With access to more customer data and profile intelligence than ever before, as well as a surge in automation and AI, retailers have everything at their disposal to create a fantastic customer experience.

But with so many challenges, including the cost-of-living crisis, retailers have a CX balancing act to contend with – 1) bringing costs down whilst remaining profitable, 2) managing the influx of returns, and 3) balancing automation with the human touch.

We partnered with Customer Experience Foundation to bring together experts from across the industry – including retail giants, John Lewis & Partners, premium stationery brand, Papier, and online clothing behemoth, ASOS – to decipher how brands can strike the balance in customer experience.

Within the report, we’ve also featured an overview of global footwear brand, VIVOBAREFOOT, and its approach to personalised CX, including an automated WISMO and WISMR process

This report addresses three critical focus areas for retail customer experience, including:

• In Christmas 2022 alone, UK return rates were up 57%. Does the industry need to re-think its approach to returns? It’s all about striking the right balance
• Enhancing the customer experience through a seamless technology / human partnership
• How effectively brands are utilising customer data at different buying cycle stages
• We also hear from experts within the industry, including Graeme Matheson, Planning and Performance Lead at John Lewis & Partners; Suzanne Duffy, Head of Customer Service at Papier; and Daryl Wilkes, Director of Customer Care at ASOS.