The Platt Retail Institute has announced that it has partnered with the nation’s leading psychology graduate school in a formal affiliation to create the Platt Retail Institute at The Chicago School of Professional Psychology.
According to the Platt Retail Institute, “in these challenging economic times, retaining customers and increasing sales requires a greater understanding of consumer psychology and effective use of emerging digital communication network technologies. As a result, demand for new data and analysis of consumer behavior is higher than ever as organizations strive to better connect with their customers.”
The partnership brings the Platt Retail Institute’s (PRI) research, analytics, academic publishing, and consulting work to downtown Chicago, where it will be a fixture of The Chicago School’s (TCS) River North campus at 325 N. Wells Street and the Merchandise Mart. In turn, the school’s Department of Business Psychology faculty and students—particularly those with an interest in consumer psychology and retail analytics—will have an opportunity to participate in Institute projects for publications, internships, and/or thesis and dissertation work.
“This new relationship greatly expands our ability to undertake the research necessary to understand the impact of emerging digital technologies on consumer behavior,” said Steven Keith Platt, PRI’s director and research fellow, of the partnership. “We also are working with The Chicago School to develop onsite and online training to meet the educational needs of both the professional and student.” Coursework is expected to cover the areas of in-store marketing, consumer-interaction technology, and other business psychology topics.
“Welcoming the Platt Retail Institute to our campus is another example of The Chicago School being on the forefront of new thinking, technology, and applications that connect information and human behavior,” said Dr. Carroll Cradock, dean, TCS Chicago Campus. “It will give our graduate students access to emerging business fields, while positioning The Chicago School as a leader in research into the psychology behind consumer shopping behavior.”
About the Platt Retail Institute:
The Platt Retail Institute, with offices in North America and the EU, is recognized as a world-leading expert in research and consulting to retailers, media companies, financial institutions, hardware, software, transmission, and other business enterprises seeking to impact the customer in-store experience. PRI serves as a knowledge bridge between the academic world and industry by synergizing the wealth of knowledge being produced at the university level with the need for more advanced yet practical business research and insight at the customer level.
About The Chicago School of Professional Psychology:
Founded in 1979, The Chicago School of Professional Psychology is the nation’s leading nonprofit graduate school exclusively dedicated to the applications of psychology and related behavioral sciences. TCS is an active member of the National Council of Schools and Programs of Professional Psychology, which has recognized The Chicago School for its distinguished service and outstanding contributions to cultural diversity and advocacy. The Chicago School’s community service initiatives resulted in recognition on the President’s Higher Education Community Service Honor Roll for exemplary service to disadvantaged youth. A recognized innovator in the psychology profession, The Chicago School was the first college in the nation to offer a Psy.D. degree in Business Psychology.
For more information about The Chicago School of Professional Psychology, visit www.thechicagoschool.edu.
For more information about the Platt Retail Institute, visit www.plattretailinstitute.org.
