Lundgren retail Collaborative
Thought leadership and training the next generation of retail innovators
At the Lundgren Retail Collaborative, we advance retail insights and solutions.
Happenings
The collaboration aims to connect industry with students, students with faculty, and faculty with industry.
People
Meet the people of the LRC including the main points of contact, fellows of the collaborative, and affiliates.
Research
Our research priorities bring attention to the most pressing issues facing the retail industry.
White Papers
We’re pleased to share the publication of our first white paper,
Evolving Voice: Future of the Workplace.
In 2024 an estimated 4 million new college graduates will enter the workforce, but many hiring organizations are still struggling to adapt to the fundamental changes in business that have transpired in the past five years. To address questions related to the workplace of the future, the Lungren Retail Collaborative research team conducted a study examining attitudes about workplace preferences among Next Gen workers. The findings are presented in our first volume of Evolving Voice: Future of the Workplace.
Our research shows that Next-Gen employees have a greater desire for in-person work environments than employers may think, with 68 percent of participants preferring a hybrid office environment. Nearly a quarter (23 percent) chose in-person work, while only 9 percent desire a fully remote work environment. In addition, the research showed that preferences are more nuanced than in-person versus remote.
Evolving Voice Volume 2: Generative AI in Retail
Our second white paper Evolving Voice Volume 2: Generative AI in Retail will be released in Fall 2025. If you would like information about this white paper, please contact Lundgren Retail Collaborative co-director Jennifer Savary for more information.
2025 Research Grants
Each year, the Lundgren Retail Collaborative awards research grants to academic studies that addresses challenging and interesting questions broadly related to the retail context. To learn about past funding and support, visit the Research page.
The 2025 research grant awards reflect a wide range of interdisciplinary approaches from across the University of Arizona, including projects from the College of Engineering, Norton School of Human Ecology, and four units within the Eller College of Management: Department of Management Information Systems, Department of Management and Organizations, Department of Marketing, and McGuire Center for Entrepreneurship.
The following research studies received funding in 2025:
Mapping Retail Potential: Using AI and Tapestry Segmentation to Uncover Customer Personas and Predict Growth Markets for E-Commerce Brands
Author: Robert Gabriel Grateron
AI, The Trust Doctor
Author: Dr. Oliver Schilke
Gender Stereotypes and Financial Decision-Making in Retail: The Role of AI
Authors: Sydni Do and Martin Reimann
Consumer Political Ideology and the Second-Hand Retail Market
Authors: Anastasiya Ghosh and Pureum Kim
AI-Powered Embodied Avatars in XR for Enhancing Consumer Engagement and Decision-Making in Retail Environments
Authors: Ehsan Azimi and Huanrui Yang
Privacy-Personalization Paradox and Parasocial Relationships in AI-Mediated Retailing
Author: Kathleen J. Kennedy
Human Roles in Multi-Agent AI Teams for Ad Copy Creation
Authors: Agrim Sachdeva and Alfred Benedikt Brendel
Real-Time Churn Prediction Using Fine-Grained User Behavior Data for Enhanced Retail Strategies
Authors: Seokjun Youn and Sudha Ram
Please visit the Research page to learn more about these projects.