GFMC 2026

Introduction

Global Fashion Management Conference, Madrid, 16-19 Jul 2026; Deadline now 31 Jan

INTEREST CATEGORY: SECTORS
POSTING TYPE: Revisits

Posted by: Kyung Hoon Kim

CFP: IMR Special Issue Track on Global Impact, Local Action

International Marketing Reviewwill hold a special track called‘IMR Special Issue: Global Impact, Local Action: Understanding Consumer Responses to Sustainability in a Globalized World,’ in the 2026 GFMC at Madridto allow authors to refine their manuscripts before the formal IMR double blind review process for this IMR special issue.

Special Issue of International Marketing Review:Global Impact, Local Action: Understanding Consumer Responses to Sustainability in a Globalized World

2026 Global Fashion Management Conference at Madrid:

Conference Homepage:
Conference Date:July 16-19, 2026
Submission Deadline:January 15, 2026
Venue:ISEM Fashion Business School, Madrid, Spain
IMR Special Track:IMR Special Issue: Global Impact, Local Action: Understanding Consumer Responses to Sustainability in a Globalized World

Introduction
In 2025, record-breaking temperatures, escalating global political unrest, and a looming economic recession have intensified consumer anxiety, increasing pressure and expectations around their purchasing decisions worldwide. As people face these global challenges, they are more frequently choosing sustainable options, which fundamentally transform the connection between consumption and societal well-being. Sustainability is defined as “meeting the needs of the present without compromising the ability of future generations to meet their own needs” (World Commission on Environment and Development, 1987, p. 8). Although often linked to environmental issues, sustainability includes three interrelated dimensions: environmental (the natural world), social (people and communities), and economic (long-term prosperity) (Griffith, 2021; Kim et al., 2024). This framework is commonly referred to as the triple bottom line, or the “3Ps”: people, planet, and profit.

This growing consumer focus on sustainability is not merely a preference but a powerful market force. Increasingly, consumers are driving the business case for sustainability by signaling their preferences through purchasing decisions. A survey has shown that 68% of consumers in OECD Member countries are concerned about environmental impact when making purchasing choices (OECD, 2025). Notably, 80% of consumers are willing to pay an average premium of 9.7% for sustainable products (PwC, 2024), and products with sustainability-related advertising saw 2.0–8.5% higher sales growth compared to those without such messaging (McKinsey and NielsenIQ, 2023). This trend is especially strong among younger consumers, with 79% of Gen Z and 81% of millennials believing that companies should do more to support sustainable purchasing choices (Deloitte, 2024).

Given the growing demand from consumers to advancing sustainability goals (OECD, 2025), a deep understanding of their responses to sustainability initiatives is essential for firms aiming to contribute to a sustainable society (Chabowski et al., 2011; Hult, 2011; Kemper and Ballantine, 2019). Prior research has effectively demonstrated that consumer attitudes and behaviors are influenced by both individual characteristics (Cleveland et al., 2012; Hosta and Zabkar, 2021) and firms’ marketing strategies (White et al., 2019; Strizhakova et al., 2024). Additionally, scholars have explored negative consumer responses, such as skepticism and perceptions of greenwashing (Leonidou and Skarmeas, 2017; Szabo and Webster, 2021). Despite these important contributions, much of this work has been conducted within domestic contexts. Consequently, there is a notable and pressing gap in our understanding of how consumer attitudes and behaviors toward sustainability are shaped across diverse markets and cultures.

This gap is particularly concerning because the global marketplace presents a complex frontier for sustainable consumption, offering opportunities to enrich both scholarly understanding of sustainable consumption and practical approaches to sustainable marketing (Varadarajan, 2014; Chabowski et al., 2025; İpek, 2025). Sustainable consumption is closely linked to consumers’ values and identities, as well as to the regulations and institutions around them, all of which vary greatly across countries and cultures (Sharma et al., 2018; Leonidou et al., 2022; Hånell et al., 2024; Osburg et al., 2024). For instance, a product message deemed environmentally responsible in one country might be viewed as irrelevant or even wasteful in another (Griffith, 2021). Without addressing these cross-national and cross-cultural differences, a comprehensive understanding of sustainable consumption remains incomplete and fragmented.

Analyzing sustainable consumption in the international context offers valuable insights for both multinational corporations (MNCs) with global influence (Grinstein and Riefler, 2015; Salnikova et al., 2022; Marano et al., 2024) and for small- and medium-sized firms or exporters operating in developed and developing countries (Zeriti et al., 2016; Boso et al., 2017; Sinkovics et al., 2021). For instance, products from large MNCs may promise global standards but face skepticism about their local impact, while products from smaller exporters might seem more authentic but lack transparent supply chain information. This complexity is intensified by shifting geopolitical and economic forces, making it profoundly difficult for consumers to verify claims, assess trade-offs, and make choices aligned with their sustainable values. As a result, understanding how consumers navigate this environment is a vital and urgent priority for both marketing scholars and business leaders.

