Tucson Standard

The University of Arizona has received a $5 million gift to further its business, retail and consumer sciences programs.

The donation was made by Terry and Tina Lundgren, a recent UofA press release said. Terry worked as Macy's CEO for 14 years and has long supported the university's retail program.

"Terry's success and ongoing support have put the University of Arizona on the map as a destination for students who hope to work in retailing, and as a talent pipeline for the top brands who join us every year for the Global Retailing Ideas Summit," University of Arizona President Robert C. Robbins said in the release. "This new gift from Terry and Tina is pivotal to the future of a changing industry, and I am so grateful for their longstanding partnership."

"The goal of the Lundgren Retail Collaborative is to build a world-class hub, right here on the University of Arizona campus, that drives retail education, research and practice," Yong Liu, Marketing Department head and Robert A. Eckert endowed chair of the Eller College of Management, said in the release.

The funds will create an endowed faculty chair in both the Norton School of Family and Consumer Sciences and the Eller College of Management and will also help supply the industry's demand for graduates who "embrace change and spark innovation in retailing companies of all sizes," the release said. Additionally, a retail learning laboratory with updated virtual reality technology, heat-sensing and eye-tracking software, cameras and display equipment will allow students to gain hands-on experience in retail scenarios.   

"Biology students have labs where they can practice their craft and perform experiments to learn about biological processes," Laura Scaramella, head of UofA's John and Doris Norton School of Family and Consumer Sciences, said in the release. "Retailing students need to be able to do the exact same thing. If students are working on product display, they can actually set up a shop, create virtual product, use different display strategies and then use eye-tracking software to track where people are visually attending."

The funding will also focus on contactless point of sale.

"To me, the question is: Are consumers going to adopt something like this?" Lance Erickson, consumer psychologist and associate professor of practice at the Norton School of Family and Consumer Sciences, said in the release. "How do we educate consumers about how contactless point of sale works and help consumers overcome their hesitancy to walk out of a store without having physically paid for something or checked out? This will genuinely be a lab space where we can do research with real consumers."