True Pricing

Consumer perceptions of true pricing vary substantially. While some consumers appreciate the transparency as a means to help them choose businesses that prioritize sustainability, others are sceptical and lack trust in the concept of true pricing due to higher prices and concerns about accuracy and implementation. This symposium will foster a discussion on true pricing as a movement and potential policy instrument for a more sustainable future. Industry experts who have implemented true pricing will share their experiences. Researchers will present their latest empirical research, including a pilot on true pricing currently running at the HvA’s economic campus. This afternoon, we hope to open a critical dialogue on the potential benefits and challenges associated with true pricings widespread implementation.

About the speakers

Sjoukje Goldman is an Associate Professor of Sustainable Marketing at the Amsterdam University of Applied Sciences (AUAS) with a PhD in cross-cultural comparison research in marketing. Her main research interests are true pricing, sustainable consumption, interventions in sustainable behavior, and regenerative economy. She is the project lead for research on true pricing at the AUAS.

Carina Thürridl is an Assistant Professor of Marketing at the Amsterdam Business School (ABS) of the University of Amsterdam (UvA). Her research is situated in the area of consumer behavior and focuses on issues related to sustainability and consumer well-being. Her work has been published in several leading marketing journals including the Journal of Marketing, Journal of Business Research, and Journal of Interactive Marketing. She is currently collaborating on research on true pricing in collaboration with the Amsterdam University of Applied Sciences (AUAS).

Maurits Appeldoorn is a Senior Associate at True Price. At True Price, we’re on a mission to make the true price of products clear and fair. By calculating, showing, and improving the social and environmental impacts in the price of products, we empower consumers, companies, and governments to make more informed choices. Our innovative approach helps them become more sustainable and transparent, contributing to a better world. Our global movement is growing rapidly: Join us in driving positive change!

Eva van den Broek is a behavioral economist with a PhD in experimental economics and theoretical biology. She is the founder of Behavioural Insights Netherlands and has 20 years of experience in running policy experiments for the Dutch government, slightly improving the lives of numerous Dutch prisoners, entrepreneurs, students, and consumers. As a dedicated behavioral science advocate, she has published 3 books on behavioral science and regularly gives public lectures and keynotes.

Maarten Rijninks (former director of Max Havelaar bananas and the Natuurwinkel) introduced the first True Price products at De Aanzet on Black Friday 2020. With this, he created the world’s first supermarket with fair prices. Since 1981, the no-nonsense mentality has been paramount at De Aanzet; simply striving for the lowest possible footprint for customers. In collaboration with the True Price organization, they enable concerned consumers to make conscious choices and inspire fellow entrepreneurs also to consider true pricing. As recently stated by De Groene Amsterdammer in their cover article about De Aanzet: “Please steal our business model!”

Ariane van Mancius is the founder of the boutique innovation company Now New Next and the world’s first True Price café. Ariane has always been dedicated to supporting food companies in achieving autonomous growth through creativity and inventiveness. With a focus on sustainability and the next generation (Gen Next), Ariane takes a holistic approach to complex issues, resulting in surprising innovations.

Tahis Marti is a researcher in Sustainable Finance & Accounting at the Centre of Expertise Wellbeing Economy and Entrepreneurship at Avans University of Applied Sciences. She has a bachelor’s degree in Accountancy and graduated on the topic of carbon accounting. Currently, she is finishing her master’s degree in Circular Economy, where she is being trained as a change agent to drive the transition to a circular economy. Her research areas focus on multiple value creation, new forms of sustainability and financial reporting, circular economy, and accounting in the construction sector.

Peter van Dam is professor of Dutch history at the University of Amsterdam. His research focuses on the history of civic initiative and activism. His current research revolves around the question of how people have tried to make the world more sustainable: Which problems did they identify? And how have they translated their hopes and fears into initiatives to shape their societies? In his forthcoming book Fair trade: Humanitarianism in the Age of Postcolonial Globalization (Cambridge University Press) he explores how the fair trade movement has evolved since the 1950s to address global inequalities.

Gustaaf Haan studied logic and philosophy and has worked for several think tanks on sustainability. He currently works at Questionmark Foundation, an independent think tank dedicated to creating a more sustainable food system. He developed, among other things, a method to calculate the impact of food products on the environment, human rights, and animal welfare. In recent years, he has focused on shifting the responsibility for saving the world away from individual consumers towards corporations and government.