To advance sustainability research from a consumer-centric, international perspective, this special issue invites studies that explore the multifaceted nature of the global sustainable consumer. We particularly encourage submissions that approach this topic from two complementary angles: (1) applying established international marketing concepts to the sustainability domain and (2) extending sustainable consumption theories to the international context.

On one hand, international marketing researchers might address sustainable consumer behavior through the lens of established theories and constructs, exploring questions such as: How do consumer ethnocentrism and animosity influence evaluations of foreign versus domestic sustainable products? How do consumers’ global versus local identities affect their responses to standardized versus locally adapted sustainability campaigns? On the other hand, sustainability researchers could extend theories of sustainable consumption to the complex international domain, investigating questions such as: How do pro-environmental behaviors and their motivations differ between consumers in developed and emerging markets? What cultural values drive the adoption of or resistance to circular economy practices, such as purchasing remanufactured products or using reusable bags? We welcome contributions from both research streams, and especially from those working at their intersection, to illuminate how consumers navigate the challenges and opportunities of sustainable consumption in a globalized world.

The guest editors welcome conceptual, review, and empirical papers that are methodologically rigorous. We are open to a wide array of approaches and are particularly interested in research that can illuminate the complexities of consumers and their sustainable choices in an international context. This may include rich qualitative studies (e.g., in-depth interviews, netnography), insightful quantitative analyses (e.g., cross-cultural surveys, experiments), and multi-method designs. We also encourage submissions that draw on diverse theoretical perspectives to advance our understanding of the global sustainable consumer.

Track Chairs & Guest Editors:
Prof. Ryuta Ishii, College of Business Administration, Ritsumeikan University, Japan,r-ishii@fc.ritsumei.ac.jp.
Prof. İLAYDA İPEK, Dokuz Eylül University, Türkiye,ilayda.gungor@deu.edu.tr.
Prof. Mai Kikumori, College of Business Administration, Ritsumeikan University, Japan,kikumori@fc.ritsumei.ac.jp.
Prof. Fabian Bartsch, Montpellier Business School, France, 2300 Av. des Moulins, 34080 Montpellier, France,f.bartsch@montpellier-bs.com.

CFP: IMR Special Issue:Global Impact, Local Action: Understanding Consumer Responses to Sustainability in a Globalized World

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For More Information:

GAMMA Central Office

gammacentraloffice@gmail.com

Publication Opportunities: 2026 GFMC at Madrid

You are cordially invited to submit your paper to the following special issues for the 2026 Global Fashion Management Conference at Madrid:

2026 Global Fashion Management Conference at Madrid
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1. Conference Dates: 16-19, 2026
2. Venue: ISEM Fashion Business School, Madrid, Spain

  1. Extended Submission Deadline: January 31, 2026
    4. Co-Hosts:
    – ISEM Fashion Business School, University of Navarra
    – Korean Scholars of Marketing Science
  2. Organizer:Global Alliance of Marketing & Management Associations
  3. Special Issues/Section for the 2026 GFMC at Madrid:

