33rd Recent Advances in Retailing and Consumer Sciences (RARCS) Conference
Soora Rasouli & Harry Timmermans
Co-chairs
Founding/Co-editor Journal of Retailing & Consumer Services
July 26-29
2027
Sofia
Bulgaria
Important dates
- October 15, 2026 Deadline Abstract submission
- November 15, 2026 Notification of acceptance/rejection
- January 20, 2027 Deadline Early bird registration
- February 20, 2027 Tentative conference program
- March 1, 2027 Cancellation deadline (50% refund - after this
deadline no refunds of conference fees can be made)
- April 1, 2027 Deadline Submission extended abstracts/full papers
- June 1, 2027 Distribution of final conference program - further
last minute changes will be updated on website
- June 15, 2027 Distribution of book of abstracts and conference
proceedings
- July 26-29, 2027 Conference days
History / Organisers
Professor Harry Timmermans was appointed Chair of Urban Planning at the Eindhoven University of Technology, The Netherlands in 1985. In 1990, he also became Carthy Foundation Chair of Retailing at the University of Alberta, Edmonton, Canada and Director of the Canadian institute of Retailing and Consumer services - CIRASS. He introduced the first master program in retail management in Canada. A year later, he started EIRASS in Eindhoven. To draw attention to these events, he launched the Journal of Retailing and Consumer Services (JRCS), first published by Butterworth-Heinemann, currently an Elsevier publication. Around this time, he also organised the first Recent Advances in Retailing and Consumer Service Science Conference (RARCS) in Banff/Lake Louise. Working in different disciplines, he was fascinated by the fact that some models were popular in urban planning, but not in marketing and vice versa. Even within the service industries very different theories and concepts were dominant. The aim of this conference which originally was meant to be a one-time event, was to bring together scholars from different disciplinary backgrounds to discuss their work. RARCS typically brings together scholars from around 30-35 countries, from Korea to Australia and New Zealand, from Scandinavia to South Africa and from Canada to Uruguay. Most European countries are usually represented. Recent years witness increasing attendance from China, India and the Middle East.
When in 1995 he returned to Eindhoven full time and started a new research program in transportation, he nevertheless continued organising the conference which received enthusiastic participants and feedback. The aim is to support the international, multidisciplinary network of scholars interested in retailing and consumer services and create an optimal, personalised, luxurious conference setting with nice food to discuss new ideas, try out presentations and be inspired by new methodologies, concepts and research ideas as opposed to an alternative quasi-official publication machine. RARCS works with an open, bottom-up, invitational structure in which individual researchers can propose special sessions, workshops and other academic events and discuss their ideas and concerns directly with the organisers.
Around 2015, Professor Soora Rasouli joined as co-editor of JRCS and co-chair of the RARCS Conference. She is chaired Professor of Urban Planning and Transportation at the Eindhoven University of Technology. Part of her research concerns shopping and leisure choice behaviour. She is also an international expert on transportation services.
The organisers both have been involved in several national, European and international multi-million research projects that in part have been concerned with shopping behavior, leisure/tourism and emerging transport services. In addition to their involvement with JRCS, they serve(d) on the editorial boards of about 20 journals in different disciplines. Their work and that of their PhD students have received many best paper/best PhD thesis awards and prestigious grants.
The Speakers
Program
Registration starts on July 26, 15:00 hours. It continues the next morning before the sessions. A welcome reception will take place in the evening of the 26th. Sessions will start on July 27 at 8:30 and will continue until July 29 noon. Every full conference day has 4 blocks of concurrent sessions with a lunch and 2 tea/coffee breaks; the last day has 2 blocks and 1 tea/coffee break. A conference dinner will be organised on July 28th
Book of abstracts
The one-page abstracts of all presentations will be included in a book of abstracts. It lists the details of all authors and thus serves to assist delegates in their choice of session and to contact authors before or after the conference. The book will be made available in digital format. Abstracts need to be prepared according to the abstract template below.
