Photo: RetailWire
May 19, 2025
Is the Heart of Commerce Human? Redefining Customer-Centricity
Customer-centricity is one of the most talked-about goals in retail today, but what does it actually look like in practice? A session at FUTR Europe, moderated by Claire Hennah, CEO and founder of The Illuminate Alchemy and former senior digital and commercial marketing leader for Unilever, Selfridges, and Virgin Atlantic, brought fresh perspectives to this question from three leaders at the intersection of retail, data, and innovation: Caroline Orange-Northey, director of retail at Pinterest UK; Debbie Epstein, marketing director at THIS; and Irene Sibaja, director of global partnerships at Treasure Data.
Orange-Northey highlighted how Pinterest creates a unique space by focusing on inspiration rather than passive entertainment. “Pinners” come to the platform looking for ideas, not just products. By enabling users to discover brands in a joyful, discovery-led environment, Pinterest helps retailers merge creativity and commerce in a way that feels natural and emotionally resonant.
Epstein, speaking from her experience leading marketing at plant-based food brand THIS, emphasized how essential it is — especially in startup mode — to embed the voice of the consumer into every part of the business. For her, customer-centricity means using data to ask better questions, not just to get answers. It’s about validating assumptions, staying curious, and ensuring the customer’s perspective drives decision-making across the board.
Sibaja explored the technical challenges of unifying fragmented customer data. At Treasure Data, her team works with brands to bring disparate sources into one coherent view. This allows for more personalized communication and smarter forecasting. She also emphasized the growing role of AI in streamlining this process, helping brands scale insights in a way that’s still grounded in real human needs.
The panel shared compelling examples of data-driven innovation. Orange-Northey explained how Pinterest analyzes trends from its half a billion users to forecast emerging behaviors with over 80% accuracy. These insights drove successful initiatives like the “Head to Glow” campaign, which captured the growing self-care movement and resulted in a 6.2% lift in brand awareness.
Epstein spoke next about balancing the scientific and emotional sides of prediction: what consumers might want next, and what they emotionally connect with now. Sibaja added examples from Anheuser-Busch InBev, where generative AI is used to predict product trends and compress development cycles. In a world where no human can process billions of data points alone, AI becomes an essential partner.
Still, as Orange-Northey noted, data without purpose is just clutter. She compared it to garbage: “If you don’t know how you’re going to use it, it just piles up.” For customer-centricity to be more than a buzzword, brands need to use data not only to drive efficiency but to fuel empathy, relevance, and meaning.
The panel closed with a powerful reminder: No matter how advanced your predictive analytics become, authenticity is non-negotiable. Today’s consumers, especially younger ones, demand emotional truth and cultural alignment from the brands they support. Innovation only sticks when it’s in service of real human needs.
This session at FUTR Group Europe was enlightening and reflective, not just for its insights, but for its reminder that true customer-centricity starts with listening deeply, intelligently, and consistently. In 2025, putting the customer at the heart of commerce isn’t just an ideal — it’s essential for growth, loyalty, and relevance.
Discussion Questions
How can brands balance data-driven insights with emotional authenticity to create truly customer-centric experiences that resonate with today’s consumers?
In an increasingly AI-driven marketplace, what steps can businesses take to ensure that technology is used to enhance, rather than replace, genuine human connection with customers?
Poll
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Pamela Kaplan
Principal, PK Consulting
Jeff Hall
President, Second To None
Georganne Bender
Principal, KIZER & BENDER Speaking
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The heart of commerce should be human. Understanding consumer motivations and needs and responding to them with empathy is an important differentiator. Sadly, these are skills that often get lost in processes and procedures. I actually think AI has the potential to make this a great deal worse unless it is properly integrated and used to enhance service rather than replace the human elements of it.
I must be missing the first part of this article, the one where customer-centric is acknowledged as being something you have…or don’t. The idea of it being a “goal” makes little sense to me.
I echo what Craig said. Customer-centric isn’t a goal, you either are or you aren’t. It isn’t about data, it’s about people. We seem to forget that technology is a tool, not end game.
Data can cause companies to lose sight of the very human behaviors of customers. Why? Data is an abstraction – it removes the true and messy reality of humans in hopes of giving retailers handles to drive business. Few remember, though, that it is inherent in data that humanity is always lost. Box observed that all models are wrong but some are useful. This is also true of data. All data is incomplete and misleading but some data can be useful. All retailers should maintain constant and healthy schedules of in-person qualitative research to never lose touch with what is human and, therefore, most critical.
Agree on the need for balance. The goal is to understand what the customer wants or identify what problems that need to be solved. The customer should always be at the center. A product that can authentically provide this (to the brand DNA) is where the magic happens. I think companies often assume they know what the customer wants but gathering this data is necessary to truly understand the customer.
Caroline Orange-Northey’s quote, “Data without purpose is just clutter” is spot on, and I would add that a brand without authenticity and purpose in its DNA can never truly be customer-centric. The customer experiences that best resonate with today’s consumers are inclusive of five key dimensions: 1) They are grounded in human connection, 2) focused on the utility and ease in which customer experience is delivered, 3) are intentional in elevating the moments that matter, 4) are aligned to a clear brand promise and 5) consistently measure the impact on net loyalty and how likely the experience is to influence future behavior. Customer-centricity is an absolute mandate at a time when market uncertainty is at an all-time high and consumer confidence is at an all-time low.
Technology can free up retail associates from mundane, repetitive tasks so they can spend more time listening to and serving customers. It also frees up management to focus more on strategic growth, agility and creative solutions. Let automation crunch the numbers. Empathy, creativity and personality are brand assets that connect with consumers.