Most UK retailers are still stuck at a basic level of personalisation, despite heavy investment in data and AI, and this gap is now a real risk in an increasingly competitive market. The new Valtech report reveals that brands are testing advanced tools but lack the foundations to deliver seamless, unified, and truly personal shopping experiences.
UK retailers still at ‘basic’ personalisation
New research from Valtech shows that 65% of retailers classify their personalisation as either in “pilot” or “basic” stages, while only 14% describe their capabilities as “advanced” across channels. Even though many are still developing their strategies, just over a third feel confident enough to call their efforts advanced, and only about one in seven says personalisation is fully embedded across all touchpoints.
Most brands still rely on generic tactics such as email campaigns (36%), loyalty programmes (35%), and basic behavioural targeting (34%), with measurement focused on surface…
metrics like conversion rate (39%), CSAT/NPS (38%), repeat purchases (27%), and customer churn (21%). Retailers admit that these approaches fall short of delivering the kind of real-time, context-aware experiences shoppers now expect.
Data, skills, and cost blocking AI progress Insiders point to three main barriers holding back advanced personalisation: lack of in-house skills (36%), poor data quality (33%), and high implementation costs (33%).
These issues mean that even retailers who are investing heavily can’t always translate technology spend into better customer journeys.
Retailers also cite customer identity consistency (17%), data integration between systems (16%), inventory visibility (12%), and clarity on measurement or ROI (10%) as significant obstacles to delivering unified experiences…
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