At EuroShop 2005 www.european-retail-academy.org was initiated by the EuroShop President Prof. Dr. Bernd Hallier as a virtual platform for the international dialogue between retail-chairs of the universities. Meanwhile this homepage is linked to 128 research institutes worldwide.

Beside the dialogue via internet there is also a physical exchange of teachers and students. The professors met in 2007 at the ShopDesignRussia in Moscow and in 2008 at EuroShop in Duesseldorf/Germany. ERA-students are on study-exchange or an traineeships in Russia, China, the USA among others.

The European Retail Academy honours scientists who beside academics also had been successful in the transfer of know how to business in its Hall of Fame.

In 2006 Prof. Jiri Jindra of CZ was honoured for having established the CZ Trade Association and the CZ Retail Summit; in 2007 Prof. Dr. Vladimir Malyshkow was the professor of the year for having transformed Moscow retail from socialism to a free market. In 2008 the honour went posthumous to Prof. Dr. Ross Davies, founder of the Retail Institute at the University of Oxford. Professor Davies has influenced the British retail laws substantially.

Headquarter of ERA is the EHI Retail Institute in Cologne/Germany; president is Prof. Dr. Bernd Hallier, Managinig director of the EHI Retail Institute.