Current issues in retailing: Relationships and emerging opportunities: Introduction to the special issue from the American Collegiate Retailing Association 2005 and 2006 conferences

Retail innovation impacts the entire marketing channel, from manufacturers to retail employees, franchisors to international distributors, and Internet marketers to final consumers. Increased global expansion, a re-emphasis on relationship building, and the explosive growth of e-commerce have transformed all facets of retailing. The papers appearing in this special issue, consisting of the best papers from the Spring and Winter conferences of the American Collegiate Retailing Association held in 2005 and 2006, capture these cutting-edge issues. The papers have gone through two rounds of a double-blind review process and been screened by one of two selection committees.