1) INTERNATIONAL JOURNAL OF ADVERTISING

International Journal of Advertising will publish a special issue on ‘New Developments in Luxury Advertising: Artificial Intelligence, New Technologies, Sustainability, and Influencers’ with the best papers presented at the following track in the 2026 GFMC at Madrid called ‘New Developments in Luxury Advertising: Artificial Intelligence, New Technologies, Sustainability, and Influencers.’ Guest Editors: Prof. Eunju Ko, Yonsei University, ejko@yonsei.ac.kr. Prof. Carmen Valor Martínez, Universidad Pontificia Comillas, cvalor@icade.comillas.edu. Prof. Teresa Sádaba, University of Navarra, teresa.sadaba@isem.es.
2) INTERNATIONAL MARKETING REVIEW
International Marketing Review will hold a special track called ‘IMR Special Issue: Global Impact, Local Action: Understanding Consumer Responses to Sustainability in a Globalized World,’ in the 2026 GFMC at Madrid to allow authors to refine their manuscripts before the formal IMR double blind review process for this IMR special issue. Guest Editors: Prof. Ryuta Ishii, College of Business Administration, Ritsumeikan University, Japan, r-ishii@fc.ritsumei.ac.jp. Prof. İLAYDA İPEK, Dokuz Eylül University, Türkiye, ilayda.gungor@deu.edu.tr. Prof. Mai Kikumori, College of Business Administration, Ritsumeikan University, Japan, kikumori@fc.ritsumei.ac.jp. Prof. Fabian Bartsch, Montpellier Business School, France, 2300 Av. des Moulins, 34080 Montpellier, France, f.bartsch@montpellier-bs.com.
3) TOURISM REVIEW
Tourism Review will publish a special issue on ‘Fashion in Tourism Communication and Marketing’ with selected papers presented at the following track called ‘Fashion in Tourism Communication and Marketing’ in the 2026 GFMC at Madrid. Guest Editors: Prof. Dimitrios Buhalis, Bournemouth University Business School, Dorset, BH12 5BB, UK, dbuhalis@bournemouth.ac.uk. Dr. Nadzeya Sabatini, Institute of Digital Technologies for Communication, Faculty of Communication, Culture and Society, USI – Università della Svizzera italiana. Via Buffi 13, Lugano, Switzerland, nadzeya.sabatini@usi.ch. Prof. Eduardo Parra López, Universidad de La Laguna Dpto Dirección de Empresas e Historia Económica, Cº de la Hornera S/N. La Laguna, 38071, Tenerife, España, eparra@ull.edu.es.
4) ASIA PACIFIC JOURNAL OF MARKETING AND LOGISTICS
Asia Pacific Journal of Marketing and Logistics will publish a special section with selected papers on ‘AI and Phygital Transformations in Fashion Marketing and Management’ presented at the track called ‘‘AI and Phygital Transformations in Fashion Marketing and Management’ in the 2026 GFMC at Madrid. Guest Editors: Prof. Kyung Hoon Kim, Yonsei University, gammaksms@gmail.com. Prof. Pedro Mir, ISEM Fashion Business School, University of Navarra, pmir@unav.es. Prof. Joonheui Bae, The Hong Kong Polytechnic University, joonheui.bae@polyu.edh.hk.
5) JOURNAL OF GLOBAL FASHION MARKETING
Journal of Global Fashion Marketing will publish a special issue on ‘Fashion Marketing & Management in the Age of AI Fashion Transformation’ with best papers presented at the following track called ‘Fashion Marketing & Management in the Age of AI Fashion Transformation’ in the 2026 GFMC at Madrid. Guest Editor: Prof. Eunju Ko, Dept. of Clothing and Textiles, College of Human Ecology, Yonsei University, 134 Sinchon-dong, Seodaemun-gu, Seoul, Republic of Korea, ejko@yonsei.ac.kr, Tel: +82-2-2123-3109. Associate Guest Editor: Dr. Minjung Cho, School of Fashion and Textiles, The Hong Kong Polytechnic University, 11 Yuk Choi Road, Hung Hom, Hong Kong, minjung.cho@polyu.edu.hk.
6) JOURNAL OF GLOBAL SCHOLARS OF MARKETING SCIENCE
Journal of Global Scholars of Marketing Science will publish a special issue on ‘Fashion Marketing and Consumer Research in the Era of AI Transformation’ with the best papers presented at the following track called ‘Fashion Marketing and Consumer Research in the Era of AI Transformation’. Guest Editor: Dr. Huanzhang (Neo) Wang, Dept. of Marketing, School of Business, Jiangnan University, Wuxi, China, gammaneowong@gmail.com.
7) JOURNAL OF GLOBAL SPORT MANAGEMENT
Journal of Global Sport Management will publish a special issue on ‘Sustainability in Global Sport: Environmental, Social, and Economic Futures’ with selected papers presented at the following track called ‘Sustainability in Global Sport: Environmental, Social, and Economic Futures’ of the 2026 GFMC at Madrid. Guest Editor: Chan Hyeon Hur, Florida International University, chur@fiu.edu.

For More Information:
Central Office
Global Alliance of Marketing & Management Associations
gammacentraloffice@gmail.com

Call for Papers:

Special Issue of Journal of Global Scholars of Marketing Science on

“Fashion Marketing and Consumer Research in the Era of AI Transformation”

Extended Submission Deadline for 2026 GFMC at Madrid: January 31, 2026

Full Paper Submission Deadline: Sept. 15, 2026

The Journal of Global Scholars of Marketing Science (JCR IF: 2.7) will publish a special issue on “Fashion Marketing and Consumer Research in the Era of AI Transformation” with selected papers presented in a track called “Fashion Marketing and Consumer Research in the Era of AI Transformation” at the 2026 Global Fashion Management Conference at Madrid.

