Breaking the Cycle of

Impersonalisation:
Nobody Cares
Photo by Rist Art on Unsplash

A WBR Insights & Valitor White Paper

2 | Breaking the Cycle of Impersonalisation: Nobody Cares

Methodology
In Q3 of 2019, Valitor commissioned WBR Insights to survey
300 CMOs, COOs, Directors and Heads of eCommerce,
Omnichannel, In-store, Retail, Digital Operations, and those of
a similar standing from across Europe. Respondents were from
organisations under the following verticals: Food & Grocery,
Fashion & Footwear, Furniture & Flooring, Electrical,
Homeware, DIY & Gardening, Health & Beauty.

The survey was conducted by appointment over the

telephone. The results were compiled and are presented
here with analysis and commentary.

What kind of retail organisation

do you work for?

16%
Fashion & Footwear
13%
Health & Beauty
14%
Electrical

14%
Food & Grocery
14%
Homeware
15%
Furniture & Flooring

14%
DIY & Gardening
 Breaking the Cycle of Impersonalisation: Nobody Cares | 3

12% 3% 15% 3%

Sweden

Finland
Norway
Respondents
33%
by Country
Denmark

4%
United
Kingdom Poland
Germany
Belgium

11%

France

Italy
2%

Spain

11% 4%

2%
4 | Breaking the Cycle of Impersonalisation: Nobody Cares

Interview
Q&A with Angus Burrell, General Manager UK, Valitor and
Andrew Howell, Head of marketing at Valitor

We sat down with Angus Burrell, the General Manager at

Valitor in the UK and Andrew Howell, Head of Marketing at
Valitor to find out more about how retailers can earn trust and
build a data relationship with their consumers. Here’s what they
had to say...

What’s separating the best in class retailers from
the pack when it comes to personalisation?
Angus: Modern retailers have plenty of data on their
consumers, but many are failing to fully utilise it, and
some are still struggling to begin. Intelligent retailers
will start using data once they’ve understood who
their customer is, and what they want in terms of a
personalised journey. There are a lot of retailers out
there who still don’t properly understand who their
consumers are.
Andy: Personalisation only works when you actually
know why you exist as a business. Leading retailers
have invested time in understanding why they exist,
and the value that they provide. That’s how they
have managed to bridge that data chasm between
them and their end-users in order to personalise
their service, products, pricing and communications.
What’s the difference between personalisation and
privacy invasion when it comes to data?
shopping habits and use this to communicate with
them, which could backfire. Retailers need to make
the customer feel that the data being gathered
about them aims to benefit them because the retailer
cares about their journey and experience.
What advantages will retailers with a single view of
their customers have over their competitors?
Angus: If a retailer has multiple channels but fails
to connect the data which sits behind them, then
they can’t provide a single view of their consumers.
However, there’s a fine balance in doing this, as some
customers would feel their privacy is at risk.
Andy: Those that have a single view of all the
different touchpoints, and have educated their
customers on the benefits of a data relationship
will be able to provide better service, and are one
step closer to the seamless omnichannel experience
customers are demanding. What better way to build
a business than the brand advocacy model?

Andy: Privacy invasion is a result of impersonalisation

that comes from not understanding why your business
exists. By fully understanding your customer’s needs,
and building a brand which really resonates with that,
retailers will have a solid basis for a dialogue that
continues to remind customers why they shop with you.
Angus: Retailers need help from their customers
of respondents reported that customers want
in the quest for personalisation. There are many
shoppers who, by the very nature of their shopping
stores to act as showrooms for online products
habits, don’t provide retailers with an accurate
(33%) or distribution hubs for online (31%).
picture of their personal data. If a customer buys
an unsuitable item online and doesn’t get around to
returning it, the retailer will have no idea. They will
start to build an inaccurate picture of the customer’s
What are the biggest challenges for retailers who
are seeking to create a personalised omnichannel?
Andy: People are a lot more aware of their data
nowadays, and this represents a great opportunity.
However, retailers who are convinced that flashy
tech such as AI will be the silver bullet will be at a
disadvantage. Before bringing advanced technology
into the equation, retailers need to fully understand
their customers. If the data relationship isn’t there,
and customers don’t trust retailers, then the strategy
will be built on bad data. Retailers need to educate
consumers on how handing over their data will make
their lives easier.
 Breaking the Cycle of Impersonalisation: Nobody Cares | 5

