THE KEY QUESTION

July 27, 2017

Thanks to technology and effective business practices, most retailers have gotten a pretty good handle on generating shopper insights. Largely they know who they are, when and where they shop, and even have a sense of what they are likely to buy.

Increasingly though, the most important question is the one missing from that list: understanding why customers act the way they do and make decisions that at times seem complex, confusing or even downright contradictory.

The importance of that very question — why — is tackled in Surviving the Brave New World of Food Retailing, the newest report from CCRRC North America. The report, which examines the myriad challenges facing retail in today’s technologically-rich environment, provides insights on how to understand shoppers’ motivations and improve customer experiences.

Some examples included in the study range from lifestyle to dietary choices and even the influences of social media and other emerging technologies on shoppers. But as the report makes clear, the key to success for any individual retailer comes from products and the specific shoppers of individual stores.

The report offers guidance on this complex topic and a diagnostic tool to help operators better gauge capabilities and build an action plan for the future. The full report, including the diagnostic, can be downloaded for free here.