Benchmark: UK supermarkets rank #1 for personalization

London, UK, 14 August 2024 – Supermarkets have ranked first in a new benchmark of the UK’s best industries for personalized 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 personalized experiences online, ranking from ‘Excellent’ to ‘Terrible.’ Of those responses, one in five (21%) UK shoppers said that supermarkets provided an ‘Excellent’ level of personalization, 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 personalization. This news follows the British government’s plans to re-nationalize 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 personalization 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 personalization 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 personalized digital experiences, and that is resonating strongly with consumers. Supermarkets have access to vast amounts of customer data on shopping habits, preference 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 personalization 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 personalized 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 personalization strategies, every industry can utilize first-party data to create meaningful digital experiences that resonate with every single consumer.”  

Optimizely provides powerful testing, AI-rich optimization and customer data capabilities to help marketers create and deliver 1:1 experiences that drive revenue and brand loyalty. To learn more about how Optimizely powers the entire marketing lifecycle, visit https://www.optimizely.com/products/