The importance of data monetization in retail

Retail has undergone, especially in recent years, a profound transformation driven by technology and changing consumer behavior. In this context, data monetization has emerged as one of the key strategic pillars for the sector. After all, how can data be turned into real value for retailers? And how does this contribute to increased sales, customer loyalty, and business sustainability?

To begin with, data monetization in retail transforms raw data into valuable insights that drive revenue growth, reduce costs, or enhance customer experience. This data can support strategic decision-making or be sold/licensed to partners, brands, and suppliers interested in understanding consumer profiles.

According to the 17th Annual Global Consumer Study by Zebra Technologies, Brazilian retailers plan to increase their investments in technology by 71% in 2025 to optimize operations and meet rising consumer expectations.

Data Monetization: How Retail Benefits
By analyzing behavioral data, preferences, and consumption patterns, retailers can create highly segmented and personalized offers — significantly boosting conversion rates. CRM platforms, integrated with marketing automation tools, make it possible to deliver the right message at the right time through the most effective channel.

Data also improves the consumer experience. Knowing the history of interactions and preferences allows for more personalized service, more effective loyalty programs, and even the ability to anticipate needs.

Additionally, with machine learning–based recommendation algorithms, retailers can suggest products that better match customer profiles, creating value and strengthening the relationship.

Data monetization goes beyond just sales campaigns. It also supports inventory management, dynamic pricing, and smart logistics. Consumption and seasonality data, for example, guide more accurate decisions about what to buy, when to restock, and how to price.

This operational efficiency reduces waste, improves product turnover, and contributes to a more sustainable supply chain — a factor increasingly valued by consumers.

Foundations of Data-Driven Retail
To achieve results, retailers must rely on key pillars. Only then can they truly understand that investing in data is one of the most important moves in modern retail. The first step is adopting a data-driven culture, where decisions are based on concrete insights. This requires training, encouraging analytical curiosity, and aligning strategy at all levels of the organization.

Another crucial step is establishing data governance. Everything rests on the trio of data quality, governance, and operability. Having data is not enough — it must be reliable, secure, and accessible. Governance involves clear processes for data collection, standardization, updating, privacy, and compliance (such as adherence to LGPD or GDPR).

Investing in modern platforms — such as cloud systems, scalable databases, BI and AI tools — is vital to processing and analyzing large volumes of data quickly and securely. But here lies a major pitfall: without governance, there is no guarantee of data quality, and in extreme cases, this may lead to disputes with clients over invoice payments.

Data-Driven Retail: A Competitive Advantage
The age of guesswork in retail is over. With massive amounts of data from online sales, physical stores, social media, loyalty programs, and even IoT sensors, companies that adopt a data-driven strategy clearly stand out from the competition.

According to a McKinsey study, companies that heavily use data to make decisions can increase productivity by up to 20% and profits by 6%. In retail, this translates to better commercial performance and higher customer retention.

Data monetization in retail is more than a trend — it’s a necessary path toward innovation, efficiency, and business sustainability. Retailers who can collect, interpret, and use data intelligently will be better positioned to increase sales, retain customers, and remain relevant in the market.

The digital era demands more than good products — it demands data-driven decisions. And retail leaders already understand that.

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