GOA : Researchers from Goa Institute of Management (GIM), Babasaheb Bhimrao Ambedkar University, Lucknow, and Graphic Era Deemed to be University, Dehradun, have developed an AI-enabled framework to help retailer businesses understand and respond to changing consumer sustainability preferences within a given time frame.

With the rise of consumer activism towards sustainability, the most pressing question for retailers has been how to develop comprehensive, effective, and responsive systems to track continual shifts in consumer preferences regarding product recyclability, eco-certs, affordability, and brand equity. Most traditional models have proven ineffective.

This research addresses these challenges by providing actionable business strategies that can serve as vision and mission of the corporate sustainability goals.

Published in the prestigious Knowledge Management Research & Practice journal, the research is published by Dr. Sumit Tripathi, Associate Professor from GIM; along with his research graduate Ms. Roma Trigunait, and Dr. Dinesh Chandra Pandey from Graphic Era Deemed to be University, Dehradun.

The developed framework integrates machine learning methodologies such as Self-Organising Incremental Neural Networks (SOINNs), Principal Component Analysis (PCA), and Variational Autoencoders (VAEs) with knowledge management to provide:

• Identification of consumer segments in real time as they evolve
• Constant updates of insights regarding a given consumer
• Translating analytics into pricing, stock, and communication strategies
• Enhanced flexibility, agility, and responsiveness in decision-making within the organisation

What makes this framework unique is its ability to conceptualise consumer insights as mutable organisational knowledge that is created, shared, refined, and restructured across the organisation.

Speaking about the research, Dr. Sumit Tripathi, Associate Professor, GIM, said, “The research delves into five consumer groups influenced to varying degrees by sustainability, from the most committed “Sustainability Champions” to more conventional and price-focused shoppers. Such knowledge informs companies’ ability to craft bespoke strategies that integrate sustainability with business pragmatism.”

A key finding of the study is the gap between consumers’ stated concern for sustainability and their actual purchasing behaviour. This gap is influenced by factors such as price and lack of trust. The study suggests that improving transparency, affordability, and targeted communication can help address this issue.

Findings of the research are relevant for stakeholders including:

• Business owners, who can implement sustainability strategies based on real-time data
• Policymakers, who can build trust and use sustainable products through targeted strategies to remove barriers
• For academia to integrate AI, Knowledge Management and Sustainability more closely

Speaking about the research impact, Dr. Dinesh Chandra Pandey from Graphic Era Deemed to be University, Dehradun, said, “The study optimistically speaks about the role of the stated organisational culture and AI in fostering trust in analytics and the degree to which analytics are used in practice.”

As sustainability competitiveness is no longer solely dependent on data analytics, the research provides insights on how organisations integrate this information into their knowledge systems and decision-making processes, highlighting the need for continuous learning and adaptation in response to evolving consumer behaviour.