In today's fiercely competitive and privacy-first market, retailers must have a focused data strategy. Here's the exciting news: The right data combined with newer technologies like GenAI can uncover a world of growth opportunities across the retail enterprise.

 The latest retail sales figures from the CNBC/NRF Retail Monitor, powered by Affinity Solutions, tell a clear story: Consumers are increasingly drawn to seamless and convenient shopping experiences. This trend is reflected in the significant year-over-year growth of online giants such as Amazon, which boasted an impressive 18% increase in sales. However, this doesn't spell doom for traditional stores. The key to thriving, not merely surviving, lies in understanding your customers on a deeper level—how and where they’re shopping outside your stores and websites. This heightened intelligence offers a strategic advantage, empowering you to optimize the entire path to purchase, based on a holistic view of consumer spending.

Retailers that don’t have visibility on what their customers are doing across competitors and adjacent categories online and offline will be at a significant disadvantage. That means venturing beyond first-party data while responsibly incorporating permissioned consumer purchase and other data that tracks the customer journey. Demand signals for inventory optimization, share-of-wallet visibility for key customer segments, understanding store performance, and next-generation media buying and planning require that view.

 Retailers need to ensure that this data is deterministic, accurate, permissioned, timely and matchable to their first party data. That will lead to actionable insights and far better marketing decisions and will unlock the power of AI and enable highly personalized experiences that resonate for customers.

 The new standard is delivering the right message, the perfect incentive, and a seamless experience at every touchpoint. By strategically combining first-party data with trusted consumer purchase data, retailers ensure their technologies are powered by data that is relevant and compliant. A strong foundation is the key to cultivating customer loyalty and propelling sales.