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This topic reflects current societal trends and, in particular, customer expectations. For example, healthy eating is currently a major focus; there is, in fact, a veritable craze for high-protein diets and organic products. There is also growing demand for sustainable packaging—keyword: waste reduction. This reflects a need for control across a product’s entire value chain and thus has a major impact not only on the retail sector but also on producers. At the same time, the dynamic retail landscape is changing not only due to these structural market shifts but also because of technological developments. Consider, for example, AI in retail—such as smart shopping carts or even “just-walk-out” concepts, where a customer’s purchases are fully tracked by cameras and then billed via a smartphone app. All of this presents the retail sector with entirely new challenges when it comes to serving customers.

Research papers should embrace out-of-the-box thinking. Authors should move beyond conventional ways of thinking and introduce new ideas. With regard to AI, one could demonstrate here how the use of AI can, for example, influence or even shape customers’ awareness of sustainability. Of course, this applies not only to the food retail sector but can be extended to many other areas, such as the textile industry.

In fact, my research focuses on both the mathematical modeling of sustainable consumer preferences and digital marketing. I always try to draw practical implications from this work, whether at the retail or manufacturer level. This call for proposals brings these two research areas together beautifully.

Sure. Here, for example, they ask: “Imagine you want to buy some orange juice. You have the following options to choose from; which one would you pick? If none of these orange juices appeal to you, then you can’t choose any of them!”

Direct surveys also come up time and again. Unfortunately, they have the major drawback that they yield significantly inflated figures regarding people’s willingness to purchase sustainable products. Imagine if I asked you whether you’d be willing to buy a pair of sustainably produced pants instead of a pair produced conventionally. I’d tell you that with the sustainably produced pants, you could be sure that no child labor was used in their production. Who would answer that they’d still buy the conventionally produced pants?! This phenomenon is known as “social desirability bias” and can severely skew predictions of purchase likelihood. That’s why it’s better to ask indirectly, for example, using discrete choice experiments.

Yes, and a fairly recent one at that: I’m currently working with two other researchers on a study comparing sustainable choices in online versus offline retail. In this study, they’re examining purchasing decisions regarding sustainable food. Surprisingly, preferences for sustainable food vary greatly between sales channels. We had suspected there would be differences, but not such large discrepancies. But that’s exactly what makes research so fascinating and inspires us to conduct further studies.

General sustainability research indicates that slightly more than two-thirds of consumers say sustainability is important to them when making purchases. In reality, however, sustainable products account for only about one-sixth of all purchases. This varies greatly, however, across different product categories. 

Discrete-choice experiments remain hypothetical in nature—so-called “stated preferences.” In these experiments, we only ask what people would buy, but we do not see what actually ends up in their shopping carts in real life. To determine this, we would need, for example, (scanner) panel data—so-called “revealed preferences.” Studies show, however, that while biases in purchase probabilities based on stated preferences do exist, they are not exorbitantly high. They therefore provide a solid and, above all, cost-effective basis for measuring preferences.

For retailers, a high degree of preference heterogeneity means increased efforts to cater to as many customer groups as possible. For example, product ranges must be expanded, and extras such as cashless payment systems must be offered if certain customer groups demand them. If this does not happen, customers will switch to other stores or online retailers. 

This varies greatly depending on the product: With orange juice, for example, there are customers who are very brand-loyal, those who are more focused on the (low) price, and also a small segment of customers who prioritize sustainability. 

No, in fact, in the vast majority of cases, a single “one-size-fits-all” product is no longer sufficient. Companies must now not only develop the optimal product, but also offer optimal product lines.  

Green Service Operations refers to the sustainable design and management of service processes with the goal of using resources efficiently and reducing environmental impact. This involves integrating environmental considerations—such as energy consumption, emissions, waste prevention, and sustainable procurement—into operational service workflows. We are currently conducting research to understand how consumers make decisions regarding various return options for defective devices, such as cell phones and laptops. This is of great interest to retailers, as—according to initial findings—consumers are already thinking about returns when purchasing electronic devices. Ultimately, this requires retailers to adjust their sales strategies.

Our findings show that differences in decision-making behavior currently exist, even though sustainable products have also become available in brick-and-mortar retail in recent years. Given the range of products available online, it can be assumed that consumers expect brick-and-mortar retailers to further adapt their product offerings. Discussions surrounding aspects of online retail—such as sustainability, working conditions, and product quality—are also leading consumers to be better informed and more critical in their purchasing decisions.

Here, we see examples of work by research partners—for instance, from the Netherlands—that show AI can promote sustainable consumption. On the other hand, there are also studies that demonstrate exactly the opposite for certain customer segments and products. So, it remains an exciting topic!

Companies must always ask themselves who their target audience is. Even though there is no such thing as a generic “sustainable consumer,” studies show that women, younger people, and those with higher levels of education are increasingly paying attention to sustainable products and services.

In preference research, the direct stakeholders—in the example above, consumers and retailers—are often the focus of the study. When preferences vary, local governments, administrations, legislators, and policymakers in general must assess whether market developments align with policy goals. If action is needed, policymakers must intervene. Strengthening individual sustainability and public health while, where necessary, addressing the significant burden posed by last-mile delivery (to consumers’ doorsteps). The role of regional providers must also be considered and evaluated in this context.

The challenges posed by digitalization and sustainability are affecting several areas of the retail sector. We expect the submitted papers to provide insights into this so-called “twin transformation.” Given the dynamic nature of these developments, even the published papers will not address every question. We anticipate that the retail sector will have to solve further complex challenges, particularly in terms of shaping its future. In the coming years, research will also need to address the specific shaping of the retail sector in the face of digital and sustainability challenges. In particular, researchers should seek to better understand consumers’ reactions to digital sustainability measures, such as conflicts between perceived intrusiveness (reactance) and personalization. Researchers will also examine the transformation needed to reconcile environmental, social, and economic goals from the perspective of consumers as well as the value chain. 

Prof. Dr. Friederike Paetz is editing the special issue of the “Journal of Sustainable Marketing” on sustainable retail in collaboration with researchers from Nipissing University (Canada), Bielefeld University of Applied Sciences, and the University of Hagen. The title is: “From Aisles and Platforms to Ecosystems: Rethinking Retail for a Sustainable Era.” Click here to access the journal: https://luminousinsights.net/journals/jsm/si/rrse

Dr. Friederike Paetz has been a full professor of mathematics, statistics, and specialized computer science at Anhalt University of Applied Sciences since May 2024. Learn more about her research and teaching on her personal page: https://www.hs-anhalt.de/hochschule-anhalt/service/personenverzeichnis/person/prof-dr-friederike-paetz.html

One of her recent publications explores ways to monitor forests using data. PhD student Henrike Wild analyzed extensive datasets on deciduous forests for this study. Read more in this KlimaBlog article: https://www.hs-anhalt.de/hochschule-anhalt/aktuelles/neuigkeit-1/waldmonitoring-die-duerre-trifft-nicht-jeden-wald-gleich.html

Publication details & link: Identifying drought signals of different forest types: Combining ground surveys and satellite data in Saxony-Anhalt, Germany / Wild, Henrike. - Published in: Forest Ecology and Management, Vol. 619 (2026), pp. 1–19. https://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/pii/S0378112726005608?via%3Dihub