Key Findings
The greatest barrier to investing
in omnichannel technologies
which help build a single view of
the customer was a lack of time.
The majority say
their tech strategy
is ineffective when

30 %
it comes to building
a single view of the
customer.
of respondents described the acquisition of customer data
as transactional, noting that customers were willing to give
over their data for a tangible benefit.

51 % are able to target their communications based

on customer data, while 31% say they have the
data to do this, but haven’t crunched the numbers.

50 %
of respondents said that an
omnichannel payments solution was
crucial to creating a shopping journey
that would survive the current climate,
however over half said they did not
have such a system in place.

55 %
of respondents reported
that from their customers’
point of view the greatest

52
benefit to passing their
% data over is a personalised
experience.

said their education

programme around the
use of customer data
was standard, basic or lacking.
6 | Breaking the Cycle of Impersonalisation: Nobody Cares

Contents

8. Part One:
The Battlefield of the Mind
The Modern Consumer
Migrating Between Channels
Loyalty and Collaboration

15. Part Two:

Selecting the Right Tech to Drive Loyalty
Creating a Single View
Synchronising Omnichannel

20. Part Three:

Privacy Versus Personalisation
Breaking the Black Box
Making a Trade
Education and Retention

25. Conclusion

26. About Valitor / About WBR Insights

 Breaking the Cycle of Impersonalisation: Nobody Cares | 7

Introduction:
Welcome to the Machine

In the coming year, we’ll spend a collective total of more than 1.2 billion years browsing
the internet. A good deal of this time will be spent ignoring pages of convoluted terms
and conditions, and ticking boxes to grant permissions we don’t fully comprehend.
However, as stories of invasive data usage gain more traction and our awareness around
data grows, the privacy versus personalisation paradox is causing more and more discord
among customers. In large part, GDPR has been the catalyst for this data empowerment.

For any retailer who relies on customer data as a vehicle to brand loyalty, building trust
should be a top priority. With Cambridge Analytica having made huge waves in the
media, customers are becoming disquieted by the idea of faceless corporations like
Facebook spying on them, quietly collecting data in over 52,000 categories ranging from
pragmatically invasive such as ‘living with one or more people who are not family’, to
more jarringly niche categories like ‘pretends to text when feeling awkward’.

Customers are on high alert for corporations who are overstepping the line between
collecting data around buying habits which can be used to deliver a tangible experience,
and prying into personal habits to manipulate the mind. For those that can break open
the black box of data collection and invite customers into a symbiotic relationship, the
opportunity for a customer journey that is fully personalised will cement brand trust and
create loyalty. However, for brands that force customers to subscribe to binary ‘in or out’
personalisation hidden in convoluted terms and conditions, loyalty is at risk, and so is the
future of the business.

In this report, we’ll look at how and why brands are building a personalised omnichannel
experience, and why education around data, its use and the benefits of sharing data is
crucial in building a trust-based dialogue between brand and customers.

1.2bn
YEARS
BROWSING THE INTERNET
IN 2020
8 | Breaking the Cycle of Impersonalisation: Nobody Cares

Part One:
Photo by Javier Garcia on Unsplash

The Battlefield of
the Mind
 Breaking the Cycle of Impersonalisation: Nobody Cares | 9

The Modern Consumer

While additional channels have afforded retailers
new opportunities to interact with customers, they
have also amplified the saturation of marketing
communications to new levels. With so many
messages on so many platforms, it can be difficult to
stand out.
Instead of adding to the noise, leading retailers
have been trying a different tack. Personalisation
has allowed retailers to build unique relationships
with each of their customers. Instead of being swept
into a vague age/gender/region profile, consumers
are treated as individuals based on their previous
interactions. Of the 300 Heads of eCommerce we
surveyed, 51% are able to target their communications
based on customer data, while 31% say they have the
data to do this, but haven’t crunched the numbers.