Conference proceedings
All extended abstracts and full papers will be included in the conference proceedings. It will be made available to the delegates in digital format. Papers should be prepared according to the paper template style format below. Delegates may choose not to submit a full paper/extended abstract
Abstract submissions
Deadline October 15, 2026
The conference invites presentations from different disciplines concerned with issues related to retailing and consumer services. Because the aim is to stimulate exchange and new collaboration, both work in progress and completed papers are accepted.
01
STEPS:
1. Download this abstract template
2. Prepare your abstract
3. Save the abstract under the last name(s) of the authors
4. Email the WORD version of the abstract to
5. Register delegate/paper using registration form on the next page
Single abstract
Special sessions
02
The conference invites proposals for special sessions. Required are multiples of 6 presentations, and at least one author of each paper attending the conference.
Special sessions
STEPS:
1. Download the abstract template
2. Prepare your abstracts (Multiple of 6)
3. Save EACH abstract under the last name(s) of the author(s)
4. Email the WORD version of ALL abstracts to
5. Register EACH participating delegate/paper using the registration form on the next pageow
Grand Millennium Hotel Sofia
The 2027 conference will take place at the Grand Millennium Hotel Sofia.
PLEASE DO NOT CONFUSE THIS HOTEL WITH THE GRAND SOFIA HOTEL.
ABOUT THE HOTEL
This 5 star Grand Hotel Millennium Sofia is located in the heart of the city, at a walking distance from the city center. The hotel features a spa center at surcharge, 5 restaurants, a fitness center, bars and shared lounges. It has 24-hour front desk, helipad, room service and ticket service. All rooms are equipped with air conditioning, electric remote-controlled curtains, floor-to-ceiling soundproof windows and a flat-screen TV with satellite channels. All hotel rooms also have coffee/tea making facilities, an in-room safe and free wifi access. The private bathroom features a bathtub and a rainfall shower, bathrobe and slippers, professional hair dryer and luxury bath amenities. Rooms provide guests with views of the park, the mountain and the city. Millennium Spa and Wellness Center is a payable service which offers a panoramic swimming pool, hydromassage hot tubs, a Finland bath with panorama view, aroma and infrared sauna, marine salt steam bath, Oriental hammam bath, Himalayan salt room, relax room with waterbeds and Thai massage zone. Grand Hotel Millennium Sofia features also a gift shop and newspapers for its guests. National Palace of Culture is 1969 feet from the hotel, while Presidency is 1.2 mi away.
HOW TO GET THERE?
Sofia is directly connected to all major gateways in Europe. Within Europe, in addition to all main regular airlines, it is connected to many cities by discount airlines. Options to get to the hotel from Sofia International Airport.
By taxi : approx. 35-45 euros
By bus: approx. 2 euros
Take line 84 УЛ. ГЕН. ГУРКО and transfer after 22min (14 stops) at
Пл. Орлов Мост to bus line 72 towards СТУДЕНТСКИ ГРАД. Exit after
9min (3 stops) at Хотел Хемус. From here, it is a 2 minute walk to the hotel.
By subway: approx. 2 euros
After 23min (9 stops) exit at Bul. Vasil Levski. From here, it is a 18 minute walk to the hotel.
WHAT TO DO IN SOFIA?
Sofia offers a unique blend of ancient Roman ruins, grand Orthodox cathedrals, and Communist-era architecture. Within walking distance from the hotel is the compact city center with must-see Landmarks
St. Alexander Nevsky Cathedral: a massive Eastern Orthodox cathedral with striking gold domes.
Ancient Serdika Archaeological Complex: leave the Serdika metro station to walk through exposed Roman streets, walls, and an ancient amphitheatre.
St. George Rotunda: the oldest building in Sofia, between the Presidency building and the Sheraton.
Vitosha Boulevard: The city’s bustling main pedestrian street is lined with cafes, restaurants, and shops, all offering a fantastic view of Vitosha Mountain.
Vitosha Mountain: Take bus 66 or the cable car directly from the city suburbs for perfect hiking; Boyana Church, located at the foothills of the mountain, famous for its medieval frescoes.
Borisova Gradina: Sofia's oldest and most expansive public park.
Ivan Vazov National Theater
Free Walking Tours: Join one of the highly-rated, tip-based walking tours (like the Sofia Communist Tour or the general Sofia History & Heritage Tour)