Meet Dr Katrijn Gielens:

Her research focuses on the dynamics in digital and brick-and-mortar retailing and relationships between retailers and brand manufacturers. She teaches courses in retailing and channel management.

Her work has been published in leading journals such as the Journal of Marketing, Journal of Marketing Research, The International Journal of Research in Marketing (IJRM), Journal of Consumer Research and Marketing Science.

For two papers she received the long-term impact award from the American Marketing Association. She also received a nomination for the Paul E. Green Award and the Shelby D. Hunt/Harold H. Maynard Award. Two other articles received the IJRM Best Article Award. She serves as an associate editor for the Journal of Marketing and the Journal of International Marketing. She is also on the editorial board of the Journal of Retailing and the International Journal of Research in Marketing.

Dr. Gielens edited “Handbook of Research on Retailing” (Edward-Elgar Publishing, 2018). The book offers insights and advice on the major shifts in the retailing landscape caused by the digital marketing revolution.

She has worked extensively with business practitioners, both retailers and brand manufacturers. Her work has received substantial media attention, both nationally and internationally, and she is often consulted by the media to comment on significant retail events.

She received her PhD in applied economics from Catholic University Leuven. She also received her MS in applied economics and a degree in applied economic science, both summa cum laude, from Catholic University Leuven.

In this podcast episode we explore:
• What "convenience" means in retail in the digital era (and pandemic). Gone are the days when convenience was about pre-packaged "TV dinners"; today the scope of convenience is expanded to searching for the right products, getting the right price, and having them delivered to your door - right here, right now.

• The issues around retailing, especially around assortment planning. How can you introduce new products while balancing existing and considering new retail experiences, services and space?

• Great strategies for retailers to consider to navigate these unprecedented times.

• Hyper-personalisation and whether it is legal when it comes to prices.

• What does assortment planning mean? A large assortment range can bring large diverse groups to your store. However, you then face the challenge to decide what assortment and how much of it is needed. You need to curate the store carefully. You don't want your consumers to experience "choice overload" nor out of stocks. Dr. Gielens covers the balancing act of attracting traffic into the store (large assortment to attract) and initiating conversation (right assortment to buy). The key word you will hear in this podcast is "curate". This is why leveraging new technologies such as AI can help retailers put the right assortment in their stores.

• Lastly, Dr. Gielens shared some good resources for further reading.