What relationship do you have with your loyal customers?

l Our loyal customers return due to brand

loyalty, experiential preference, and the
18% personalised interactions we build around
23% them individually

l Most of our loyal customers are brand

loyal, and can be specifically targeted and
managed using contact strategies based on
their preferences and previous purchases

l Most of our loyal customers are brand loyal,

and although we don’t have a personalised
31% contact strategy for them, we could if we
28% crunched the data properly

l Our customers are loyal, however, if we overly

communicated with them, they would leave
03 || Breaking
10 The High the
Street
Cycle
is Dead
of Impersonalisation:
– Long Live the High
Nobody
Street
Cares

Attention has always been the currency in the
marketing world, but in an instant everything world,
carpet-bombing the same database with generic
content isn’t enough anymore. Customers are
looking for brands which can make their journey
as effortless as possible by delivering the right
content at the right time. But in order to personalise
communications, retailers need customers to trust
them with their data. 55% of respondents reported
that from their customers’ point of view the greatest
benefit to passing their data over is a personalised
brand experience.
For those that don’t have access to customer data,
the privacy/personalisation trade-off is key. Building
the trust to earn access to a customer’s private data
is contingent on creating the most valuable benefit
for them: a personalised omnichannel experience.
Omnichannel is the medium through which retailers
can begin and maintain a symbiotic relationship with
their customers, showing values and purpose across
all channels and reinforcing the brand’s place in the
consumers mind.

From your customers’ point of view, what are the biggest benefits from them
supplying you with data?

Personalised experience
55%
Convenience 44%
Exclusive content
39%
Offers and discounts
37%
Loyalty schemes
33%
Customer experience
23%
Easier payments
15%
Respondents were asked to select all that apply.
 Breaking the Cycle of Impersonalisation: Nobody Cares | 11

Migrating Between Channels

By migrating new and existing customers onto and
through different channels, retailers can start to build
a single view of them, and create a more personalised
engagement strategy based on this view. If a retailer
has a truly omnichannel customer journey, then we can
think of their channels as making up one whole, seamless
experience. Ensuring that customers get the chance
to see the value of multiple channels within one single
holistic experience with unified personalisation across
the board is crucial to gaining access to customer data.
This is a good example of migratory tactics
permeating bricks and mortar to bring all channels
into one experience. However, if these channels aren’t
underpinned by the same data, then there cannot
be a seamless omnichannel experience, meaning
customers may be driven to channels which don’t
stock the correct inventory, or offer them irrelevant
suggestions. A whopping 52% of respondents who
use migratory tactics said they don’t have a single
view of their customers.

Retailers are catering to a diverse mix of loyal and
nomadic consumers. Migrating these customers onto
different channels will help with both retention and
acquisition by showing them the value of a transparent
omnichannel experience. 46% of respondents say
their in-store footprint is linked to their online
inventory directly at the shelf so they can drive
online sales in-store.
The disconnect between what consumers demand
and what retailers are delivering suggests that
something is missing from the personalisation
process. 23% of respondents who use these
migratory tactics identified themselves as retailers
who don’t use personalisation, but could if they
crunched the numbers.

Is your in-store footprint linked to your online inventory directly at the shelf so
you can drive online sales instore?

46%
34%

20%

Yes No, but we’re No

working on it

To what extent do you agree with the following statement:

‘We make the most out of the opportunities our bricks and mortar stores create
for us to capture consumer data and migrate customers into other channels’

45%
34%
21%
l Agree l Neutral l Disagree
03 || Breaking
12 The Highthe
Street
Cycle
is Dead
of Impersonalisation:
– Long Live the High
Nobody
Street
Cares

Retailers who have the right data aren’t currently able
to channel this into personalisation, and as such they’re
inviting consumers onto disjointed platforms which
don’t have the capability to know what they want, or
how best to give it to them.
Payment, purchase and marketing data ranked as
the most common forms of data collection for the
retailers we surveyed, but over a third said their
strategies were also being influenced by eyesight
tracking online, social media engagement and
location-based data. With data streaming in from
a vast array of channels, retailers cannot build a
complete picture of their customer to underpin their
network of channels until this data is centralised.

