dunnhumby has today launched a new opinion paper, Retail:Vision, exploring the forces reshaping the retail industry and the capabilities that retailers should develop to stay close to customers in an increasingly dynamic marketplace.
With contributions from dunnhumby, the Institute of Grocery Distribution (IGD), Mondra and others, the paper brings together expert perspectives, providing a strategic view for senior retail decision-makers on opportunities that lie in building stronger connections between customers, retailers, and suppliers.
Key perspectives from Retail:Vision
Covering board-level agenda topics such as supply chain disruption, rising operational complexity, shifting customer expectations and rapid advances in AI, the paper contends that the retailers best placed to succeed will be those that respond to these pressures without losing sight of the customer.
The paper highlights that retailers should understand changing customer needs, missions and behaviours as they happen, and turn those insights into action across pricing, promotions, ranging, operations, retail media and supply chain decision-making.
Josh Bottomley, CEO, dunnhumby, said: “What is becoming clear is that the challenges − as well as the opportunities − are too interconnected to be faced individually. As AI becomes embedded across retail operations, key questions are whether you are using your data to add value to customers and increase frequency, and how do you use that increased frequency to improve your overall offer and win with customers in a competitive space.”
Explaining why resilience is now the new imperative, Sarah Bradbury, CEO, IGD, said: “Something that was once just a contingency is coming to be seen as a genuine strategic capability. Across the industry, we’re seeing retailers shift from momentary response to long-term preparedness.”
The paper also explores how growth will depend on collaboration across the retail ecosystem, through shared data and aligned objectives, to make better decisions for customers and ultimately improve commercial performance.
