on savings decisions. One of the most interesting papers was one on electronic commerce, written by Zinan Li.

The 2007 Canadian Internet Use Survey asked respondents, “During the past 12 months, have you ordered a good or service over the Internet? (Fo

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Coca-Cola looks to make 100 percent ‘plant bottle’ in new partnerships

Coke announced Thursday it has signed multimillion-dollar agreements with Virent of Madison, Wis., Gevo of Englewood, Colo., and Avantium of Amsterdam, three firms that have specialized in plant-based alternatives to traditional packaging made from oil and other non-renewable resources.

The “plant bottle,” which in North America is used in the beverage maker’s Dasani brand, is currently made up of 30 percent plant-based materials. The remainder contains the plastic resins used in the company’s other brands.

Coke also uses the “plant bottle” in different products such as Diet Coke and Coke Zero in 20 countries around the world.

The move is important to Coke as some in the environmental community have accused the bottled water industry of being a big contributor to landfill waste.

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October trade gap narrows to lowest in 10 months (Reuters)

The trade gap totaled 43.5 billion, in line with a consensus estimate from analysts before the report. However, the Commerce Department revised its estimate of the September trade deficit to 44.2 billion from 43.1 billion.

As a result, the October trade gap narrowed 1.6 percent from September, instead of widening, as most analysts expected.

Both U.S. imports and exports declined in October, in a possible sign of weakening demand in the United States and abroad.

Imports fell 1.0 percent to 222.6 billion, led by a 3.6 billion drop in industrial supplies and materials. The average price for imported oil fell for a fifth consecutive month to 98.84 per barrel, from its May peak of 108.70.

Despite the overall import decline, imports of capital goods and food, feeds and beverages increased to records in October.

Imports from China rose to a record 37.8 billion and imports from Japan increased to 12.3 billion, the highest since April 2008.

U.S.

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Tags: Gap, Trade Gap

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The Ins and Outs of Building a New Generation of Green Leaders

The number one asset for organizations competing in a global economy is its people. This point is generally shared, but more typically than not the value of human resources is diluted as current affairs, emerging issues, and the woes of the marketplace cloud critical and strategic (deliberate) planning on maintaining and enriching these critical assets.

As companies try to save a dollar in this global recession, many are opting to not replace senior staff when they retire, or hire staff with less experience.

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Campaigns turning more to Web to link with voters

As they peruse the Internet, voters in New Hampshire and Iowa are probably seeing ads for Mitt Romney and President Barack Obama alongside those for shoes and holiday gifts. The ads will then follow those voters around the Web, popping up on news sites, Google searches and on social networking sites like Facebook.

Online advertising, once used primarily as a way to reach young and heavily wired consumers, has emerged as an essential communications tool in the 2012 presidential contest. While few expect Web ads to supplant television commercials anytime soon, strategists say online ads may be the most nimble, efficient and cost-effective way to reach voters.

“Online advertising cuts through because of its ability to target. It’s unparalleled in any other medium,” said Romney’s digital director, Zac Moffatt. “TV may be more effective for driving a big message, but per usage, the Internet is more powerful.

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Tags: Voters

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