What type of consumer bases do you currently rely on most?

l Online l In-store
70% 61%
60% 59%
47% 47%
40% 44%

Loyal Unknown Repeat customers Nomadic customers

customers footfall (Customers who return (those who flit
but aren’t identifiable) between brands/
retailers based
on price)
Respondents were asked to select all that apply.

What customer data do you collect to inform strategic decisions?

Payment data including

type of payment 39%
Purchase data 38%
Marketing data 37%
Eyesight tracking online 36%
Social media engagement data 35%
Location data 33%
Returns data 31%
Heat mapping in stores 31%
Fulfilment data 29%
Refunds data 27%
Channel data 24%
Data based on time of day 8% Respondents were asked to select all that apply.
 Breaking the Cycle of Impersonalisation: Nobody Cares | 13

Loyalty and Collaboration

41% of our respondents said they receive little or
no input from customers when choosing customer
facing tech. While retailers are identifying the
most integral parts of loyalty, there is still a chasm
between retailer and customer when it comes to
implementing these insights, as there is very little
focus on testing strategies with consumers before
pushing them to market. This is a symptom of the
divide between customers and retailers which has
seen many well-established brands crumble in the
past few years. However, as the symbiotic model of
omnichannel continues its trajectory, we can expect
to see much more collaboration between leading
brands and their consumers.
Respondents thought that price (73%) was the most
important element of a good loyalty scheme, closely
followed by seamless omnichannel (68%). Incorporating
price as a significant aspect of a loyalty scheme is
counterintuitive. True customer loyalty isn’t based
on price, and while enticing deals can be useful to
acquire new customers, retention is much more
valuable. This is why it is essential that brands listen
to their consumers and collaborate with them to
meet their demand for a fully integrated and
personalised omnichannel experience.

When selecting consumer tech, how much input do you get from your
consumer base?

26%
22% 21% 18%
13%

We collect data We have very little We make We make sure to We don’t get any
from customer input from our assumptions run pilots on a input and launch
surveys consumers but based on the select focus group test technologies
run technology in consumer data of loyal customers to gauge adoption
trials across key we collect without running
stores/online any research
other than desk
research

Which of the following are the most fundamental to creating the perfect
customer loyalty programme?
Price 73% Credit facilities 59% The human touch 53%

Full omnichannel
experience
68% Social media buzz 58% Speed of delivery 51%

Later payment
options 63% Returns policy 57% Warranty 49%

Good reviews 61% Quality 55% Influencer promotion 49%

Loyalty solution 60% Personalised offers 55% Customer Service 48%

Refunds 59% Payment options 54%

Respondents were asked to select all that apply.

14 | Breaking the Cycle of Impersonalisation: Nobody Cares

The Battlefield of the Mind

l With the massive number of marketing messages
on new platforms, retailers are differentiating
themselves with personalisation. 51% are able to
target their communications based on customer
data, while 31% say they have the data to do this,
but haven’t crunched the numbers.

l 55% of respondents reported that from their

customers’ point of view the greatest benefit to
passing their data over is a personalised omnichannel
experience. However, to make the most of this hook,
there must be proper measures in place to educate
consumers on the benefits of sharing their data.

l Retailers are using migratory tactics to move new

customers onto different channels. 46% of respondents
say their in-store footprint is linked to their online
inventory directly at the shelf so they can drive online
sales in-store. However, encouraging shoppers into
multiple channels is futile if you don’t know what they
want, and how best to give it to them. Photo by Javier Garcia on Unsplash
 Breaking the Cycle of Impersonalisation: Nobody Cares | 15