The fashion industry is experiencing a profound digital transformation, fueled by artificial intelligence (AI), virtual and augmented reality (VR/AR), and the metaverse (Munsch, 2021; Qi et al., 2025; Mao et al., 2025; Mogaji et al., 2025). These technologies are reshaping how fashion is designed, marketed, and consumed, bringing both opportunities and challenges.Immersive technologies create innovative consumer experiences—such as virtual fashion shows, digital stores, and branded events in virtual worlds—that expand participation and redefine engagement (Rasul; 2024; Cho et al., 2024). From an industry perspective, digital tools disrupt traditional value chains and stimulate new business models. In services, they reshape customer interactions, blurring boundaries between human and machine. For consumers, they offer novel avenues of self-expression and identity construction, but also generate concerns regarding privacy, digital overload, and inequalities of access (Um et al., 2025; Park et al., 2024). Given these dynamics, it is essential to investigate how digital technologies redefine fashion marketing and consumer behavior, ensuring that future research critically engages with both their transformative potential and their societal implications.

Topics includes but not limited:

  • Consumer perceptions of AI-designed fashion.
  • Consumer experience for AI-enabled fashion marketing activity.
  • The impact of AI service on customer perception across pre-sale and post-sale contexts.
  • Digital fashion marketing activities in the metaverse through fashion.
  • The role of VR/AR in enhancing fashion marketing.
  • Sustainability and digital fashion.
  • The psychology of consumer resistance toward AI-driven fashion design.
  • Algorithmic transparency and its effect in fashion.
  • Moral concerns and consumer well-being for digital fashion marketing.
  • Luxury branding and services enhanced by digital technology
  • Digital fashion adoption in emerging vs. developed markets.
  • Methodological innovations for studying consumer behavior in virtual fashion environments.

Authors should submit the extended abstract to the track called “Fashion Marketing and Consumer Research in the Era of AI Transformation” of 2026 GFMC at Madrid before January 31, 2026 to be qualified for the formal full-paper submission to this JGSMS Special issue. The submissions accepted by and presented in the track called “Fashion Marketing and Consumer Research in the Era of AI Transformation” of the 2026 GFMC at Madrid would be invited to submit the full manuscript to the special issue.

Among submissions to the track “Fashion Marketing and Consumer Research in the Era of AI Transformation” of the 2026 GFMC at Madrid, papers selected by the special issue guest editor will be considered for submission to this special issue of the Journal of Global Scholars of Marketing Science on ‘“Fashion Marketing and Consumer Research in the Era of AI Transformation”. Full paper submission to the JGSMS should follow the submission guidelines of the Journal of Global Scholars of Marketing Science:

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Conference Submission Link:

Guest Editor:

Prof. Huanzhang (Neo) Wang, Department of Marketing, School of Business, Jiangnan University, China, gammaneowong@gmail.com

For More Information:

Conference Homepage:
Journal of Global Scholars of Marketing Science:

Conference Organizing Committee: gammacentraloffice@gmail.com

References

Mao, J., Xu, X., Han, J., & Ko, E. (2025). The impact of digital fashion marketing on purchase intention.Asia Pacific Journal of Marketing and Logistics,37(1), 210-235.

Mogaji, E., Dwivedi, Y. K., & Raman, R. (2024). Fashion marketing in the metaverse.Journal of Global Fashion Marketing,15(1), 115-130.

Munsch, A. (2021). Millennial and generation Z digital marketing communication and advertising effectiveness: A qualitative exploration.Journal of Global Scholars of Marketing Science,31(1), 10-29.

Park, Y., Kim, J., Jiang, Q., & Kim, K. H. (2024). Impact of artificial intelligence (AI) chatbot characteristics on customer experience and customer satisfaction.Journal of Global Scholars of Marketing Science,34(3), 439-457.

Qi, L., Ko, E., & Cho, M. (2025). AI chatbots with visual search: Impact on luxury fashion shopping behavior.Journal of Global Scholars of Marketing Science,35(2), 99-117.

Rasul, T., Nair, S., Palamidovska-Sterjadovska, N., Ladeira, W. J., Santini, F. D. O., & Elgammal, I. (2024). The evolution of customer engagement in the digital era for business: A review and future research agenda.Journal of Global Scholars of Marketing Science,34(3), 325-348.

Um, H., Ko, E., Cho, M., & Do, B. (2025). Does luxury fashion shape consumers’ perception differently in the real world versus the metaverse? A comparative study on wearer evaluation.International Journal of Human–Computer Interaction,41(13), 8314-8329.