Retailers have invested heavily in personalisation, but many shoppers still encounter generic experiences, leaving revenue and loyalty opportunities on the table, says new data from customer data cloud solution, Amperity.

Original research of over 1,000 shoppers in its 2026 State of Personalisation in Retail report reveals that personalisation only delivers meaningful impact when it reflects live customer intent – not static profiles or delayed batch updates.

Real-time personalisation is now a key revenue lever for retailers, directly influencing purchase behaviours and retention, with three quarters (74%) of shoppers more likely to purchase when they receive truly personalised engagement.

The personalisation disconnect

However, over half (57%) say their buying journeys still feel generic, despite retailers claiming to personalise the path to purchase.

A even greater number (79%) of customers also feel retailers frequently get personalisation wrong, citing irrelevant or mistimed messages, showing a growing disconnect between what shoppers expect and what retailers actually deliver, the report said.

“There is a growing gap between customer expectations and retail execution,” said Ornella Urso, Research Director at IDC Retail Insights.

“Traditional systems are built for historical insight, not in-the-moment decisioning, while many real-time tools lack the customer context needed to be relevant,” added Urso. “Retailers that unify identity, historical data and live behavioural signals can close that gap and turn personalisation into measurable business impact.”

Blending engagement intelligence with intent

83% of consumers now want retailers to remember them, including preferences and past purchases, in order to personalise their shopping journeys.

AI is expected to play a growing role, with customers favouring a balanced approach; nearly half want personalisation delivered through a blend of human and AI assistants.

“Consumers aren’t asking for more messages – they’re asking for relevance in the moment,” said Tony Owens, CEO of Amperity. “Real-time personalisation is one of the most direct paths to revenue growth. When brands act on trusted customer data as intent happens, they win the sale. When they don’t, that moment – and that revenue – is gone.”