The National Retail Federation's latest study revealing retailer preferences for 2012 showed that creating a satisfying experience for customers was at the top of the list by some margin. The survey, co-authored by KPMG, shows that retailers are more aware than ever of the large amounts of data taken in about their shoppers. Furthermore, they are expected to put that data into action in 2012 to build loyalty and encourage repeat visits.
“From increasing their brand visibility through cross-channel initiatives to providing unique, personalized shopping experiences through every channel, retailers have indicated 2012 is all about the customer,” NRF CEO Matthew Shay told Chain Store Age.
The key technology retailers plan to use to bring customers back is business intelligence software. KPMG partner Mark Larson said that while managing large amounts of data had previously been a challenge for businesses, they had recently invested more in solutions, hoping to provide one-to-one marketing.
Retail has long been a source of data well-suited to analytics. A PC World report on the big data boom mentions it as a key retail weapon, citing the use of a 2.5 petabyte store of customer transaction preferences in the creation of coupons at grocery stores.
