Operationalizing Artificial Intelligence-Enabled Customer Analytics Capability in Retailing

Abstract

The value of customer analytics (CA) and artificial intelligence (AI) has been discussed separately at the forefront of research for business, marketing, and operations management. In spite of the strategic importance of CA and AI, there has been a paucity of research regarding the role of AI in operationalizing customer analytics (CA) capability. To address the gap, this study draws on a systematic literature review and thematic analysis for identifying the value-based CA capability antecedents that operationalize through AI in the context of retailing. The findings of this study extend the resource-based view (RBV)-capability theory in the spectrum of market orientation, and technology orientation to generate a better intelligence of CA capability in the retail context; while also providing theoretically grounded guidance to the practitioners. Hence, retail practitioners will likely be able to engage customers and enhance customer delight by incorporating CA capability dimensions, which is powered by AI.