Retailers have been through the ringer. The pandemic forced consumers to quickly change their shopping behavior, their acceptance of in-store vs online shopping and even spending priorities, resulting in a new normal that retail marketers had to quickly define and quickly adapt to.

Understanding this new normal and Reconnecting the World of Retail was the central theme at one of the largest retail marketing conferences, the CRMC, held in Chicago on September 8-10.

SPC was once again an event sponsor, providing a unique perspective on trends in retail direct response including showcasing new mail formats designed to drive store traffic to augmented reality and other technologies that seamlessly bridge offline and online channels. On the opening day, SPC hosted a luncheon for about 100 retail marketers, providing a unique opportunity to reconnect in a live setting and share experiences.

“The speakers at The CRMC made it crystal clear that really knowing your customers more individually and building loyalty have never been more important. Retail marketers are now pretty much required to quickly embrace advances in big data and marketing technologies to keep up with rising customer expectations for a more personalized experience,” according to Garrin Kapecki, Executive Director at SPCFuel.

From incorporating machine learning to delivering personalized experiences on a global scale, the event hammered home how CRM strategies are increasingly able take in customer data from every possible touchpoint in order to inform timely and relevant messaging across channels defined by customer preference. The good news is retail spending is rebounding nicely and retail marketers are rising to the challenge to deliver a stronger consumer experience.