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09:17
Using a Virtual Store As a Research Tool to Investigate Consumer In-store Behavior
Published on: July 24, 2017
Data-driven and people-centric operations: Research opportunities in retail operations
Yuanzheng Ma1, Yating Zhang2, Huan Zheng2
1School of Management, Huazhong University of Science and Technology, Wuhan 430074, China.
Fundamental Research
|August 1, 2026
Summary
Retail operations are evolving with data analytics for better consumer experiences. This review covers data-driven and people-centric approaches in retail, addressing challenges like privacy and worker behavior for future research.
Area of Science:
- Operations Research
- Retail Management
- Data Science
Background:
- Retailers leverage granular operational and behavioral data for enhanced decision-making.
- Data utilization presents opportunities (e.g., dynamic assortments) and challenges (e.g., privacy concerns).
Purpose of the Study:
- To review advancements and research trends in data-driven and people-centric retail operations.
- To identify emerging research topics at the intersection of data analytics and human factors in retail.
Main Methods:
- Literature review of studies on data-driven and people-centric approaches.
- Analysis of key retail process steps: consumer targeting, product design, assortment, pricing, store, last-mile, and warehouse operations.
Main Results:
- Identified trends in utilizing consumer and employee data for fine-tuned retail decisions.
- Highlighted the dual nature of data-driven strategies, offering enhanced experiences alongside privacy and behavioral challenges.
Conclusions:
- Designing data-driven and people-centric operations rules is a critical emerging research area.
- Future research should focus on balancing data utilization with consumer privacy and employee well-being in retail.
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