CBC Archives

Have students brainstorm how all Canadians are similar and how Canadians differ from people in other countries. Have them pair up with another student to compare lists, then join with another pair to compile one master list of the consistent components (think/pair/share method).

Students will then work in their group of four to brainstorm what they know about Canadian retail stores: which are Canadian owned, what provinces they operate in, what products or services they provide, and how they keep customers happy. Have them list these ideas for examination later.

Have students view Clips #9 and #10 on the topic Eaton’s: A Canadian Institution on the CBC Radio and Television Archives Web site. Make sure they read the sections The Story and Did You Know. Students should note the key factors in how Eaton’s generated loyalty in their customers.

In their original groups, students will develop a market research questionnaire that determines if Canadian retailers are meeting the needs of the buying public. Students may want to refer to their ideas generated in Before Exploring to help them get started. Students should consider how businesses of today could make customers as loyal as those they saw in the clips. Students will then administer the questionnaire to a cross section of people representing your local community, that is, a range of ages, backgrounds, ethnic groups, and so on. Groups will tabulate their findings and use their research to develop ideas for creating Canadian customer loyalty.

Have students present their research questionnaires, findings, and ideas to the rest of the class. After the presentations, discuss the findings to determine if there are any similarities in the data collected. Compile a master list of the ideas students believe will develop customer loyalty in our current competitive retail environment.

Students can research loyalty strategies currently in use by Canadian companies and compare their findings with the ideas generated by the class.