Reader Profile: Dr Rosy Boardman

Dr Rosy Boardman is a Reader in Fashion Business in the Department of Materials at The University of Manchester. Her research examines the intersection of marketing, technology and social justice, with a particular focus on advancing the UN Sustainable Development Goals. She investigates how digital innovation can be designed and implemented in more inclusive, ethical and sustainable ways. This includes work on age‑inclusive retail technologies, inclusive social media communities, and the use of technological innovation to support socially and environmentally responsible business practices. Her methodological expertise includes eye‑tracking research and qualitative inquiry.

Research Excellence and Funding

Rosy has an established record of high‑quality, peer‑reviewed publications that contribute to the fields of consumer behaviour, retail and marketing. Her work has been published in leading journals such as Psychology & Marketing, Information, Technology & People and European Sport Management Quarterly (all SJR Q1, ABS 3*).

She is Principal Investigator on a Leverhulme Trust grant (2024–26) examining age inclusivity in mobile shopping technologies. She also leads an industry‑funded project with Pimberly Ltd (£40k, 2024–25) analysing the sustainability and social responsibility impacts of clothing and how these can be communicated effectively through Digital Product Passports. Her wider funding portfolio includes support from Manchester City Council and several private‑sector partners.

Collaboration is central to Rosy’s research ethos. She works with academic partners across India, the USA, Malaysia, China, Tehran, France, Denmark, Italy, Germany, Ireland and the UK. Her international visibility includes presenting her work on age‑inclusive mobile marketing at the American Marketing Association Conference in Chicago (2025).

Leadership in Postgraduate Research and Editorial Work

Rosy has supervised 17 postgraduate researchers, with five completions to date. She serves as Deputy Editor of the Journal of Fashion Marketing & Management (SJR Q1), contributing to the development of scholarship in the field. In 2023 she organised and hosted the International Colloquium of Design, Branding and Marketing, and she will Chair the Doctoral Colloquium at the Academy of Marketing Conference in 2026. Her expertise in academic development has led to invitations to co‑host workshops at successive Academy of Marketing Conferences and to advise the Academy on workshop design.

Service, Thought Leadership and Public Engagement

Rosy contributes widely to the research community through advisory roles, including the Global Fashion Conference Organising Committee (2023), and invited talks such as “De‑mystifying Academic Research and Building Your Research Network” at London College of Fashion (2022). She has served as Guest Editor for Special Issues in journals including Management Decision (2024).

Her commitment to social responsibility is reflected in projects such as her research on sexism towards women in football communities on TikTok, which gained media attention including BBC News. Her public engagement work includes a widely viewed MICRA presentation on age‑inclusive retail design and a fashion and technology talk with ENGAGE (Salford University), streamed to 157 live viewers.

Rosy’s international reputation is further demonstrated through keynote invitations, including the Academia Cerebra Luxury Fashion Summit in Milan (2025), where she addressed senior leaders from global luxury brands. This led to a keynote for the Association of Suppliers to the British Clothing Industry and an interview with The Observer on labour exploitation in luxury fashion supply chains. She has also contributed to The Conversation and delivered a presentation on how the design of Digital Product Passports could encourage sustainable fashion consumption at Yale University (2025).

Industry Impact and Consultancy

Rosy works extensively with industry to translate research into practice. Following the publication of her book Fashion Buying and Merchandising: The Fashion Buyer in a Digital Society (Routledge, 2020), she was invited to consult for television production company The Forge (2023), supporting public understanding of fashion buying. Her expertise is regularly sought by media outlets such as the New Statesman, where she has provided insights on sustainability and greenwashing.

Her consultancy and advisory work support organisations seeking to innovate responsibly, strengthen their sustainability strategies and design more inclusive digital experiences for consumers.