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This associated special issue call has been retracted at the request of the Editor of the Journal of Retailing and Consumer Services. Here is a letter from the Editor and an Elsevier Executive publisher…

Elsevier B.V. Radarweg 29, 1043 NX Amsterdam, The Netherlands Tel +31 (20) 485 2911 | Fax +31 (20) 485 2457 | www.elsevier.com HR Amsterdam 33158992 | vat (btw) no. NL 00.503.301.9B.01.

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Eunju Ko, Ph.D.
Professor of Fashion Marke6ng, Yonsei University
Organizing CommiAee Chair of the 2925 Global Marke6ng Conference at Hong Kong
President, Global Alliance of Marke6ng & Management Associa6ons

Kyung Hoon Kim, DBA
Execu6ve Secretary
Global Alliance of Marke6ng & Management Associa6ons
Professor of Marke6ng
Past Provost & Vice President of Academic Affairs, Changwon Na6onal University

Dear Professors,

Thank you for your email regarding the proposed special issue on “Retail Service Transformation & Consumer Behavior in the Age of Digital Challenge”. As requested, this is the requested apology letter for cancelling the special issue.

Unfortunately, due to oversight in the procedure, the original proposal was not discussed within the team of Editors before we sent you Guest Editor invita=ons – that was a mistake by Elsevier. After further discussion between the team members, it was decided that this issue was too close to other (planned) issues.

Therefore, we must apologise to your organisation and the proposed guest editors and let you know that we will not proceed with this issue after all. We appreciate that this is late no=ce so please accept our apologies.

Fortunately, our decision should not nega=vely impact your aEendees. Those interested can submit their papers directly to JRCS as a regular submission and likely will have a decision much sooner than submiRng their work as part of a special issue. Historical data indicate the turn-around =me of regular submissions is much faster than the turn-around =me of special issues. If they prefer to be part of a special issue, as indicated, they can also submit their paper to the current (overlapping) special issues.

We wish you every success for the forthcoming GMC conference at which one of our Co-Editors, Professor Catherine Prentice, will represent JRCS at a ‘Meet the Editor’ session.

Yours sincerely

Prof. Dr H.J.P. Timmermans
Editor-in-chief JRCS

Suzanne Abbot
Elsevier Executive Publisher for Marketig and Economics

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The original retracted posting follows:

Call for Papers: Special Issue of Journal of Retailing and Consumer Services on

“Retail Service Transformation & Consumer Behavior in the Age of Digital Challenges”

Conference Submission Deadline: February 15, 2025

Full Paper Submission to JRCS Deadline: August 30, 2025

Journal of Retailing and Consumer Services (2023 IF: 11.0)

The ongoing digital revolution is transforming how retailers interact with consumers (SanMiguel et al., 2024; Vhatkar et al., 2024; Yu et al., 2024; Robichaud & Yu 2023). Technologies like artificial intelligence (AI), augmented reality (AR), and data analytics are now integral to retail service delivery, enabling retailers to offer more personalized, efficient, and seamless services. Consumers are increasingly engaging with retailers through a blend of digital and physical touchpoints, creating demand for tech-enhanced shopping experiences (Cho et al., 2023). However, alongside these benefits arise challenges such as ensuring consumer privacy, managing data security (Hajian et al., 2024), and sustaining trust (Lee & Cho, 2023; Strycharz & Segijn, 2024). Additionally, the service sectors continue to encounter difficulties in adopting and effectively implementing the metaverse (Gupta et al., 2024). Amid these challenges, retailers must address the complexities of balancing automation and algorithmic decision-making with the human and emotional connections that are often essential in consumer interactions. In particular, maintaining the human element in these automated processes remains a critical challenge.

In addition to these well-known challenges, retailers must now navigate consumer fatigue from digital overload. As shoppers are exposed to a growing number of digital channels and automated interactions (Gong & Park, 2023), this can lead to decision fatigue (Zarantonello et al., 2024), reduced engagement, and even decreased brand loyalty. Furthermore, digital exclusion is a growing concern, as not all consumers have the technological skills or resources to fully engage with increasingly sophisticated digital platforms (Ueno et al., 2023). The rapid pace of technological change has also required retailers to continually invest in infrastructure and new systems, raising financial and operational risks. Cybersecurity threats and the potential for data breaches have become significant concerns, with consumers demanding more transparency and security in how their personal information is used (Hajian et al., 2024). Additionally, it is important to consider how to improve older consumers’ well-being in digital service environments (Zhang et al., 2022). Given these challenges, it is crucial to explore how retailers are responding to the digital transformation of retail services and how these innovations are shaping consumer behavior. As technologies like AR, VR, and AI-driven recommendation systems become more common, it is essential to understand their impact on consumer perceptions, satisfaction, and long-term loyalty.

Given these ongoing challenges, this special issue explores how retailers are navigating the digital transformation of retail services and the resulting shifts in consumer behavior. Therefore, it invites research that contemplates the balance between technological innovation and the preservation of a human touch in retail interactions. This issue seeks to deepen our understanding of the evolving relationship between retailers and consumers in an age of digital challenges. The following topics are suggested, although additional contributions are welcome.

Key Topics of Interest (but not limited):

• The integration of digital technologies in retail service delivery
• Consumer behavior in response to tech-enhanced retail services
• The impact of digital transformation on retail service quality and customer experience
• Balancing technology and human interaction in retail experiences (e.g., the metaverse, physical and digital environments)
• Privacy, trust, and security concerns in data-driven retail environments
• The role of omnichannel strategies in shaping consumer engagement across digital and physical touchpoints
• Challenges and opportunities in creating personalized digital retail experiences
• Ethical considerations in the use of AI, automation, and immersive technologies (AR, VR) in retail
• The evolution of consumer–brand relationships in the age of digital and tech-driven retail
• Cultural and demographic factors influencing consumer adaptation to digital retail

Conference Submission and Review Process:

An extended abstract or full paper should be submitted to the ‘Retail Service Transformation & Consumer Behavior in the Age of Digital Challenges’ track of the 2025 GMC at Hong Kong. All submissions, reviews, and notifications of editorial decisions will be conducted electronically through the 2025 Global Marketing Conference (GMC) at Hong Kong submission page:

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The 2025 GMC submission guidelines

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The manuscript’s title page should include the corresponding author’s name, affiliation, mailing address, telephone number, and e-mail address. Names and contact information for other authors should be included as well. All manuscripts submitted must not have been published, accepted for publication, or be currently under consideration elsewhere. Accepted papers will be presented at the 2025 GMC at Hong Kong and selected papers will be invited to be submitted as full papers for the JRCS special issue. Full paper submissions are encouraged while 5-page extended abstracts can also be submitted.

Conference Submission Deadline: February 15, 2025

JRCS Special Issue Submission: All submissions will go through the Journal of Retailing and Consumer Services’ double-anonymized review and follow JRCS’ standard processes. Manuscripts must be electronically submitted by August 30, 2025.

Full Paper JRCS Submission Window: July 1 – August 30, 2025

Guest Editors:

Prof. Erin Cho, Dean of the School of Fashion and Textiles, The Hong Kong Polytechnic University (erin.cho@polyu.edu.hk)

Prof. Kyung Hoon Kim, Professor, Changwon National University (gammaksms@gmail.com)

Associate Guest Editor:

Dr. Minjung Cho, Research Assistant Professor, The Hong Kong Polytechnic University (minjung.cho@polyu.edu.hk)

Journal of Retailing and Consumer Services: