The idea to establish a platform for European retail researchers who focus on marketing as well as operations was born in 2010 at a conference in France. The founding members consist of Professors Xavier Brusset (SKEMA Business School, France), Herbert Kotzab (University of Bremen) and Christoph Teller (University of Surrey, UK) - for more details see below. The inaugural edition of the Colloquium on European Research in Retailing (CERR pronounce /?s3:(r)/) took place in Paris in 2012. Thereafter, two more bi-annual events have taken place ? CERR 2014 at the University of Bremen and CERR 2016 at Toulouse Business School.The 2018 edition took place at Surrey Business School, Guildford. The last edition then moved to Spain and was held in Valencia in 2020.
Since the first edition, the International Journal of Retail & Distribution Management has been supporting this effort by offering to publish special issues with the best papers submitted to the colloquium. In particular, its Editor in chief, Professor Neil Towers has proved a staunch supporter.
The founders? main focus ever since has been that CERR creates a collegiate environment that sparks ideas, initiates discussions and establishes networks within the retail community in Europe and beyond. Currently, the founding members represent the senior advisory board of CERR and ensure that its key values (as set out below) are reflected in each edition of the colloquium.