Channel & Retail Lab
The Channel & Retail LAB is SDA Bocconi's research center that studies and monitors the main international trends and innovations in the distribution and channel field, with the aim of creating and disseminating knowledge within the supply chain ecosystem operating in this sector (industrial companies, distribution companies and service companies).
The LAB: why?
Innovation is a central theme in the research orientation of the Channel & Retail LAB, which aims to produce and disseminate knowledge and know-how on Channel Management issues and on the evolutionary trajectories of distribution channels, both nationally and internationally, through research and development of new interpretative models and executive applications, thus fueling the scientific debate on the topic and supporting companies operating in all commercial sectors with high value-added expertise.
Genesis
The Channel & Retail LAB borrows from a long tradition of research at SDA Bocconi in the field of issues related to Retail, Channel Management, Trade Marketing, strategies of Go-to-Market and the study of new technologies applied to the commercial sector. The LAB aims to combine the great academic knowledge developed by the Bocconi faculty with the managerial needs of companies operating in the sector, with the goal of rapidly transferring to management and professional figures, interested in grasping the evolutions and changes that are affecting the distribution sector, the insights and the most cutting-edge results of academic research activity. This goal is an integral part of the mission of Bocconi University, founded by one of the leading business entrepreneurs of the early last century.
Recipients and target
The content developed by the Channel & Retail LAB is aimed at all figures, professional and academic, interested in understanding and getting a deeper grasp of the development and evolution scenarios of the retail and consumer sector, both domestic and international. In particular, the LAB targets all businesses operating within the Retail supply chain ecosystem (industrial companies, distribution companies and service companies).
Activities
The goal of the Channel & Retail LAB is to facilitate the relationship between scholars of the distribution environment, managers, entrepreneurs and companies, becoming a driver for the dissemination of industry knowledge and strengthening networking with supply chain leaders.
The main mission of the Channel & Retail LAB is to study the trends and main innovations impacting the national and international distribution context in order to systematize, through research paths based on solid empirical foundations, interpretative models functional to feed the discussion on the topic and provide useful insights for a better understanding of the evolutionary dynamics in place within the retail sector and in the distribution channels of the main categories of products and services.
To this end, different Observatories have been established within the LAB to foster knowledge of specific distribution sectors, which is constantly nurtured both through academic research and through discussions with leading companies operating in the market segments under study. The main active observatories are:
- Agos Retail Trend (ART), which studies innovative retail trajectories in the furniture, electronics, and motor industries to help companies renew customer experience and business performance.
- Health & Wellness, which delves into the evolution being experienced by the distribution of health-related products: drugs, herbal medicines, healthcare-related services and cosmetic products.
- Omnichannel & Digital Retail, which explores the topic of digitizing channels and defining go-to-market policies consistent with the Customer Journey of target segments of businesses.
- Food & FMCGs, which investigates the evolution of FMCG channels and retail, ranging from off-line hybridization to delivery at home.
- Building materials, which focuses on investigating ways to make the resale of building products and construction materials more customer centric and digital.
This applied research, SDA Bocconi's unmistakable DNA, is a plus that differentiates the LAB's work from the (more purely academic) initiatives of other research centers.
Events
LAB actively participates in the international scientific debate on the topics of Retailing and Channel Management, producing and disseminating academic and executive knowledge through annual conferences and periodic seminars reserved for experts in the field and through the publication of working papers, reports, books and scientific articles.
Scientific Committee
The activities of the Retail & Channel LAB are coordinated by the Scientific Committee, led by Prof. Sandro Castaldo together with members of the SDA Bocconi faculty with academic specialization on the topics of Channel Management, Trade Marketing, Go-to-Market strategies and the study of new technologies applied to the Retail sector. The objective of the Scientific Committee is to define the main annual research areas, specific to the different Observatories, on the basis of which the work sites and different research projects will be structured.
Advisory board
The selection of the LAB and Observatory research areas, in addition to being based on the core competencies of SDA Bocconi researchers, will also be assisted by the Advisory Board of each Observatory, a body composed of SDA Bocconi partner and sponsor companies that, through constant debate and collaboration, will act as a driving force for the definition of innovative research areas of primary operational interest to companies.
Partner
The goal of the Retail & Channel LAB is to serve as a bridge between the academic and scientific community and the business world. For this reason, the Lab’s initiatives and research activities are carried out in collaboration with sponsors, corporate partners, and international research centers. This enables the Lab to be a point of reference for both academics and professionals interested in the topic while also sharing high-value knowledge.
Publications
The Osservatorio Retailing series is the result of a partnership between FrancoAngeli and SDA Bocconi's Retailing Observatory, both of which are interested in developing and disseminating knowledge within the Retail sector, a segment that has experienced a real revolution in recent years. The series testifies to the willingness of Channel & Retail LAB researchers to contribute actively and continuously to the debate, offering businesses books that are as much sources of reflection as they are real working tools. The series is divided into two sections: Skills and Research. The first hosts essays on broad topics relevant to all areas of retailing: the common thread running through all the works is the development of general knowledge and skills. The second includes essays devoted to specific topics relevant to certain business sectors or particular types of enterprises. The intent of the series is to disseminate knowledge, so the language is accessible and understandable to a wide audience, yet without sacrificing a rigorous methodological framework.
