The customer adaptive transition will be difficult for most retailers as it involves more than just adopting and assimilating new technology via digital transformation. Success in this business model requires a customer-centric culture, and it’s a daunting challenge.
In 1995 I had a vision of retail’s future that was so clear that I took bold risks to ensure I was part of shaping its future. I discovered the internet and instantly knew that nothing in retail would ever be the same. I was going to build one of the retail industry’s first web stores.
In 1995 as a retail CIO, I had a vision that the internet would revolutionize the retail industry forever and I wanted to be a part of it. I took a risk, invested tens of thousands of unsanctioned dollars in a stealth project that my board associated with a “fad.” This is my story.
Retail’s glory days may be gone, but customer trust is as critical to retail today as it was back then for creating compelling personalized customer experiences. And now it’s possible for retailers at scale.
Customer Adaptive Retailing is the transformation beyond omnichannel to a single, adaptive focus on the customer, requiring retailers to transition from thinking in terms of multiple shopping channels to focusing on the CUSTOMER as the channel and wrapping every aspect of their business around each customer at every touchpoint.