Turning insight into impact: retail data analytics powered by E15

Here at One Retail, we operate in places where the retail experience needs to work first time. Whether someone’s on a quick break in a hospital, commuting through a rail station, or passing through an airport, they want an offer that feels relevant, available and easy to navigate.

When we understand what customers actually need in each setting, we can make retail feel simpler for them and more efficient for the teams delivering it.

That’s exactly what E15, Compass Group UK and Ireland’s data and analytics platform, enables us to do across retail. It helps us turn day-to-day operational and customer data into insights we can act on. It also strengthens our decision-making across hospitals, airports, rail, and bus networks.

Personalisation has become a strategic priority for 83% of retail decision makers (Forrester, 2023) for one key reason: when customers feel understood, they respond. Research shows that 80% of consumers are more likely to buy from brands that offer personalised experiences (Epsilon).

For us, personalisation starts with clarity. E15 helps us understand preferences, purchasing patterns and time-based demand, so each location can feel more relevant to the people using it. That relevance also supports performance.

When retailers use customer data effectively, they’re 23% more likely to acquire new customers and 6% more likely to retain them (McKinsey). In high-footfall environments where shoppers tend to make quick decisions, those gains come from consistently getting the basics right, then tailoring the offer in ways that help.

Efficiency improves when teams can see performance clearly and respond quickly. Organisations that use retail data analytics effectively see an 8% increase in profit and a 10% reduction in costs, demonstrating the value of making decisions with evidence rather than instinct.

With E15, we have a live view of demand and trading patterns, which helps us act earlier and plan more accurately. Predictive analytics can reduce inventory costs by up to 25% and improve shelf availability by 30% (Capgemini), while real time analytics can cut stockouts by 60% and reduce markdowns by 20% (Gartner). Using those insights, we improve forecasting, tighten ordering and align labour to real trading patterns.

In travel settings, relevance is what turns passing footfall into meaningful spend. Two-thirds of airport passengers say they want more tailored retail and food offerings (ACI World). Travellers also spend 25% more when they perceive the experience as personal and relevant (Deloitte). With the travel retail market expected to double by 2032, it’s a clear signal that retail data analytics are essential to capturing that growth.

E15 helps us understand how customers move through airports, rail stations, and bus hubs, including dwell patterns and category performance at different times of day. That insight lets us shape the brand mix and range around what travellers actually want in that location and it supports quicker operational adjustments during peak periods or disruption.

In hospitals, retail needs to support people who are often under pressure. Staff
consistently prioritise speed, convenience and reliable product quality in on-site retail settings (Compass). When the offer works well, it contributes to a better everyday experience and improved on-site amenities which is linked to staff retention and satisfaction in NHS facilities (King’s Fund, 2022).

Our retail data analytics platform helps us tailor healthcare retail with site-level insight, so we can match the offer to real demand across the day and week. That supports better availability and more efficient ordering when it counts. It also supports transparency through shared dashboards, so stakeholders can see performance clearly and decisions are based on evidence.

E15 helps us respond faster through real-time visibility, localise decisions using site-specific insight, and improve operational efficiency through better forecasting, staffing alignment, and waste reduction. It also creates a shared view of performance, so our partners can see what’s working, understand why, and track progress clearly.

Most importantly, it helps us apply retail data analytics in a way deliver tangible outcomes. Whether a hospital, an airport, a rail station, or a bus, it brings consistency across our estate while still giving each location the local tailoring it needs. That’s how we keep improving performance with confidence.