Retailers are constantly looking for ways to better connect with their patrons, as this can help significantly boost sales and establish loyalty. One tool that merchants have at their disposal is the plethora of customer data garnered when purchases are made, websites are visited and feedback is provided. However, without the right solution in place, businesses could find that they are not effectively leveraging this information for their benefit.

PC World reported that although companies have a large amount of customer details in their possession, they aren't sure what exactly to do with it to improve their service strategies and better engage shoppers. The source cited research from Yesmail Interactive, which found that only 29 percent of businesses know what their customers' preferred products and services are. In addition, 27 percent know the household composition – such as gender, age and names – of their shoppers, the source noted.

And it's not for lack of information that respondents don't know these factors, the news source pointed out. It's because companies aren't sure what to with the data they have in their hands. Fortunately, solutions such as retail management software can collect, store and analyze information throughout the entire purchasing process, from browsing through products to the actual point of sale.

This entry was posted by Retail Pro on Friday, July 19th, 2013 at 6:04 pm .