Dr Bertha Jacobs

PhD Apparel, Merchandising and Design (Iowa State University), M Consumer Science: Clothing Management, with marketing application (Cum laude), DTO (Diploma in tertiary education), B Hons Home Economics: Clothing Management (Cum laude), B Home Economics General

Position: Senior Lecturer

Fields of expertise:

Clothing merchandising and retailing, visual merchandising, social-psychology of clothing, clothing consumer behaviour and clothing sustainable behaviour.

Telephone: +27 (0)12 420 2615
E-mail: [email protected]

Academic memberships:

  • Professional member of ITAA (International Textile and Apparel Association)
  • Member of the South African Association for Family Ecology and Consumer Science (SAAFECS)

Orchid ID: http://orcid.org/0000-0001-7802-9661

Dr Jacobs is currently a senior lecturer in the Department of Consumer and Food Sciences, University of Pretoria. She obtained her PhD in Apparel, Merchandising and Design at Iowa State University. Her PhD investigated the skills and knowledge required for merchandising professionals in the South African retail industry. She lectures in clothing retail and merchandising management, aesthetics, visual merchandising, and experiential training. Her field of interest and research include assortment management in retail, adoption of different retail channels for clothing purchases, consumer experiences related to pop-up stores, sustainable clothing consumption practices, social-psychological factors influencing clothing consumer behaviour and the professional development of students for the industry. She plans to integrate the focus of her PhD into future curriculum development and scholarly research. Her research focuses on apparel merchandising, experiential retailing, social-psychological aspects of clothing, and professional development of merchandising graduates/professionals. Her PhD also addressed the skills and knowledge required for merchandising professionals to succeed and excel in the apparel retail industry.

She has several publications in peer-reviewed scientific journals and conference proceedings. She has also attended and presented oral presentations and posters at several local and international conferences.

She has been involved in the Going Global Apparel project from 2007-2014. The Going Global Apparel project was a virtual team project involving collaboration between undergraduate students enrolled in sourcing, global operations or fashion merchandising courses at three universities in the United States, South Africa, and Australia. In 2010, the project was awarded the Lectra award for Best Faculty Teaching Paper as well as received a UP Education Innovation Award.

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