Arjen van Lin
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Dr. Arjen van Lin
Assistent Professor Department Marketing“I want to understand retailers’ decisions and how they impact consumer behavior.”
What is the main goal of your research?
I work in the area of retailing, an industry that is going through a major transition. Consumers have gone online, changing how they buy and how retailers sell. The industry has also seen a shakeout. Some retailers could not handle the competition or did not adapt to the new reality, but others took advantage and increased their operations. Retailers today have become very powerful, having a large impact on the products that we see and buy. In my research, I want to understand retailers’ decisions and how they impact consumer behavior. In particular, I’m interested how mergers and acquisitions within retail change the playing field and consumers’ shopping. Lately, I have also become interested in the role retail plays in nutrition decisions and food waste. One the one hand, retailers are seen as part of the problem, but on the other hand, they may also be the solution.
How does your research contribute to societal problems?
One of today’s biggest problems is food waste. In the Netherlands, households waste 41 kilo food per person on average, about one-eighth of what we buy. Retailers are often blamed by trying to make us buy more products than we need. For instance, in the case of a “buy-one, get-one-free” (BOGOF) promotion, consumers need to buy two products to take advantage from the deal. In my current research, I study the effect of these price promotions on household food waste. In particular, I am interested in the effect of different types of promotions like % discount, BOGOF, but also newer types like “buy-one, get-one-later”, which may be a win-win strategy for the retailer and the consumer.
What is your main motivation?
My curiosity. When I go shopping I always wonder about the drivers of retailers’ decisions and how that impacts consumers’ shopping. Understanding this impact can help to build better initiatives for companies and society at large. To this end, I also love to visit retailers in other countries. My first stop on a holiday is always the local supermarket to learn about new practices. I also enjoy teaching, and try to stimulate this curiosity with students to make them understand marketing decisions.
Who is your role model?
There are many great academics working in my field and I do not have a particular role model. I admire researchers that bridge managerial and societal relevance with academic rigor. Hearing and talking to them at conferences inspires me and motivates me to keep pushing.