What Are Retail Customer Insights (And Why Stores Are Flying Blind Without Them)

Imagine a customer walks into your store. Maybe they've browsed your website, engaged with your brand on social media, or even shopped with you before. Now they're here, ready to buy—or at least thinking about it. But here's the challenge: without a system in place to inform you, you don't know any of that. You don't know what they've looked at, what they're interested in, or what they purchased before.

And that disconnect? It's costing you sales. Understanding your business inside and out—including how customers interact across every touchpoint—isn't optional anymore. It's essential for survival in modern retail.

The Modern Shopping Reality: Your Customers Are Everywhere

Today's shoppers don't follow a straight line to purchase. Research from Harvard Business Review shows that 73% of retail customers use multiple channels throughout their buying journey, and they're not patient about it. They'll browse your website during their commute, see your Instagram post at lunch, click on an email offer in the evening, and then walk into your store to check out a product in person.

Every single one of those interactions tells a story about what they want, what they like, and what might convince them to buy. But if your systems can't connect those dots? You're essentially blind.

Sure, your sales associates might remember a familiar face. They might even recall that "the woman who bought the blue sweater last month" came back. But without the tools to actually see the full picture—the online browsing history, the abandoned cart, the product inquiry they sent via social media—your team is operating in the dark, making educated guesses instead of informed recommendations.

The Omnichannel Gap Is Real (And It's Expensive)

Here's what makes this even more frustrating: your customers expect you to know this information. Studies show that 64% of consumers expect a seamless experience across all channels, whether they're shopping online, on mobile apps, or in physical stores. When that doesn't happen, they notice—and they vote with their wallets.

Consider these sobering statistics:

• Companies with strong omnichannel customer engagement retain around 89% of their customers, while those with weak engagement retain only 33%

• Retailers implementing omnichannel strategies see average revenue growth 23% higher than those who don't

• Omnichannel shoppers spend 1.5x more than traditional shoppers on average

Translation? Every customer who walks through your door without you knowing their full story represents a massive missed opportunity. They're ready to spend more with you—if only you could give them the personalised experience they're looking for. This is exactly why knowing your business data is critical—it's not just about numbers, it's about understanding the complete customer journey.

What Actually Counts as "Customer Insights"?

Let's get specific. Retail customer insights aren't just demographic data or vague "analytics." They're actionable intelligence about individual customer behaviours and preferences across every touchpoint. This includes:

Cross-Channel Activity

• What products they've viewed on your website

• Items they've added to cart but haven't purchased

• Their social media engagement with your brand

• Email interactions and preferences

• In-store visit history

Purchase Behaviour

• Previous purchases and frequency

• Product preferences and sizes

• Price sensitivity and preferred promotions

• Return patterns and reasons

Communication History

• Questions they've asked (and through which channel)

• Issues they've reported

• Products they've inquired about that were out of stock

• Preferred communication methods

The goal isn't to be creepy—it's to be helpful. It's knowing that when Sarah walks in asking about running shoes, you can see she's been browsing your trail running collection online and can point her directly to what she's actually interested in.

The Cost of Flying Blind

Without integrated customer insights, here's what happens every day in retail stores:

Missed Cross-Sell Opportunities: A customer asks about a laptop case. Your associate doesn't know they bought a MacBook from you online last week and could use recommendations for compatible accessories.

Inventory Frustration: A customer wants a product that's out of stock in-store. Your team has no way to notify them when it's back or suggest they order online for home delivery.

Repetitive Experiences: A customer has to re-explain their preferences every time they interact with your brand, whether it's in-store, online, or via customer service.

Lost Sales: Research indicates that omnichannel strategies drive 80% higher store visits, and these customers spend 4% more per visit than single-channel shoppers. Every disconnected experience pushes potential revenue out the door.

How Real Customer Insights Transform Retail

This is where technology bridges the gap between what customers expect and what most stores can actually deliver.

Connected Experiences: When your systems track interactions across all channels, your team gains superpowers. If a customer has messaged about a product online before coming in, you know. If they abandoned a cart, you can help them complete the purchase. If they've asked about an out-of-stock item, you can track inventory and notify them the moment it's available—all through intelligent automation that works in the background.

Smarter Recommendations: With AI-powered search and customer history at their fingertips, your sales associates can instantly find the best recommendations and product details. No more "let me check in the back" or vague suggestions—they become trusted advisors who actually understand each shopper's needs.

Proactive Service: Instead of reactive problem-solving, you can anticipate needs. See someone browsing winter coats online? When they come into the store, your team is already prepared to show them the styles they're interested in.

Real-Time Intelligence: Understand what products are trending, which promotions are working, and where customers are dropping off in their journey—then adjust on the fly.

The Retail Revolution Is Here

Industry analysts predict AI in retail will reach $24.1 billion by 2028, driven largely by the need for better personalization and streamlined customer experiences. But here's the thing: you don't have to wait until 2028 to start delivering those experiences.

The technology exists right now to help retail teams capture and use customer insights effectively. The stores winning in today's competitive landscape aren't the ones with the biggest advertising budgets or the most locations—they're the ones who truly know their customers and can deliver personalized service at every touchpoint. (Want to see how leading retailers are doing this? Check out our retail case studies.)

Your customers are already telling you what they want through their actions across channels. The question is: are you listening?

Stop Flying Blind

At the end of the day, customer insights aren't just about data—they're about not missing opportunities. They're about turning every store visit into a personalized experience, every interaction into a chance to build loyalty, and every touchpoint into a potential sale.

The modern retail landscape demands more than good customer service—it demands informed, intelligent engagement that follows customers wherever they are. By connecting your customer data with powerful integrations across your existing systems, you can finally see the complete picture.

Tools like Intouch make this possible by giving your team the visibility they need to deliver the experiences your customers already expect. Because in today's world, customers don't just want good service. They want you to know them. And if you can't deliver that? Someone else will.