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In This Story

Ajay Vinzé

Mason’s retail center holds first-ever virtual summit

Marianne Klinker — Thu, 13 Apr 2023 16:35:53 +0000

Mason’s retail center holds first-ever virtual summit Marianne Klinker Thu, 04/13/2023 - 12:35

On Thursday, April 20, the Center for Retail Transformation (CRT) at ��AV School of Business will hold a half-day virtual summit entitled “Driving Value in Constrained Times.” The event will host a roster of illustrious speakers including C-level executives at Serta Simmons Bedding, The Lionesque Group, Saadia Group, Kraft Heinz, and others.

This virtual summit marks the culmination of a collaboration between Microsoft and CRT dating back to early 2022. In conjunction with the tech giant, CRT embarked upon a webinar series allowing space for industry professionals to participate in thought leadership events. Each panel featured retail and technology experts addressing a different topic related to the ongoing digital transformation of the industry.

Complementing the webinars’ in-depth exploration of specific subjects, “Driving Value in Constrained Times” will offer a holistic view of an industry finding new ways—via innovative technologies—to contend with a challenging economic environment. The afternoon will consist of panels and presentations from industry leaders on high-level topics including but not limited to “Leading Through Economic Downturn”, “Driving Shopper Engagement and Loyalty” and “Data and Technology: The Connective Tissue of Retail.” School of Business Dean Ajay Vinzé will deliver opening remarks.

Dean Vinzé says, “The high caliber of speakers at this event reflects the deep connection to business practice that sets ��AV School of Business apart. I expect the virtual summit will make for an informative, engaging and insightful afternoon, leveraging the innovative mission and capabilities of our Center for Retail Transformation.”

In addition to Microsoft, the event boasts sponsorship from Icertis, Optimizely, PricewaterhouseCoopers and Wipro.

CRT’s director Gautham Vadakkepatt says “Macroeconomic conditions, supply chain disruptions and tightening consumer spending are creating a ‘perfect storm’ for retailers. With nearly two dozen keynote speakers offering expert perspectives, the virtual summit will present a range of pertinent suggestions to help retailers of all stripes rise to the challenge. We’re also hoping that the summit helps further industry collaborations for Mason researchers and students.” Vadakkepatt is an associate professor of marketing at the School of Business.

Learn more and register for the event here.

Launched in 2020, the Center for Retail Transformation's vision is to be the foremost academic institution to drive transformation in retail. The center works to promote developing retail leaders, advance retail research, and connect the world of retail.

Prior webinars are available to view on YouTube.

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Costello College of Business News

Campus News

Register for Driving Value in Constrained Times

Learn more about the Center for Retail Transformation

3 retail deals that went awry this year

Marianne Klinker — Mon, 31 Oct 2022 20:10:36 +0000

3 retail deals that went awry this year Marianne Klinker Mon, 10/31/2022 - 16:10

A number of retail mergers and acquisitions went awry in 2022. So what’s in store for 2023?

"If this holiday season doesn’t go well, then you’re probably going to see more talks of mergers and acquisitions,” said Gautham Vadakkepatt, director of the Center for Retail Transformation, in an interview with Retail Dive.

Costello College of Business Faculty Media Mentions

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Skip the line: Advanced checkout tech is surging among c-stores

Marianne Klinker — Wed, 26 Oct 2022 12:15:11 +0000

Skip the line: Advanced checkout tech is surging among c-stores Marianne Klinker Wed, 10/26/2022 - 08:15

From old-fashioned self-scan machines to stores with no physical checkout at all, the options are growing for improving the experience. There are a few reasons these technologies are gaining steam. “First, of course, is the labor shortage that we’re dealing with,” said Gautham Vadakkepatt, marketing professor and director of the Center for Retail Transformation in an interview with C-Store Dive.

Costello College of Business Faculty Media Mentions

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The 'Catch-22' That's Keeping Aging Malls Stuck In Limbo

Marianne Klinker — Mon, 24 Oct 2022 12:21:54 +0000

The 'Catch-22' That's Keeping Aging Malls Stuck In Limbo Marianne Klinker Mon, 10/24/2022 - 08:21

Hundreds of shopping malls across the country require substantial investment to stay alive in today’s market, but disagreements over how much the properties are worth — even among professional appraisers — have left many of them sitting stagnant.

Gautham Vadakkepatt, director of the Center for Retail Transformation, told BisNow he has seen mall valuations fall “astronomically” in recent years. He said customers who can buy most products online don’t want to drive to malls unless it is providing a special experience, and many malls haven’t maintained a strong enough tenant mix to make it worth the trip.

Costello College of Business Faculty Media Mentions

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Retail Crime on the Rise: Expert Advice on How Retailers Can Protect Stores and Associates

Marianne Klinker — Fri, 09 Sep 2022 13:50:53 +0000

Retail Crime on the Rise: Expert Advice on How Retailers Can Protect Stores and Associates Marianne Klinker Fri, 09/09/2022 - 09:50

Gautham Vadakkepatt, director of the Center for Retail Transformation and marketing professor, provided some expert advice on mitigating retail crime in an interview with Retail TouchPoints.

