Shoppers Want It Personal…

US consumers want a more personalized retail experience but are divided on retailers’ tactics and the types of personal information they feel comfortable disclosing, according to a new survey from Accenture. Nearly 60 percent of consumers want real-time promotions and offers, yet only 20 percent want retailers to know their current location and only 14 percent want to share their browsing history.

“Personalization is a critical capability for retailers to master, but as our survey shows, addressing the complex requirements of U.S. consumers is challenging because they are conflicted on the issue,” said Dave Richards, global managing director of Accenture’s Retail practice. “If retailers approach and market personalization as a value exchange, and are transparent in how the data will be used, consumers will likely be more willing to engage and trade their personal data.”
 
 
The Accenture Personalization Survey examined customer expectations around a personalized shopping experience with retailers, including social channels, and explored the issue of digital trust. Accenture defines digital trust as the confidence placed in an organization to collect, store, and use the digital information of others in a manner that benefits and protects the consumer.

The research found that while many consumers are willing to share some personal details with retailers, nearly all (90 percent) of the respondents said if the option was available they would limit access to certain types of personal data and would stop retailers from selling their information to third parties. In addition, 88 percent would prefer to determine how the data can be used and 84 percent want to review and correct information.

The survey explored and identified the types of online and offline retail technologies, tailored customer experiences and communications that consumers may experience. According to the survey, the most welcome in-store retailer communications and offerings include automatic discounts at checkout for loyalty points or coupons (82 percent) and real-time promotions (57 percent). When it comes to personalized online experiences, the most popular choices were website optimized by device (desktop, tablet, mobile) (64 percent) and promotional offers for items the customer is strongly considering (59 percent).