Faculty

Dr. Kelcie Slaton is an educator and researcher specializing in apparel merchandising, luxury retail, and consumer behavior. She earned her Ph.D. in Apparel Merchandising and Design from Iowa State University, with a focus on developing shopper typologies for Millennial luxury consumers. Her research explores topics such as the secondary luxury market, sustainability, digital product passports, and the integration of physical and digital (“phygital”) retail strategies, with publications in leading journals including the Journal of Retailing, International Journal of Consumer Studies, and Sustainability. Dr. Slaton has presented her work at national and international conferences, frequently addressing innovations in retail technology and evolving consumer motivations. In addition to her research, she teaches courses in merchandising analytics, luxury fashion retailing, and research methods at the University of North Texas and Parsons School of Design, often incorporating industry partnerships and experiential learning. Her professional background includes buying and merchandising roles at Neiman Marcus, as well as consulting in trend forecasting and AI-powered retail strategies. Dedicated to bridging academia and industry, she brings a global, forward-thinking perspective to preparing students for careers in a rapidly changing retail landscape.

Ph.D., Iowa State University ​

Master of Science in Merchandising; University of North Texas

Bachelor of Science in Fashion Merchandising; Stephen F. Austin State University 

2025 Testa, D. S. & Slaton, K. The Future is Phygital: Integrated Content Analysis of Current Retail Strategies and Future Priorities Across Digital, Physical, and Phygital Modalities. Journal of Retailing.https://doi.org/10.1016/j.jretai.2025.04.006

2025 Slaton, K. S., Pookulangara, S. A., & Euflausino, J. Consumer Adoption of Digital Product Passports in the Second Luxury Market through the Lens of the Technology Acceptance Model and Diffusion of Innovation Theory. Research in Social Sciences. https://academiainsight.com/index.php/riss/

2025 Slaton, K. & Pookulangara, S. Exploring Consumer Use of Digital Product Passports for Secondary Luxury Consumption: A Conceptual Study. Advances in Consumer Research, 2(1), 279-292. https://acr-journal.com/article/exploring-consumer-use-of-digital-product-passports-for-secondary-luxury-consumption-a-conceptual-study-902/

2024 Slaton, K., Testa, D. S., & Garrett, S. The Secondary Home Furnishing Consumer: An Investigation into Psychological Motivations and Purchase Intention. Sustainability, 16(18), 8169. https://doi.org/10.3390/su16188169

2024 Slaton, K., Hurst, J., & Niehm, L. Exploring shopper psychographic characteristics from a human ecosystem’s perspective: A proposed typology of Millennial luxury consumers. Clothing and Textiles Research Journal, 43(2), 83-101.https://doi.org/10.1177/0887302X231225122

2023 Slaton, K. & Pookulangara, S. Secondary sneaker market: Investigating the motives, activities, resources and capabilities of the triadic framework for collaborative consumption. Journal of Fashion Marketing and Management, 28(4), 818-836. https://doi.org/10.1108/JFMM-03-2023-0058

2023 Testa, D. S., Slaton, K., Sonia Bakhshian, S., & Eike, R. How do consumers engage with sustainability? Comparing visually based and text-based engagement with fashion brands. The Journal of Social Media in Society, 12(2), 1-21. https://www.thejsms.org/index.php/JSMS/article/view/1297/64

2023 Slaton, K. & Testa, D. S. Small concept luxury department stores: Psychographic characteristics affecting patronage intentions. International Journal of Retail & Distribution Management, 51(6), 826-844. https://doi.org/10.1108/IJRDM-11-2022-0475

2023 Slaton, K., Pang, C., & Hurst, J. L. Forty Five Ten after COVID-19: Can a luxury department store revitalize their direct-to-consumer business and create an engaging online experience that brings their physical brand experience to life? In Bloomsbury Fashion Business Cases. London: Bloomsbury. http://dx.doi.org/10.5040/9781350893085.006

2023 Slaton, K. & Hurst, J. What does luxury really mean to millennial consumers? International Journal of Consumer Studies, 47(2), 1-15. https://doi.org/10.1111/ijcs.12866

2022 Slaton, K. & Pookulangara, S. The secondary luxury consumer: An investigation into online consumption. Sustainability, 14(2022), 1-17. https://doi.org/10.3390/su142113744 Special Issue: Data Analysis of Brand Sustainability and Consumer Satisfaction

2022 Slaton, K. & Pookulangara, S. Collaborative consumption: An investigation into the secondary sneaker market. International Journal of Consumer Studies, 46(3), 763-780. https://doi.org/10.1111/ijcs.12725

2022 Testa, D. S., Slaton, K., & Karpova, E. A mixed methods exploration of economic factors role in fashion specialty retailers’ international expansion and performance. Journal of Marketing Development and Competitiveness, 16(1), 28-44.https://doi.org/10.33423/jmdc.v16i1