A&T Project Focuses on E-tailing Ag and Apparel Products

For Immediate Release
November 13, 2001

Greensboro, NC: A new project at North Carolina Agricultural and Technical State University will help students learn to use the Internet to sell agricultural, textile and apparel products.

“Merchandising on the Internet has tremendous potential for many types of businesses, including smaller ones selling textiles, apparel and agricultural products,” said Dr. Geraldine Ray, an associate professor in A&T’s Department of Human Environment and Family Sciences. “Because this type of merchandising is a relatively new development, educational institutions are continually designing and refining their curricula to accommodate it.”

To make sure that students enjoy the benefits of top-notch education in “e-tailing,” A&T is teaming with the University of Kentucky to develop a global Internet merchandising curriculum. Faculty from both institutions will work with industry experts to develop course content, which will also be available on the Internet for off-campus students.

“The project will offer a foundation of knowledge in an area that is continually growing and is expected to be the future of retail development, which smaller businesses must acknowledge in order to continue to be competitive,” said Ray, who leads A&T’s efforts in conjunction with the project.

The A&T Department of Family and Consumer Sciences is home to an undergraduate program in fashion merchandising and design.

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