Part Two:
Photo by Marius Masalar on Unsplash

Selecting the Right

Tech to Drive Loyalty
16 | Breaking the Cycle of Impersonalisation: Nobody Cares
Creating a Single View
Having a single view of each customer is the basis
of a truly omnichannel strategy. If a customer
interacts with one channel, the data from that
interaction should inform and improve the journey
through others, to provide a seamless omnichannel
experience. However, the majority of respondents
said their tech strategy was ineffective for building
a single view of their customers. Given that a single
view is the key to meeting customer expectations
and gaining access to data, this should be a clear
focus for retailers.
In the previous section we discovered that 55% of
retailers thought personalised brand experience
was the main benefit that customers would pass over
their data for. So why are the 31% of the retailers who
have gone to the trouble of collecting the necessary
data to personalise communications neglecting
this expectation?
The Heads of eCommerce we surveyed said a lack
of time was the main barrier to investing in
a truly omnichannel technology, rather than
multiple independent technologies in a patchwork
omnichannel framework. Figuring out which tech
you need to support an omnichannel strategy can be
time consuming. However, by making sure the proper
infrastructure for personalising an omnichannel
experience is in place, leading retailers have not
only given themselves the competitive edge, but
have also saved themselves more time and resources
further down the line.
Which of these are the main barriers to investing in true single omnichannel
technologies, rather than multiple independent technologies in a patchwork
omnichannel framework?
47%
39%
35% 34%
Time Retention Lack of Legacy
isn’t a key care systems
part of the
business
strategy
For those who feel they can’t spare the time, it may
feel like they’re taking the path of least resistance.
This is simply not true. By digging themselves
deeper into legacy systems and traditional methods,
they are edging further away from the most
basic priority: customer demand. With the retail
industry in such a turbulent period, brands must be
responsive to their customers if they are going to
survive. Retail has reached the omnichannel tipping
point, and we’ve already seen major casualties on
the high street from those who relied on short-
term price-slashing tactics rather than listening to
their customers and acting on their demand for a
personalised omnichannel. Having the necessary
tech to sustain a single view of the customer is fast
becoming a prerequisite – one which retailers must
make time for.
The second most common barrier to investing in
building a single view of the customer (39%) was
that retention was not a key part of the strategy,
with 35% saying they didn’t care enough to invest
time and resources into creating an omnichannel
strategy. Considering the current state of the
high street, the lack of urgency around meeting
customer demand and driving retention is shocking.
A major shift towards omnichannel has begun, and
it is perhaps this blasé attitude towards customer
expectations that has led to the collapse of so many
big brands, while other more perceptive retailers
have enjoyed a renaissance.
34% 33% 32% 32% 31%
16%
Resources Lack of Lack of Cost Vision Too much
knowledge understanding focus on short
term tactics
Respondents were asked to select all that apply.
 Breaking the Cycle of Impersonalisation: Nobody Cares | 17

Synchronising Omnichannel
The majority of respondents said an omnichannel
payments solution was crucial to survive in the
current climate, as it allows you to present the
most relevant purchase journey based on customer
preferences and channel, while also positively
impacting the customer experience through
personalisation. Over half of respondents followed
up on this, reporting that they had invested in an
omnichannel payments solution.
However, it should be noted that there was a gap
in respondents’ knowledge when it comes to
omnichannel payments. While the majority said
they had one, under half reported that they had
one gateway that caters for all in-store and online
transactions, and reconciles payment data across
all channels automatically. A few respondents
considered manual reconciliation of separate
platforms to be omnichannel, despite the inherent
multichannel silage of data.
In addition to this misconception, 18% of the Heads
of eCommerce who reported that they had an
omnichannel payments solution also said their
strategy included two completely separately
functioning portals for online and in-store, without
even manual reconciliation.

To what extent do you agree with the following statement:

‘An omnichannel business strategy around

payments is critical to survive in the current
50%
climate. This allows you to present the
most relevant purchase journey based on
customer preferences and channel, while
29%
also impacting positively on the customer
experience through personalisation.’ 21%
l Agree
l Neutral
l Disagree

Do you have a connected omnichannel payment solution? 

