NCR 2011 Global Retailer and Consumer Research: An NCR White Paper

Today’s consumers are pressed for time, digitallyenabled and more in control than ever before. They are empowered by greater access to information and knowledge. They demand anytime, anywhere convenience and they want to get served seamlessly across their preferred channels – when, where and how they choose. Taking these trends into account, the era of B2C (Business-to-Consumer) retailing is fading and is being replaced by a C2B (Consumer-to-Business) model, where consumers increasingly control their relationships with retailers. To survive in this C2B world, retailers must take immediate action to join this consumer driven revolution; they need to become “c-tailing ready”.

C-tailing, or converged retailing, refers to a C2B model for retailing that creates a converged consumer experience across channels based on presence, preference and personalization. The c-tailing model delivers the necessary ingredients to prosper in the C2B-world. To obtain insights into retailer and consumer affinity towards the c-tailing model in Europe, NCR launched a 360 o European c-tailing-related survey in 2011.

What emerges from the study is that the physical retail store, instead of being threatened by the emerging technologies, is on the verge of a Renaissance as the power of web and personalization technologies make their way into the store. Consumers can begin their shopping journey at any location today but they appreciate, and are increasingly demanding, that retailers provide a converged experience that they can fulfill in the store.