The Personalization in Retailing - Problems and Challenges

The concept of personalization, which is based on the idea of a personal relationship with consumers, is not at all a new concept for business. It has been used in the world of marketing and retailing for a long historical period. But in modern conditions, personalization rises to a whole new level, and is carried out through new mechanisms. It becomes an essential component of modern retailing, a key element of competitive strategy, as well as a sustainable competitive advantage. Today, modern consumers expect personalization throughout their entire interaction with a retailer – across all possible touch points (online and offline). The article examines the evolution of the concept of personalization from the traditional marketing approach to the interruption marketing and permission marketing; the relationship between personalization and permission marketing; the opt-in marketing; the relationship between personalization and interruption marketing; the e-marketing mix and the place of personalization in it. The challenges to personalization are examined, which are technological, financial, organizational, and also related to the privacy and protection of consumers personal data.