Costello College of Business Faculty Media Mentions

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Costello College of Business News

Center for Retail Transformation partners with TruRating

Marianne Klinker — Thu, 01 Sep 2022 10:55:56 +0000

Center for Retail Transformation partners with TruRating Marianne Klinker Thu, 09/01/2022 - 06:55

��AV announced today that the Center for Retail Transformation at the university’s School of Business has entered into a partnership with TruRating, a customer experience and insights company with offices in London, Atlanta, and Sydney.

TruRating is a technology provider offering retailers real-time and reliable customer insights, often via a one-question digital survey at the point of purchase. Retailers can use the technology to gauge customer sentiment on highly specific aspects of the in-store or online shopping experience. TruRating currently captures 80 percent plus in-store and 50 percent plus online responses compared to traditional post-purchase responses, which average 1-2 percent. As of June 2022, the company reported collecting more than 350 million customer ratings through its platform.

As part of this partnership, TruRating will share anonymous data and collaborate on research projects with Center-affiliated Mason faculty, as well as allow a secure route for Mason marketing researchers to deliver customer surveys in the field.

In exchange, the Center for Retail Transformation will share industry insights and strategic advice with TruRating. This will include bringing academic knowledge to bear to diagnostic tools to benefit TruRating’s customers, as well as facilitating collaborations with Mason students that will enable TruRating to harness a ‘Gen Z’ voice that retailers often struggle to access at scale.

Gautham Vadakkepatt, the Center’s director and associate professor of marketing at Mason’s business school, says, “This partnership with TruRating allows us to conduct cutting edge research on the state of retail and also lets Mason researchers understand what are the drivers of shopping behavior.”

"We are thrilled to be working with such an outstanding university—this partnership between ��AV's Center for Retail Transformation and TruRating will be of huge benefit to retailers," said Georgina Nelson, TruRating's CEO and Founder." An academic collaboration of this nature means we can deliver even greater insights into the current and future states of the retail industry and equip our clients with the best possible toolset to serve the ever-evolving consumer landscape.”

Launched in 2020, the Center’s ambitious vision is “to be the foremost academic institution to drive transformation in retail.” Its mission encompasses educational content and career-shaping opportunities for Mason students, research initiatives, and industry outreach. The Center for Retail Transformation is dedicated to helping the sector – especially start-up, small- and medium-sized players -- not only survive and thrive amid this disruptive era but also do so sustainably, while increasing representation of minorities and other disadvantaged groups at leadership levels.

About TruRating

TruRating, founded in 2014 by consumer rights lawyer Georgina Nelson, provides feedback with industry-leading response rates (80 percent plus in-store, 50 percent plus online) via a patented system that delivers micro-survey questions at the point of sale. By combining payment validated responses with transactional data, TruRating helps retailers understand how each area of their customer experience impacts customer spend, sentiment and loyalty. TruRating’s data also fuels an online recommendations platform designed to challenge an industry that is dealing with increasingly frequent accusations of unrepresentative and inauthentic content.

Find out more at trurating.com.

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View recordings of the center's panel discussions here.

Transforming the Retail Industry with Gautham Vadakkepatt, Ricardo Belmar and Jeff Roster

Marianne Klinker — Thu, 25 Aug 2022 12:45:35 +0000

Transforming the Retail Industry with Gautham Vadakkepatt, Ricardo Belmar and Jeff Roster Marianne Klinker Thu, 08/25/2022 - 08:45

In this episode of the RETHINK Retail podcast, Center for Retail Transformation Director Gautham Vadakkepatt discusses the center's recent panel discussions on a myriad of key trends impacting the retail landscape, such as sustainability, the metaverse, frictionless retail, and more.

Listen to the podcast.

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Costello College of Business Faculty Media Mentions

Costello College of Business Faculty Media Mentions

The Future of Retail

Marianne Klinker — Fri, 05 Aug 2022 15:19:44 +0000

The Future of Retail Marianne Klinker Fri, 08/05/2022 - 11:19

Recently, retail innovation has accelerated to a level never witnessed before. Associate professor of marketing and director of the Center for Retail Transformation Gautham Vadakkepatt discusses the future of retail on this episode of The Future Of podcast.

Listen to the podcast.

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Store-In-A-Store Concept Part Of Retail's 'Grand Experiment'

Marianne Klinker — Wed, 27 Jul 2022 16:00:55 +0000

Store-In-A-Store Concept Part Of Retail's 'Grand Experiment' Marianne Klinker Wed, 07/27/2022 - 12:00

A growing cadre of big-name American retailers are joining forces to better weather an unfavorable economic climate. Most recently, WHP Global, which owns the Toys R Us brand, struck a deal to open locations within Macy’s department stores across the U.S. Gautham Vadakkepatt, director of the Center for Retail Transformation and associate professor of marketing at the ��AV School of Business, shared his thoughts on this move with Bisnow.

Costello College of Business Faculty Media Mentions

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