Customer Complaints, Returns, Data Security Top In-Store Challenges, Report Says

Apr 10, 2007 3:00 AM

NEWTON UPPER FALLS, Mass. -- Customer complaints, returns and customer data security were cited by retailers as their top three in-store business challenges, according to a new study conducted by Retail Systems Alert Group here and sponsored by Microsoft. Written by Paula Rosenblum, vice president of research and content development with RSAG, the report, “Technology-Enabled Customer Centricity in the Store,” states that “retail winners” (those with higher year-over-year comparable-store sales increases than their peers) cite empowering and educating their employees using technology as their most important opportunity to improve the customer experience. They also cite adding customer self-service technologies ahead of product mix as key enablers of customer satisfaction and success. The study also indicates that less-than-average performers worry far more about in-store data security than average performers and winning retail peers.