46 YES %

54 NO
%
03 || Breaking
18 The Highthe
Street
Cycle
is Dead
of Impersonalisation:
– Long Live the High
Nobody
Street
Cares

The fundamental lack of understanding of what
omnichannel means is what has kept it as an empty
buzz word for so long. In reality, there are many
multichannel retailers who misidentify themselves
as omnichannel, even though their customer data is
siloed across channels.
Despite this, the fact that almost half of respondents
are using an omnichannel payments solution is
a good indication that the industry is about to
move past the tipping point. As the majority of
retailers with an omnichannel payments solution
continues to grow, it’s going to become more and
more difficult for brands who are still entrenched
in traditional legacy systems to differentiate
themselves. This is the last call for retailers to wake
up and start acting on the customer demand that
they’ve been leaving on the back burner.

If you operate across multiple channels, what does your payment

platform look like?

47%
37%

16%

We have one gateway We have two gateways We have two

that caters for all
in-store and online
transactions allowing us
to reconcile payment
data across all channels
automatically, and then
blend it with shopper
data to build a single
view of the customer
and manually reconcile gateways and they
the information to operate completely
build a single view of independently
customer behaviour –
we then converge this
with existing customer
data to build a picture
of customers
 Breaking the Cycle of Impersonalisation: Nobody Cares | 19

Selecting the Right Tech to

Drive Loyalty
l Despite the customer demand for a personalised
omnichannel experience, the majority of respondents
said their tech strategy was ineffective for building a
single view of their customers.

l The Heads of eCommerce we surveyed said a lack

of time was the main barrier to investing in true
omnichannel technologies. However, ignoring
this customer demand now will further entrench
legacy retailers in traditional systems, making it more
difficult to overhaul them later on.

l With so many retail brands collapsing, not enough

attention is being paid to meeting customer demand
to build loyalty. The second most common barrier
to investing in building a single view of the customer
(39%) was that retention was not a key part of
the strategy.

l 18% of the respondents who reported that they had

an omnichannel payments solution said their strategy
included two completely separately functioning
portals. This highlights a misunderstanding of
Photo by Marius Masalar on Unsplash

omnichannel, which could explain why brands have

been failing to meet customer demand.
20 | Breaking the Cycle of Impersonalisation: Nobody Cares

Part Three:
Photo by Matthew Henry on Unsplash

Privacy Versus
Personalisation
 Breaking the Cycle of Impersonalisation: Nobody Cares | 21

Breaking the Black Box

The days of pages of binary ‘in or out’ Ts and Cs are
over. New levels of data awareness have replaced
previously blasé attitudes, and the privacy paradox
is now front and centre in the media. Convoluted or
poorly displayed terms sow suspicion in customers
with the implication that a brand is trying to
hide something. So, in order to build trust with
a customer, choice is key. If users are able to set
limitations on their personalisation, and choose how
their data is used, brands must refine and distill the
field of reference around what they’re selling and
offer something customers actually want.
of respondents reporting that they have a single or
omnichannel view of their customers, over half said
that when it comes to educating consumers on the use
of their data they offer standard, basic, or no solutions.
Opening up and educating customers on this black
box of personalisation will help build a relationship
that goes two ways to benefit both brand and
customer. Due to the buy-in from those engaging,
this dialogue will help to create a customer journey
that strikes all the right notes when it comes to
personalisation without violating privacy.

At the moment, customers have very little visibility or

choice when it comes to their data, and despite 45%

Is your technology strategy effective in building a single view of a customer?

45% YES
55% NO
Do you have an education programme for customers around the use of their data?

