In the fast-paced retail industry, supercharging the customer experience (CX) is paramount for staying competitive in an ever-changing landscape. As reported by a Salesforce survey, 84% of customers say the experience a company provides is as important as its products or services, highlighting the importance of innovative CX strategies. It’s tempting to lean entirely into technology for your CX strategy, but approaching your solutions with a combination of people-led and technology-led thinking will yield the best results. Specifically, when it comes to digital experiences - -which is Imagesound’s core focus – it is the people-led element that often falls flat when too much focus is given to technology.

The purpose of technology is always to enhance what humans are uniquely able to create– emotive experiences. While retailers have an opportunity to revolutionize CX by integrating Artificial Intelligence (AI)-driven solutions, that focus should be on optimizing operations and data-driven personalized experiences. However, this integration presents unique challenges such as ensuring data privacy and aligning AI capabilities with human empathy to create a seamless customer journey.

Personalization is the future of CX. According to a study by the Capgemini Research Institute, 73% of satisfied customers point to personalization as a key factor. While this underscores the potential of AI to attract and retain customers by meeting their expectations for personalized and engaging shopping experiences, it still requires a human touch and direction for the most impactful emotive return.