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ACRA 2026: ACRA 2026 Cal Poly Pomona
California State Polytechnic University, Pomona
Pomona, CA, United States, March 25-27, 2026
Conference websitehttps://acraretail.org
Submission linkhttps://easychair.org/conferences/?conf=acra2026
Abstract registration deadlineOctober 31, 2025
Submission deadlineOctober 31, 2025

ACRA 2026 Annual Conference, March 25-27, 2026  Hosted by California State Polytechnic University, Pomona      

Conference website: http://acraretail.org 

Submission link: https://easychair.org/conferences/?conf=acra2026

Submission deadline: October 31, 2025  

The American Collegiate Retailing Association (ACRA) invites you to join us for the 2026 ACRA Conference, a premier gathering of scholars, educators, and industry professionals in retailing, fashion, marketing, and supply chain. We welcome submissions of competitive (full) papers, extended abstracts, and workshop or special session proposals that explore innovations in research, teaching, and practice.

Next year’s conference will be hosted on the scenic campus of California State Polytechnic University, Pomona. The Department of Apparel Merchandising and Management—home tonationally recognized programs in Fashion Retailing, Fashion Design & Production, Textile Technology & Sustainability, and International Apparel Management—will serve as the conference host.

In partnership with industry collaborators, the department is planning corporate site visits andexecutive speaker events to enrich the conference experience. More details will be shared in the coming months.

We look forward to your contributions and to welcoming you to Pomona in March 2026!  

 

Submission Types and Guidelines

Unless otherwise noted, all submissions must follow these formatting standards:

  • PDF format
  • APA 7th edition style
  • 11-point font, 1-inch margins, portrait orientation

General Requirements (Applies to All Submission Types)

  • All submissions must be made via EasyChair.
  • Submissions must be original and not published or under review elsewhere.
  • Blind review: Do not include any identifying information in the main body of the submission.
  • At least one author must register for and attend the conference.

Extended Abstracts

  • Length: 2–5 double-spaced pages (excluding references). Please include the title at the top of the first page. A separate title page is not needed.

Competitive (Full) Papers

  • Length: Up to 25 double-spaced pages, including all content (text, references, tables, figures, appendices)
  • Title Page Content: The first page of the document must include the full title of the paper and an abstract of no more than 150 words.

Workshop / Special Session Proposals

  • Length: 2 double-spaced pages
  • Must include:
    • Names, affiliations, and contact information of all presenters/facilitators
    • Session title and type (e.g., panel, roundtable, workshop)
    • Session description and names of any additional speakers
    • Intended value or benefit for ACRA members
    • Designed for a 60-minute session
  • For questions, contact Dr. Heejin (Jeanie) Lim at hlim@utk.edu

 

Conference Tracks

Submissions may address, but are not limited to, the following thematic areas:

  1. Retail Education, Career Development & Pedagogy: Research on innovative teaching practices, curriculum design, and skills development in retail and consumer studies. Topics may include technology-enhanced instruction especially teaching strategies for the AI-era, competency-based education, experiential learning, and preparing students for evolving career paths in the retail sector.
  2. Consumer/Shopper Psychology and Behavior: Studies focused on the cognitive, emotional, and behavioral processes of consumers and shoppers. Relevant topics include personalization, decision-making, price sensitivity,consumer-brand relationships, and the effects of sensory cues, atmospherics, or digital stimulion behavior.
  3. Ethics, DEI, CSR, and Sustainability: Exploration of how ethical values, diversity and inclusion, corporate responsibility, and sustainability are embedded into retail strategies and operations. Topics may address inclusiveretail environments, equitable labor practices, transparent supply chains, and Environmental,Social, and Governance (ESG) reporting.
  4. Local, Global Marketing & Entrepreneurship: Research examining retail innovations and entrepreneurship in local, regional, and global contexts. Topics include cultural adaptation, place branding, digital micro-brands, and retailentrepreneurship in emerging and niche markets.
  5. Grocery, Agribusiness & Food Retailing: Studies centered on food-related retailing, including grocery innovations, local food systems, direct-to-consumer models, and sustainability in agribusiness. Topics may also include consumer perceptions of food quality, food security, and ethical sourcing.
  6. Omni-channel, E-commerce, Social Media & Influencers: Research investigating the integration of physical and digital retail channels, including mobile commerce, platform ecosystems, and hybrid retail models. Topics include channel synergy,consumer journey mapping, and the role of influencers and social media in driving engagement.
  7. Fashion and Luxury Retailing: Insights into the dynamics of fashion and luxury markets. Topics may include digital fashion,circular economy models, brand heritage, consumer identity, resale markets, and innovationsin supply chain transparency and authenticity verification.
  8. Retail Technology (AI, AR/VR, IoT, Big Data): Research examining how advanced technologies are transforming retail strategy, operations, andconsumer experiences. Topics include intelligent automation, immersive retail environments,predictive analytics, personalization, and ethical concerns related to tech adoption.
  9. Potpourri (Innovative or Interdisciplinary Topics): An open category for research that intersects multiple themes or introduces novel ideas not captured by other tracks. This may include historical analyses, future scenarios, critical theory approaches, or cross-sector comparisons.

 

Other Information 

Conference Proceedings

A digital proceedings file containing the abstracts of accepted papers will be made available to all attendees after the conference. Please review the following requirements for inclusion:

    • Submission Process: To be included, authors of accepted papers will be required to submit a final, formatted version of their 150-word abstract after the conference by a specified deadline.
    • Important: Failure to submit the final formatted abstract by the deadline will result in your abstract being excluded from the proceedings.
    • Opt-Out: Authors may also choose to opt out of the proceedings by notifying the conference organizers.

Best Paper Awards

ACRA will present the following awards at the 2026 conference:

    • Best Overall Research Paper and Runner-Up
    • Best Graduate Student Paper and Runner-Up (First author must be a registered graduate student)

Winners will receive monetary prizes and be recognized at the event.

Reviewer Invitation

Interested in serving as a peer reviewer for the conference? We welcome your participation! Please sign up here:

https://forms.gle/eQSr6vj3e7DKrFoR6

Conference chairs may reach out with an invitation.

Publication Opportunity

Select best papers may be invited for submission to the

International Journal of Retail & Distribution Management (IJR&DM), the official journal partner of ACRA.

For questions, contact Dr. Jeffrey Campbell: jcampbell@hrsm.sc.edu

 

Conference Questions?

Please direct general inquiries to the Conference Co-Chairs:

For general ACRA inquiries, you may also contact Dr. Jeff Campbell, ACRA President-Elect:jcampbell@hrsm.sc.edu

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