25% 23% 22% 19%

11%

We have a contact Yes we have a range We have the basics We don’t provide We haven’t
strategy and a few of materials and but don’t actively anything more than considered it
articles on data also work with our promote the benefits standard privacy
protection customers to ensure of giving data to us terms and we don’t
they feel confident have a provision to
with giving us data capture or utilise
personal data to
improve services and
retain customers
22 | Breaking the Cycle of Impersonalisation: Nobody Cares
Making a Trade
Knowing what customers want is only half the
battle. The next challenge is figuring out how to
give it to them – or rather how to convince them
to let you give it to them. The most sophisticated
personalisation technologies mean nothing if a
consumer doesn’t trust a brand with their data. So
how are leading omnichannel retailers acquiring
permission to personalise?
When we asked retailers how they would characterise
their customers’ relationships with granting permissions,
the most common answer was that 36% said their
customers were very protective of their data and
rarely offered access. 30% said that for a tangible
benefit such as discounts or free Wi-Fi, customers
would share data, but it is often pre-purchase and
mostly useful for marketing personalisation.
How do your customers interact with your business when it comes to your use
of their data?
10%
36%
24%
30%
Despite 55% saying a personalised omnichannel
is the number one reason to offer up their data,
only 24% said their customers are happy to share
data in return for a well-rounded experience with
their brand. There’s clearly some dissonance here,
and it may stem from the fact that the level of
personalisation and seamlesness across channels
that is currently being offered is not meeting
customer expectations. This could explain why the
most popular tactics at the moment are focusing
on short-term acquisition rather than long-term
retention. The demand is there, but retailers haven’t
realised the full potential of omnichannel yet.
l Our customers are very protective of their
data and rarely offer permissions
l
For a tangible benefit e.g. discounts or free
Wi-Fi, our customers will share data, but it
is often pre-purchase and mostly useful for
marketing personalisation etc.
l Our customers are happy to share data in
return for a well-rounded experience with
our brand
l We don’t think our customers really think
about our exchange of data that much
Photo by FuYong Hua on Unsplash
 Breaking the Cycle of Impersonalisation: Nobody Cares | 23

Education and Retention

The education around data is going to be the one
major key factor in the acquisition of new customers,
the retention of existing customers and in the creation
of a future-proof data strategy. Technology is integrating
into our lives on a more granular level every day –
this is a trajectory that has been set. Ignoring this
instead of taking the initiative to educate consumers
on the use of their data is a complacent move by any
strategic retailer.
The implications for this in retail when we look to
the long term are that the data-driven focus on
personalisation is here to stay, as are the retailers
who can master it. So it’s crucial that brands are able
to build a solid foundation, and get personalisation
right. In terms of retention and acquisition, it’s clear
that education should be a priority. The education
programme needs to be built on a completely
transparent understanding of what data will be used
for, and needs to connect the narrative straight away
to what’s in it for the consumer.
While 23% of respondents aren’t currently tailoring
communications to customers, brands that are taking
a more personalised approach are using a range of
platforms to explain to customers the benefits of
passing over their data. The most common method
is via email, which is also the channel which respondents
reported having the highest engagement. However,
many have also been peppering education throughout
other channels, including video education across
social media (26%). Those who used in-app
notifications and made calls to consumers were 11%
more likely to have a single view of their customer.

How do you explain to consumers the benefits of passing over their data?
l Written education, sent to all new and existing
40% customers by email

l Video education across social media

26% l Calls to individual shoppers to understand how
we can gather data best for them and what
23% their concerns could be.

23% l

We don’t do targeted personalised
communications, we use mass marketing
across digital and direct media
23% l Notifications within apps and on websites
highlighting the opportunities from giving
over more data.

Which of the following 60% 60% 46% 46%

channels are best for Experience centres

50 %
50 %
Personal concierge facility
59% 59%
engaging consumers,
and which channels AI
58% 58% 62%
Genius bars – as per Apple
62%

are you investing 54% 54% 62% 62%

the most time and 55% 55% 64% 64%

Printed mail Store front
resources into? 57% 57% 50% 50%

54% 54% 69% 69%

l Channels which receive Social media Email
best engagement 59%
59%
53%
53%
l Channels you are investing
most resources into 53% 53% 60% 60%
Chat bots Face-to-face
59% 59% 52% 52%

51% 51%

Respondents were asked Mail order telephone

64% 64%
to select all that apply.
03 |
24 | Breaking
The High the
Street
Cycle
is Dead
of Impersonalisation:
– Long Live the High
Nobody
Street
Cares

