The purpose of the unit – jointly led by Duke University’s Fuqua School of Business and Ipsos – is to inform participating members about the decision theory of demand generation through shopping. As an adviser, Safeway will help to guide the board on their research plans and share in the learning from the Duke-Ipsos Center’s research projects.

Deb Fifles, vice president of consumer and shopper insights for Safeway, said: “We believe that the center is a compelling collaboration across retailers, manufacturers and the academic community.”

Mark Berry, executive VP of shopper insights at Ipsos, added that the partnership will help with “advancing the science of how shoppers decide”.

“We created the Duke-Ipsos Research Center to gain deeper insights into the judgements and choices that go into the shopping experience. The center’s ability to conduct breakthrough experiments will be greatly enhanced with Safeway’s participation.”