The modern buyer expects more clarity, more consistency, and more confidence than ever before. At NRF this year, leaders from CITY Furniture and The Paper Store joined Akeneo up on stage to unpack where modern shopping experiences are breaking down, why product information has become a strategic growth lever, and how clean, trusted data is the key to delivering standout customer experiences and scalable AI innovation.
Table of Contents
Keywords
Retail has invested billions in digital transformation over the past few years. New channels, new platforms, new experiences, all designed to meet rising customer expectations. And yet, customer frustration is growing, not shrinking.
Why is this the case? The modern shopping experience isn’t failing because retailers lack ambition or technology. It’s failing because the foundation beneath it all, product information, isn’t strong enough.
That was the core theme of Akeneo’s NRF session, Winning the Modern Buyer: How a Strong Digital Foundation Delivers the Customer Experiences Shoppers Expect. The conversation brought together leaders from CITY Furniture, The Paper Store, and Akeneo to explore how trust is built (or broken), why product data has moved from back-office concern to executive priority, and how retailers can confidently prepare for an AI-powered future.
To set the stage, Akeneo CEO Romain Fouache began with a sobering reality check. Consumer dissatisfaction with the completeness and quality of product information has more than doubled in just two years, climbing from 13% to over 30%. Even more alarming, two-thirds of global shoppers say they’ve abandoned a purchase entirely because product information was missing or incorrect.
These are everyday moments where trust quietly erodes. On a product detail page with vague specifications, in a marketplace listing that contradicts a brand site, or during a store visit that doesn’t match what a shopper researched online. As expectations rise, “good enough” product information is no longer good enough at all.
When asked where trust breaks down most often in today’s customer journey, both retailers pointed to moments where accuracy and clarity are non-negotiable.
For CITY Furniture, the stakes are especially high. Selling big-ticket, bulky items means shoppers need absolute confidence before committing. Even small inconsistencies in dimensions, materials, or care instructions can immediately disqualify a product, or the retailer itself. Product detail pages have become a critical make-or-break moment, especially when nearly 80% of shoppers research online before ever stepping into a store.
The Paper Store faces a different, but equally demanding, challenge. With a massive assortment, deep size and color variations, and extreme seasonality, there is zero margin for error. Nearly half of their annual revenue is generated in a short window between Thanksgiving and Christmas. If product information is missing, inaccurate, or poorly merchandised during that window, the opportunity is simply gone. The downstream impact touches everything — conversion, fulfillment, store traffic, customer trust, and operational efficiency.
In both cases, broken product experiences hurt sales and quietly chip away at brand equity and long-term loyalty.
A major turning point for both organizations was realizing that product data could no longer live solely in the back office or be treated as a technical afterthought. Product information now shapes discovery, conversion, fulfillment, customer service, and even in-store experiences.
At CITY Furniture, product data initially emerged as an eCommerce foundation. Over time, it evolved into a centralized data library supporting the entire organization as the business modernizes. While IT still plays a critical role in architecture, ownership of product content increasingly sits at the intersection of digital commerce and merchandising, where customer impact is felt most directly.
At The Paper Store, the shift was even more stark. Relying solely on a merchandising system proved insufficient for today’s omnichannel demands. The lack of structured, enriched product information made it harder to execute quickly, scale efficiently, or deliver consistent experiences across channels. Product data became a business imperative, not a technical deliverable.
What stood out most was the shared acknowledgment that product data isn’t flashy. It doesn’t always win internal popularity contests. But without executive advocacy and clear ownership, even the most sophisticated tech stacks fall short.
Once treated as a strategic asset, the impact of improved product information becomes tangible. Both retailers emphasized that while metrics like add-to-cart and conversion rate are useful indicators, the true value of product data extends far beyond a single KPI.
Richer, more accurate product content reduces returns, lowers customer support burden, improves discoverability, and drives higher-quality store traffic. It also enables better upsell and cross-sell opportunities, especially in omnichannel journeys where customers move fluidly between digital and physical environments.
The session also looked forward, especially as AI continues to dominate retail conversations. The message was clear: AI doesn’t fix broken foundations. It amplifies them.
Shoppers are already signaling what they value. On average, they’re willing to pay up to 25% more for products that come with complete, high-quality information. Trust and clarity now define value just as much as price.
AI can absolutely enhance discovery, personalization, and customer support, but only when it’s powered by clean, structured data. Poor data hygiene leads to hallucinations, misinformation, and inconsistent experiences that undermine trust even faster than static errors.
Practical AI use cases are already delivering value today, including:
However, both retailers cautioned against rushing ahead without addressing data readiness first. Governance, integration, and enrichment must come before experimentation at scale.
The NRF session closed with practical advice for leaders who know they need to evolve but aren’t sure where to begin.
First, invest in data and in the people who steward it. Product data teams must understand not only how information is structured, but how it’s consumed by customers, channels, and AI systems. This work will look very different in the coming years, and adaptability is key.
Second, secure executive buy-in early. Product data transformation requires organizational commitment, not temporary fixes or side projects. Governance, standards, and accountability are foundational to long-term success.
Finally, choose the right partners. Retailers don’t have to solve these challenges alone. Learning from peers, working with experienced technology partners, and building phased, realistic roadmaps can accelerate progress while reducing risk.
The modern buyer is demanding consistency, clarity, and confidence. As this NRF session made clear, product information sits at the center of every meaningful shopping experience. When the foundation is strong, retailers can move faster, innovate with confidence, and meet customers wherever they are. When it’s weak, no amount of technology can compensate.
Winning the modern buyer starts with getting the basics right, and treating product data not as an afterthought, but as the foundation of commerce itself.
Discover how to position your organization to win in a world where AI is the primary interface between buyers and brands.
Akeneo Product Cloud
Product Cloud Packages
Shopify
Adobe
Salesforce
SAP
See All Integrations
Professional Services
Training & Certification
Support & Help Center
PX Strategy Self Assessment
The Akeneo Partner Ecosystem
Blog
Resource Library
Seasonal Release
Register
