What drives people in Germany to buy on TikTok Shop? A new mixed-methods study by Annalena Sommer and Prof. Dr. Richard C. Geibel (IU Internationale Hochschule) delivers surprising answers: not the fear of missing out (FOMO), not parasocial bonds with creators – but community trends are by far the strongest driver of purchase behavior. The …
Before the impressions fade, I cut an aftermovie. It captures two intense days at FHNW. Because this ISPC 2026 aftermovie shows what numbers alone can’t: the atmosphere, the encounters, the moments between the talks. What Made Two Days at FHNW On September 10, the E-Commerce Best Practice Day kicked things off. 37 practice-focused talks filled …
This ISPC 2026 recap picks up right where the E-Commerce Best Practice Day left off. Friday continued seamlessly. ISPC 2026 took place at FHNW in Brugg-Windisch, with ten parallel scientific tracks. The audience came from all over the world. ISPC 2026 Opening: Numbers That Speak for Themselves Richard Geibel opened the conference. He thanked the …
On September 10, I headed to Brugg-Windisch at FHNW for the E-Commerce Best Practice Day 2026. One of the largest practice-focused conferences for Swiss online retail, this year once again closely intertwined with the academic ISPC 2026. 37 talks, four parallel tracks, a campus hall full of people all wrestling with the same question in …
Abstract Sustainability is becoming an increasingly important strategic issue in e-commerce. However, sustainable online retail is not limited to offering environmentally friendly products. It encompasses the entire value chain – from sourcing and product design to digital infrastructure, packaging, logistics, returns, and circular business models. This article identifies seven key areas where online retailers can …
Social commerce is transforming how consumers discover and purchase products, particularly within the fast-moving consumer goods (FMCG) sector. TikTok Shop combines entertainment, community engagement, and seamless purchasing into a single platform, creating new opportunities for brands to drive both awareness and sales. Using Barebells as a practical case study, this article examines how a TikTok …
Social commerce is rapidly emerging as a key growth driver in digital retail. Platforms such as TikTok are reshaping the traditional customer journey by integrating product discovery, engagement, and purchasing into a single seamless experience. Using the example of a potential H&M TikTok Shop, this article explores the critical success factors for social commerce, the …
The IU Internationale Hochschule research office has published its Newsletter #28 for May and June 2026 – and it impressively demonstrates the breadth and societal relevance of research at IU. New third-party-funded projects in Artificial Intelligence, health and social innovation, a new AI Research Institute, successful symposia and the upcoming ISPC 2026 in Switzerland: the …
Social media and e-commerce are converging – and transforming the way millions of people shop. What lies behind the concept of social commerce, which platforms are driving the development, how does the scientific FISC model developed by Prof. Dr. Richard C. Geibel work – and where are the limits of the trend? The E-Commerce Institute …
The AI hype of recent years has triggered a costly wake-up call: companies such as Uber burned through their entire annual AI budget in less than four months. Newer, more powerful models are simultaneously far more expensive – and are being deployed for ever more complex tasks. The era of “tokenmaxxing” is over. Under the …
The 6th International Scientific-Practical Conference (ISPC 2026) demonstrates remarkable growth, highlighting the increasing global relevance of research on artificial intelligence, digital transformation, and e-commerce. With more than 100 submissions, 174 contributing authors from 48 universities and institutions, and representation from 20 countries across five continents, the conference has evolved into an important platform for international …
From 1 July 2026, the European Union levies a flat fee of €3 per tariff classification on all e-commerce packages from third countries – and simultaneously abolishes the previous customs exemption threshold of €150. The measure hits Asian platforms such as Temu, Shein and AliExpress particularly hard, as their business model relies on direct-shipping from …
A report from the IU Internationale Hochschule faculty meeting in Cologne — including a visit to STARTPLATZ Mediapark, drinks at the Osman 30 rooftop bar and dinner at the traditional Brauhaus Päffgen. What Is the IU Faculty Meeting? Once a year, lecturers from IU Internationale Hochschule gather from across Germany. Most of them teach remotely …
EVENT RECAP By Prof. Dr. Richard Geibel & E-Commerce Institut Cologne·IU Campus Cologne, Gerling-Quartier·May 22, 2026 “Spotlight on our Students — and we mean it. Student research belongs on a real stage, not in a drawer.” – Prof. Dr. Richard Geibel, Chairman IU Students Symposium & Professor of Business Administration, IU International University of Applied …
Abstract. AI-powered attacks, synthetic identities and so-called friendly fraud are fundamentally reshaping the threat landscape for German and global online retail. By 2030, Juniper Research projects annual fraud losses of €131 billion. At the same time, new Nacha regulations came into force in the United States in March 2026. The E-Commerce Institute Cologne provides an …
Abstract. The FMCG market in the DACH region is undergoing a fundamental shift: sustainability has evolved from a nice-to-have into a key purchasing decision factor. Using Elvital (Garnier/L’Oréal) and Blend-a-med (P&G) as examples, the E-Commerce Institute Cologne examines how established mass-market brands are responding to pressure from consumers, EU regulation and growing online competition – …
Abstract: Prof. Dr. Richard C. Geibel and Ulrich Arnold have published a new contribution with the renowned Springer publishing house: “Die innovative Customer Journey im Social Commerce” (The Innovative Customer Journey in Social Commerce). The article develops the concept of the “Customer Moment” – the condensed, impulse-driven purchase decision process that replaces classical multi-stage customer …
Abstract Despite the Iran war, rising energy prices, and growing future anxieties, German online trade showed stable growth of 3.6 percent to around 20.4 billion euros in the first quarter of 2026. This is according to the bevh consumer survey. While groceries, drugstores, and online pharmacies grew particularly strongly, the bevh warns of a VAT …
Abstract Those who use AI coding tools knowledge work today only scratch the surface of the actual automation potential. Agentic AI coding tools like Claude Code work directly with files on your own computer – making them highly relevant for non-developers as well. They enable repeatable workflows, team-wide sharing of best practices, and true automation …
Abstract Prof. Dr. Richard C. Geibel, Director of the E-Commerce Institute Cologne, has contributed two groundbreaking chapters to the new Springer anthology “Digital Empowerment in Healthcare.” Published in 2026, this interdisciplinary work explores how digital technologies and Artificial Intelligence can promote a fairer and more sustainable healthcare system. Prof. Dr. Geibel’s contributions focus on the …