Privacy Versus Personalisation

l Despite 45% of respondents reporting that they have
a single or omnichannel view of their customers, the
majority said that when it comes to educating
consumers on the use of their data they offer
standard, basic, or no solutions.

l Only 24% said their customers are happy to share data

in return for a well-rounded experience, despite 55%
of respondents reporting that the top reason for sharing
data is well-rounded personalisation. Again there appears
to be a disconnect from customer demand fostered by
retailers misunderstanding or delaying omnichannel.

l Transactional tactics are most useful for acquiring

new customers’ data, but when it comes to retaining
loyal customers, personalisation is key. Education
around how customer data is used will be integral
to retention strategies, and will allow for a symbiotic
relationship between brand and customer. Retailers
who used these channels to educate customers were
11% likelier to have a single view of their customer. Photo by Matthew Henry on Unsplash

Conclusion: The Tipping Point
To survive in the new world of commerce, brands
need to understand how they are going to provide
for the new customer and the loyal customer alike.
Full transparency around the usage and benefits of
data will act as both an incentive for new customers
and a channel for dialogue with loyal customers.
Personalisation is the answer to a saturated market,
and education will play a pivotal role in creating a
dialogue between brands and customers when it
comes to data and managing the level of success
around data and personlisation.
In order to build a single view of their customers,
retailers are going to have to offer something in
Breaking the Cycle of Impersonalisation: Nobody Cares | 25
return, and further to this, they’re going to have to
convince consumers of its worth. Our research has
shown that a personalised omnichannel experience
and relationship can be both the platform for that
communication, as well as the incentive. By migrating
customers between channels, retailers can show
consumers the value of their brand, and gain enough
trust to use consumer data in a way that benefits
both brand and consumer.
Retail is at a tipping point, and for those who turn
away from the omnichannel future, and the possibility
of a dialogue with their consumers, more may be at
stake than they realise.
Photo by Farhan Siddicq on Unsplash
03 |
26 | Breaking
The High the
Street
Cycle
is Dead
of Impersonalisation:
– Long Live the High
Nobody
Street
Cares

About

At Valitor, we take care of our customers’ payments,
which means they can focus on buying and selling.
Valitor is guided by three principles: we think
differently and solve your problems simply; we
always put our customers first, and we build our own
solutions, so you know they will work perfectly.
We remove complexity from payments, using our
own technology, solutions and regulated services to
help merchants stay focused on their business.
and headquartered in Iceland, we operate across 22
European countries with a strong presence in the UK,
Ireland, Nordics and pan-European retail.
We provide a single connection to receive
payments across e-commerce, in-store and mobile.
Our omnichannel payment solution simplifies
payments processing and helps merchants expand
internationally, consolidate service providers,
add or merge sales channels, and implement true
omnichannel experiences.

We are an international payment solutions company That’s the Valitor Difference.

and one of the few who offer end-to-end solutions
with payment acceptance, issuing, omnichannel Please visit www.valitor.com to find out more.
gateway and point of sale services. Founded in 1983

About

At WBR Insights we conduct professional, executive
research in key industry verticals. We use this
research to create content-powered marketing
campaigns designed to kick-start dialogue, share
insights, and deliver results.
From whitepapers focused on your priorities, to
benchmarking reports, infographics and webinars,
we can help you to inform and educate your readers
and reach your marketing goals at the same time.
Contact us to find out how your business could
benefit from:
 
l Year-round access to our network of
decision-makers and industry leaders
l Lead generation campaigns that fit
your priorities
l In-depth research on current fast-moving
issues and future trends
l Promoting your organisation as an authority
in your industry.

Russell Tumath
Head of Insights
+44 (0)20 7368 9368
Russell.Tumath@wbr.co.uk
©Valitor & WBR Insights 2019. All rights reserved. This document and its content are proprietary to Valitor & WBR Insights and
may not be reproduced, republished or resold. The information contained within is provided on an “AS IS” basis for information
purposes only and Valitor make no warranties of any kind including in relation to the content or suitability. The name Valitor, their
logo and any associated brand names are all trademarks of Valitor.