Supermarkets have ranked first in a new benchmark of the UK’s best industries for personalised content. That’s according to new research from leading digital experience platform (DXP) provider, Optimizely.
The research asked 1,000 UK consumers to vote for the industries they felt provided the best personalised experiences online, ranking from ‘excellent’ to ‘terrible.’ Of those responses, one in five (21%) UK shoppers said that supermarkets provided an ‘excellent’ level of personalisation, more than any other industry.
Transport, specifically train operators, have come in at the bottom of the rankings, with 16% of consumers ranking the industry as ‘terrible’ or ‘poor’ for personalisation. This news follows the British government’s plans to re-nationalise UK railways in the next five years, following years of daily disruptions and ongoing industrial disputes.
As for other industries, here’s where they rank on the list:
Which industries have the best personalisation according to consumers? (ranked ‘excellent’)
- Supermarket and groceries (21%)
- Entertainment, gaming and sports (15%)
- Health and wellness (14%)
- Banks and financial services (13%)
- Hotels and accommodation (13%)
Which industries have the worst personalisation according to consumers? (ranked ‘poor/terrible’)
- Transport – trains (16%)
- Utilities (15%)
- Real estate and property (15%)
- Automotive (13%)
- Charity (13%)
According to Optimizely, the online supermarket and grocery industry is leading the charge on personalised digital experiences, and that is resonating strongly with consumers. Supermarkets have access to vast amounts of customer data on shopping habits, preferences and demographics through loyalty schemes, online shopping platforms and in-shop purchases. Through this data, they are successfully tailoring their offerings to meet individual needs and enhance customer satisfaction.
However, to continue to evolve their personalisation strategies, Optimizely’s research warns of the need for continued experimentation. As many as three-quarters (75%) of UK marketers believe experimentation is important for creating personalised content, and those who fail to continue this sort of ongoing experimentation could quickly fall behind.
Commenting on the findings, Shafqat Islam, President at Optimizely said, “Supermarkets benefit from having access to a huge amount of data – from purchase frequency to brand preferences. But access to data means absolutely nothing if it is not used in the right way. Other industries are sitting on similar data goldmines, they are just struggling to connect the dots in the same way grocers are. However, through continuous experimentation and ongoing refinement of personalisation strategies, every industry can use first-party data to create meaningful digital experiences that resonate with every single consumer.”