1 in 3 customer service agents may quit soon

Two-thirds of customer service agents report that their job is as difficult or more difficult than it was a year ago. More than one in four agents say they are unhappy in their roles, and one in three is considering quitting in the next year.

This is according to research carried out by the Call Centre Management Association (CCMA) and supported by Intradiem.

The survey uncovered a disparity between the intentions of businesses and the reality of agent life. When asked,...

Digital marketing skills show positive growth but sector demands outpace professional development 

Core digital skills marketers rely on have improved but that the growing demands of new and evolving technologies are contributing to a skills gap across the majority of industries. 

This is according to research published by the training body Target Internet, in association with the Chartered Institute of Marketing (CIM).

This year’s report analyses data from more than 10,000 marketing professionals, gathered between 2018 to 2023 and highlights key short and...

UK shoppers desire AI-driven retail experiences but are wary of its use

Less than half (41%) of UK shoppers believe that AI is having a positive impact on their retail experiences. Despite this, more than two-thirds (70%) prefer brands that offer personalised recommendations – a common use case for AI in retail.

These findings come from a new study by SAP Emarsys, which surveyed over 2,000 UK shoppers. The research suggests a clear conflict between consumer concerns about AI and their desire to reap the...

Tesco Media and Insight Platform launches media partnership with Pinterest

Tesco Media and Insight Platform, powered by dunnhumby, has launched an offsite media partnership with Pinterest, the world’s largest visual discovery engine.

This partnership will allow the UK’s leading CPG brands to connect with Tesco customers who are looking for inspiration on Pinterest, using Tesco Clubcard data and dunnhumby’s analytical expertise to deliver highly relevant and personalised ads.

The power of Pinterest

The UK is one of Pinterest’s...

Just 1% of consumers do not utilise subscription shopping services

Despite cost of living pressures, 86% of UK shoppers have increased, or at least maintained, their spending on subscriptions over the last year, while 78% intend to ringfence or increase their subscription spending in the months ahead.

Only 1% in the UK and across all markets surveyed now do not consider themselves to be subscribers in any form.

These are some of the findings of a study into subscription shopping trends to date by OnePoll and online travel firm eDreams...

UK shoppers abandon retailers that charge for returns

More than a quarter (26%) of Brits have switched from a brand they were once loyal to due to the introduction of paid returns, according to the latest research from SAP Emarsys.

The study, released ahead of the Shoptalk retail tradeshow, reveals that 18% of UK consumers actively describe the introduction of returns charges as “unfair”; 13% have even thrown away an unwanted item after failing to return it.

With almost half (49%) of shoppers abandoned a brand they were...

8 out of 10 people believe organisations take customers for granted

A customer buying fruit.

Most people feel that organisations have become impersonal and lost their ‘human’ touch, instead prioritising cost-cutting and functionality.

This is according to a new national survey by customer-led growth company The Foundation.

The survey coincides with the publication of 'The Human Experience: How to make life better for your customers and create a more successful organisation', which offers solutions to the issues highlighted in the survey.

Conducted...

21% of consumers never want to hear from retailers

A gnome holding a sign that says 'go away'

Just 16% of UK consumers think that retailers react to their feedback, despite 69% of businesses claiming to do so.

This is according to new data released by Emarsys, an SAP company. The company's research, which surveyed both consumers and retailers across the UK, highlights the struggle to keep up with customers and identifies a number of disconnects between the two. It found that 28% of UK consumers believe their feedback is being used purely for marketing purposes rather than...

Creating a recession-proof marketing strategy 

Someone taking a dollar out of a wallet.

Rob Freedman, head of growth marketing at Zuper, shares three surefire marketing strategies that can help withstand today’s recessionary environment.

Well-known advertising executive Bruce Barton famously said: “In good times people want to advertise; in bad times, they have to.” 

If marketers have learned anything over the past two plus years, it is that competition is growing, inflation is climbing, and consumers are spending more time online than ever...

Navigating the choppy waters of social commerce

Islands in a rough sea.

Marcel Hiollerbach, chief innovation officer at Productsup, analyses the current social commerce landscape and how businesses can use tech to minimise commerce anarchy.

Social commerce’s domination has been a long time coming with 44% of the world’s population already using social media. Turning these growing platforms into commerce platforms was a natural next step with brands and retailers jumping on the opportunity. As such, the social commerce market is rapidly expanding,...