Customer Intelligence Author:Gary Hawkins Customer Intelligence provides a fascinating and powerful look at retail today and presents a strong case for truly understanding the value proposition retail companies offer their customers. If youre a retailer, chances are your most valuable customers are paying more than they should; few retail companies understand that t... more »heir most profitable customers are actually subsidizing the customers seeking only deals. Customer Intelligence explains how retail companies can structure customer data, gathered through loyalty programs or other vehicles, so as to finally understand where their profits originate in terms of both products and customers. For a handful of select retailers around the world, vast quantities of customer data provide new ways to measure and manage their business. These are the companies who understand that the next competitive arena lies not in product-related activities but in understanding their customers. Integrating customer metrics into their financial and management reporting, such companies now fully understand if their marketing and operational activities are increasing the numbers of customers shopping, encouraging customers to increase their spending or improving retention of valuable customers. Using available technologies, these retail pioneers are rapidly moving towards marketing to their individual customers, understanding that the same price for all no longer provides the best return on investment.« less