I recently had the pleasure of attending the dunnhumby ventures EMEA & APAC Retail Innovation Forum in London, where over 150 senior innovation pioneers gathered to discuss the latest advancements in retail tech, data, and AI.
The event brought together experts from 15 countries, fostering meaningful discussions on how to better understand and serve customers.
The power of collaboration in retail innovation
One of the most inspiring aspects of the Retail Innovation Forum was witnessing the variety of innovative approaches startups are using to improve customer understanding and engagement. Despite the diverse solutions, a common theme emerged: many of us face similar challenges, such as securing funding, gaining traction with large retailers, and overcoming specific data and technical hurdles. The event reinforced the belief that we can accomplish much more by sharing insights and collaborating effectively.
Key highlights and takeaways
A few standout ideas from the event truly captured my attention:
Defining products by their role, not just characteristics
A compelling discussion explored how AI can help redefine products based on their role in customers’ lives rather than just their physical attributes. This approach provides deeper insights into purchasing behavior and customer needs.
Using AI for improving customer engagement
AI’s ability to analyze customer language and sentiment across multiple platforms allows retailers to better understand how shoppers talk about products. This insight can be used to generate more relevant product descriptions and personalized recommendations.
The future of AI agents and SEO
As AI-driven agents change the way we retrieve information, traditional SEO strategies may need to evolve. Understanding how AI surfaces information will be critical in ensuring that the right products and content reach the right customers.
At TruRating, we focus primarily on in-store execution and its impact on customer experience and revenue. This event sparked ideas on how our methodology of asking targeted, in-the-moment questions, could complement AI-driven innovations in product discovery and customer engagement.
Insights from the panel discussion
During the event, I had the opportunity to participate in a panel where we discussed key customer experience trends. Here are some of the questions I was asked and my thoughts:
1. What do customers care about most when shopping in-store?
The answer depends on the type of retail and the behavior retailers are trying to encourage. Whether it’s fashion, big-box retail, or grocery, expectations vary. However, one factor stands out across all sectors: staff interaction e.g. availability, friendliness, and informed recommendations play a crucial role in driving conversions and repeat visits.
2. What are the biggest shifts in customer expectations?
Interestingly, customer expectations themselves haven’t changed much. Instead, it’s retailers’ ability to meet those expectations that has shifted, especially post-pandemic. Staffing challenges, efficiency-driven KPIs, and increased automation often reduce customer interaction.
Data from our surveys highlight the impact (30% of grocery customers still need staff assistance to find products), yet many stores are replacing staffed checkouts with self-checkout lanes. Our data also shows that customers who have a poor in-store experience with unfriendly staff make five fewer visits over the next 18 months, resulting in an average loss of £250 per customer.
3. How does TruRating help?
TruRating provides real-time, in-the-moment feedback by asking a single question per customer at checkout. This ensures:
- High response rates (80%+)
- Representative data of actual customer experiences
- Tailored insights based on store location, purchase history, and time of day
- Seamless integration with qualitative feedback to provide a comprehensive view of customer sentiment
This approach enables retailers to optimize experiences based on real customer input rather than assumptions or self-selecting survey groups.
4. What other use cases are emerging?
Beyond in-store insights, TruRating is increasingly helping CPG brands understand their consumers better. By working with retailers, we can engage specific customer segments, for instance, those who bought or didn’t buy a particular product. We’ve partnered with brands like Coca-Cola to analyze water purchases in airports and with dairy companies to study sour cream dip choices leading up to the 4th of July. Our upcoming initiatives will dive into beer, wine, and spirits preferences, helping brands refine their offerings based on real customer decisions.
Looking ahead
The Retail Innovation Forum highlighted the exciting possibilities AI, data, and real-time insights offer in improving customer experience. As the industry continues to evolve, collaboration between retailers, startups, and brands will be key to driving innovation and meeting customer needs more effectively.
A huge thank you to dunnhumby ventures for hosting such an insightful event and to all the speakers and attendees who contributed to these invaluable discussions. I’m looking forward to seeing how these insights translate into real-world retail transformations!
If you want to continue the conversation or learn how TruRating can help you better understand your customers, book a demo or explore our customer feedback platform.
