We had a fantastic time at NRF in APAC, where we got to connect with some of the sharpest minds in retail in the Asian-Pacific area. Our team came back with some amazing insights on how the world of retail is shaping at the moment.
One retailer shared that nearly 60% of their transactions come from members of their digital loyalty programme. This gives them deep insight into shopper behaviour, enabling tailored offers, more relevant experiences, and ultimately faster growth. The message is clear: understanding your customers is no longer optional, it’s a growth strategy.
The days of the anonymous shopper are numbered. Retailers are focusing on strategies that encourage customers to sign in, join, or identify themselves, because known customers create more opportunities for personalisation, engagement, and long-term value.
As personalisation becomes the standard, the most successful retailers will be those who treat every interaction – online or offline – as a chance to learn, connect, and deliver better. Data is the engine, but experience is the destination.
Retailers are urgently seeking tools that can help them orchestrate promotions at scale, moving away from manual processes and fragmented systems. The goal? Agility, speed, and the ability to iterate based on real-time performance. All while maintaining strategic control.
AI and event-driven architecture are no longer buzzwords, they’re becoming the backbone of next-gen retail. The ability to respond to customer actions in real time, with relevance and precision, is rapidly becoming a competitive differentiator.
From loyalty apps to e-commerce touchpoints, retailers are exploring how to embed gamification into key moments of the customer journey to drive deeper engagement and brand stickiness.
What was especially encouraging was how many of these conversations pointed toward breaking down the barriers between online and offline experiences. A signal that true omnichannel integration is becoming a shared priority.
A recurring idea that resonated strongly: “The End of the Anonymous Customer.” As personalisation becomes central to growth, retailers are doubling down on customer identification and data capture to unlock more value from every interaction.
