Economy
In the GDI Gottlieb Duttweiler Institute and the Gottlieb Duttweiler Chair in St. Gallen, Migros Culture Percentage supports two renowned research institutes, both of which are committed to trade and consumer research and lead an ongoing debate on business and social trends.
GDI Gottlieb Duttweiler Institute: simplicity instead of excessive variety
Relevent new findings presented by excellent minds – this was also the focus of work at the GDI Gottlieb Duttweiler Institute in 2010. Jeremy Rifkin, Douglas Rushkoff and Sam Keller, along with numerous other speakers, contributed to again making the GDI one of the key meeting places for pioneers – tomorrow's developments were described and discussed.
«FREECONOMY – how the radical price revolution changes mankind» was the dominating topic of the GDI's European Consumer Trends Conference in spring 2010. Soon everything will be available for free: information, travel, even food – «unselling». The free-of-charge mentality of virtual markets influences consumer behaviour dramatically. Free is more than just a business model; free is a new way of thinking and a new lifestyle.
In autumn 2010 the GDI discussed simplicity at the 60th International Trade Conference: SIMPLICITY – how to make more of less. Too much information, too many offers, too much interaction, too many options. The wish for simplicity is growing. The scheduled speakers of the IHT covered: Simplification works. Preventing variety from suddenly becoming too much variety.
Urgent issues of tomorrow were again the topic of the popular evening events of the GDI in 2010, such as Food for Thought and the GDI papers, including the Consumer Value Monitor, the European Food Trends Report, the 'Unstoring' study and the GDI Impuls, which appears quarterly.
In addition to the research activities, the GDI has established itself as Gottlieb Duttweiler wanted: as a «place of contemplation and the meeting of minds»: thanks to its unique location and the exceptional hospitality, the GDI is one of the most outstanding event venues in Switzerland.
Gottlieb Duttweiler Chair: committed to trade research
The Gottlieb Duttweiler Chair for International Retail Management was established in 2000 to strengthen the tradition of retail research at the University of St. Gallen, in particular in teaching.
Prof Thomas Rudolph and his team of researchers debate issues regarding retail management and consumer behaviour. The research results are used in scientific and practical applications.
In 2010 the retail management research team focused on topical issues like price fairness: perception and consequences of price reductions; how do new forms of innovation on the internet change the value-added process; how can retail companies successfully reposition themselves in a turbulent market environment?
The second key area, i.e. consumer behaviour, considers issues on buying behaviour and profiling at the point of sale. The research focus in 2010, for instance, was on: what factors influence customer loyalty and how are attitudes and actual buying behaviour interrelated; how can own brands prevent cost-conscious customers from switching to other providers; what measures increase loyalty with customer card programmes?
The retail knowledge established is presented in the form of dissertations and scientific articles in renowned journals, as well as in text books and studies on current developments and sector trends. The congresses organised by the Gottlieb Duttweiler Chair, such as the St. Galler Handelstag and the St. Galler Internettag, have long developed into important sector meetings and were again extremely well visited in 2010.