Journal of Marketing Education

Special Issue Call for Papers:

Designing Retail Education for Tomorrow’s Marketplace

Submission Deadline: June 1, 2017

According to the National Retail Federation, about 13 million people are employed by the retailing industry. As educators, it is essential that we prepare students for careers in this highly dynamic, engaging, and competitive industry. Today’s retail landscape is evolving rapidly. From self-checkout counters to humanoid robots on the sales floor, technology is changing the way retailers operate. The omni-channel nature of retailing empowers customers to interact with retailers on their terms and when convenient. Retailers must ensure that appropriate inventory levels are maintained so that customers can experience a seamless shopping experience across the multiple channels. Social media allows customers to not only learn information from others, but to provide information to a broad network. Mobile technology is allowing consumers to access retailers on the go, and providing retailers with an opportunity to deliver more customized messages to consumers. In-store, the experiential nature of the retail encounter is becoming increasingly important as a differentiator. Even pricing models are changing with the popularity of renting merchandise or purchasing from consignment stores.

The retailing industry is fast-paced and is reflective of changes in technology, supply chain management, and consumer behavior. The purpose of this issue is to share innovative ways of engaging students and incorporating retailing trends into the classroom. Manuscripts for this issue will likely follow one of four formats: 1) Pedagogical Tools, 2) Framework for Marketing Curriculum, 3) Research with a Student Population and 4) Cross-Functional Partnerships.

Pedagogical Tools

Papers in this area will focus on how retail-related topics can be incorporated into the classroom demonstrating the success of these topics through various assessment tools. Pedagogical tools and innovative practices that have sparked interest within the student population are encouraged. Projects that involve external relationships with retailers or outside organizations that support student learning are also welcomed.

Framework for Marketing Curriculum

Papers in this area will provide direction for departments, programs, courses, and centers in which retail education is a priority. The purpose of this special issue is to identify opportunities to develop curricula and activities for teaching and to develop conceptual and applied skills of students interested in retailing.

Retailing Research Within a Student Population

Papers in this area focus on educational research involving data collected from students designed to address a wide variety of related retailing issues. Examples involving student samples might include learning assessment, skill development, career development, technology usage, consumer behavior, and experiential learning, among many others.

Cross-Functional Partnerships

Retailing is a highly interdisciplinary industry with career opportunities not only in marketing, but also human resources, finance, accounting, supply chain, management, and loss prevention. Manuscripts are encouraged that extend outside the traditional marketing boundaries to include educational opportunities with other disciplines. Manuscripts are also encouraged that extend beyond the classroom and explore opportunities for learning experiences that also collaborate with outside partners.

Potential contributors should feel free to contact the co-editors with any suggestions. All manuscripts will be judged on their scholarly merits and ability to advance the marketing education literature. Authors should follow the general submission guidelines for JME from recent issues or online at

http://jmd.sagepub.com/.

Co-editors:

Lauren Beitelspacher & Anne Roggeveen, Babson College

lbeitelspacher@babson.edu
aroggeveen@babson.edu

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