Our close partnerships with the retail industry will help you connect with professionals and work on real-life problems through course projects, guest lectures, and onsite visits. The Center for Retail Design and Innovation further provides you with a space to build your network, gain hands-on learning experiences, and prepare you for success in your career.
“Going to such a large University, I am able to connect with so many different types of people within the retail field. By having such a diverse group of students in my major, I have learned how to better work with people vastly different from me in my career."
—Jessica Donlon (BS, Retail Merchandising)
Our retail and consumer studies faculty study varied and diverse topics from the dynamics of retail competition and consumer behavior to sustainable consumption. With research partnerships at other design programs at the College of Design, University of Minnesota Extension Services, and other colleges throughout the University and beyond, our faculty will help you identify and pursue your own research interests.
Collaboration with faculty and industry entities are also possible through the Center for Retail Design and Innovation (CRDI). As one of the only retail merchandising research centers located within a design college, CRDI provides a unique opportunity for students to develop crucial skills in design thinking, visual literacy, creative problem solving, leadership, and business analysis through real case studies.
Retail and Consumer Studies in the Twin Cities
Minneapolis and St. Paul are two major retail centers. In addition to a variety of Fortune 500 companies that call the Twin Cities home, hundreds of small- and medium-sized businesses are located throughout the metro. These businesses form a landscape of diverse opportunities to connect with industry-leading companies and create important pathways for your career success. Our rich retail environment facilitates close and supportive relationships between the college and our community partners. It also allows for learning opportunities not possible in programs located elsewhere.
At the College of Design you get the accessibility of a small college with the resources and opportunities of a land-grant research university. Our small class sizes and low faculty-to-student ratio mean you will enjoy individual attention from professors and mentors. You will also become part of a tight-knit community of retail and consumer studies students and alumni across the country.
Our retail and consumer studies faculty study varied and diverse topics from the dynamics of retail competition and consumer behavior to sustainable consumption.
