Are retailers leveraging in-store analytics? An exploratory study

Purpose: The purpose of this study is to analyse the level of adoption of in-store analytics by brick-and-mortar retailers. Web analytics technology has been widely adopted by online retailers, and the technology to gather similar information in physical stores is already available. This study explores how such technology is valued and adopted by retailers. Design/methodology/approach: This study is based on interviews and a focus group of 21 retail executives using a semi-structured interview methodology. An in-store analytics service was defined, along with specific key performance indicators (KPIs) and use cases to structure respondents' feedback. Findings: Although noteworthy differences have been found in the value of KPIs and use cases by type of business, the main finding is that none of the respondents reached the stage of a brick-and-mortar data-driven company. In-store analytics services are in the early stages of Rogers' (1983) model of diffusion of innovations. Three main reasons are presented: lack of technology knowledge, budget priority and a data culture inside the companies. Practical implications: The results should encourage scholars to further investigate the drivers accelerating the adoption of these technologies. Practitioners and solution providers should strive for improvement in the simplicity of their solutions. Originality/value: This study is the first to analyse the level of adoption of in-store analytics from the perspective of retailers.