Retail Stores Must Address Significant Data and Technology Disconnects to Improve In-Store Customer Experience

What happens in the store shouldn’t stay in the store, according to a new study commissioned by Toshiba Global Commerce Solutions.

In-store activities and customer data need to extend beyond the physical premises to empower in-store teams and unlock store potential.

Significant disconnects between physical and digital commerce, and store and corporate leadership are among the key barriers to improving the customer experience, according to a new study conducted by Forrester Consulting on behalf of Toshiba Global Commerce Solutions.

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The study, which surveyed 346 high-volume store leaders and corporate level customer experience decision-makers, shows a pressing need for retailers to create more effective ways to generate customer data and insight from in-store shopping and to align their physical and digital commerce strategies and deployments.

Respondents report that an inability to digitize in-store customer data, outdated systems, and a lack of tools to share insights and operational data, are among the contributing barriers to improving the in-store shopping experience:

• 54 percent say systems are outdated and not connected
• 60 percent report too many disparate systems and tools hinder a cohesive view of their customers and operations
• 79 percent believe that corporate management does not prioritize unifying stores with digital commerce

Despite these challenges, the study revealed a crucial consensus among the participants: leveraging a new generation of A.I.-driven tools to synchronize physical and digital commerce has the potential to significantly empower store teams and lead to improving and evolving the customer experience.

• 94 percent of respondents reported that incorporating customer data into the store is very or extremely impactful to the customer experience.
• 91 percent said that their leadership currently sees those experiences as separate.

To learn more about the Forrester Consulting study, “Empower Retail Stores with Smarter Insights and Aligned Technology to Improve CX” commissioned by Toshiba, please visit a special webinar featuring, Forrester Principal Analyst and retail thought leader, Emily Pfeiffer, and Toshiba Global Commerce Solutions VP, Head of Marketing and Communications, Fredrik Carlegren, can be viewed on demand.

About Toshiba Global Commerce Solutions

Toshiba Global Commerce Solutions empowers retail to thrive and prosper through a dynamic ecosystem of smarter, more agile solutions and services that enable retailers to resiliently evolve with generations of consumers and adapt to market conditions. Supported by a global organization of devoted employees and partners, retailers gain more visibility and control over operations while enjoying the flexibility to build, scale, and transform retail experiences that anticipate and fulfill consumers’ ever-changing needs. Visit commerce.toshiba.com and engage with us on X, formerly known as Twitter, Facebook, LinkedIn, Instagram, and YouTube, to learn more.

Toshiba Global Commerce Solutions is a wholly owned subsidiary of Toshiba Tec Corporation, which is traded on the Tokyo Stock Exchange.

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