Roles & Responsibilities of Data Analysts in the Retail Industry

Mar 7, 2023

5 min read

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Well, all businesses need help determining how to utilize retail data analytics available at their fingertips. Do you know the information you possess has the potential to provide your business with a competitive advantage?

Why Retail data analytics?

Imagine this: You and your competition are in the same market, have roughly the same number of buyers, and provide similar product prices. You could spend the same amount of money on advertising. So how do you get to the top of the game? The answer is in using data to make smarter decisions.

Your business risks slipping behind if you cannot track and evaluate your decisions with your consumers' purchases and habits. This is why retail data analytics is such a valuable tool for your business. 

Yet, research reveals that businesses still need have failed to benefit from current technology, and many retailers need a point of sale (POS) system. If you don't have one at your store, invest in one with analytics capabilities! 

Many firms list sales reporting, analytics, and inventory as essential features of a POS system, indicating that small to midsize businesses (SMBs) understand the importance of retail data analytics for their operations and goals. 

Now, for your data to benefit your business correctly, you would require a data analyst! 

Who is a Data Analyst?

Now, retail data analytics refers to gathering and analyzing retail data (such as sales, inventory, pricing, and so on) to identify patterns, forecast outcomes, and make better, more profitable business decisions. And all of this is done by an expert "Data Analyst"! 

When analytics in retail is done correctly, it helps retailers to get a comprehensive insight into the performance of their stores, goods, customers, and vendors – and utilize that data to increase profitability. 

Almost all retailers use data analytics in some way, even if it only examines Excel sales figures. 

Yet, there is a significant difference between an analyst opening Excel and sifting through spreadsheets and utilizing purpose-built AI to evaluate billions of data points at once to meet a sales target.

What does a Data Analyst do in the Retail Industry?

To answer the question "What does a data analyst do?" depends on the organization and how much a business has implemented data-driven decision-making methods. 

Roughly speaking, though, the obligations data analysts in the retail industry must undertake on a daily basis often involve the following: 

Developing and managing data

Create and manage data collection systems and databases, including correcting coding mistakes and other data-related issues with analytics in retail. 

Data mining

Analyse data from primary and secondary sources, followed by data reorganization in a manner that both humans and machines can effectively assess. 

Analyse Data Sets

Data Analysts utilize statistical methods to analyze data sets, focusing on trends and patterns that might be useful for diagnostic and predictive analytics initiatives.

Forecast Reporting

Create reports that convey retail data analytics with trends, patterns, and forecasts utilizing significant data. 

Data Governance

Working with programmers, engineers, and corporate executives to discover process improvement possibilities, suggest system changes, and build data governance policies. 

Generate data reports

Developing suitable documentation enables stakeholders to understand the forecasts and types of data analytics involved in the produced report to target sales.

How do Data Analysts Help the Retail business?

Retail data analytics created and supported by data analysts and Data Analytics Company help retail businesses make better decisions, understand their customers, and eventually improve their bottom line.

To Improve Customer Experiences 

Data analysts collect and use customer feedback to improve the customer experience. They can also help produce data to learn what their consumers say about them online and use that knowledge to improve their products or services. 

To Boost Sales 

Data analysts find trends and patterns that boost sales. Well, think of that as they can produce reports to determine which items are doing well and stock more of those items. 

To Optimise Operational Efficiency 

Data Analysts help to simplify and improve the efficiency of business activities. Retailers, for example, may utilize data to analyze inventory levels and adjust their stock management operations as needed.

To Cut Costs 

Data analysts identify cost-cutting opportunities. You can identify areas where they are overpaying and then modify their budgets appropriately. 

Well, we can even get the most out of data analysts to extract valuable insights from large retail data analytics sets!

Skill Sets for Data Analysts!

Well, before hiring or getting hired, check your skill sets to get the right-fit person on track to handle the business's analytics for retail!

Database Tools

Microsoft Excel and SQL should be staples in the toolset of any data analyst. While Microsoft Excel is commonly used across industries, SQL can handle bigger data volumes and is recognized as a must-have tool for data analysis. 

Programming Languages 

Using a statistical programming language, such as Python or R, can allow you to work with enormous amounts of data and solve complicated equations. While Python and R are two of the most popular, it's a good idea to look at numerous job descriptions for a career you're interested in to see which language will be most beneficial in your field.

Data Representation Skill

Being a good data analyst requires presenting your results clearly and convincingly. Understanding how to communicate information best using charts and graphs can ensure that your work is understood by colleagues, employers, and stakeholders. Among the various programs used to produce graphics are Tableau, Jupyter Notebook, and Excel. 

Statistics And Numeracy Skills

Understanding the ideas underlying what data tools will help you greatly in your work. A thorough understanding of statistics and arithmetic can help you select which techniques to use to solve a specific problem, identify mistakes in your data, and better understand the results.

If that is a lot, don't worry! There are retail data analytics business solutions with professionals you can outsource when you require a data analyst! 

Data Analytics will stay! 

Considering the high return on investment that retail data analytics provides in the retail business, most retailers will continue to use solutions to increase customer loyalty, raise brand perception, and improve promoter scores. 

We cannot deny that retail data analytics helps businesses acquire information about their customers on how to contact them and how to utilize their needs to influence sales. 

One thing is clear as technology continues to dominate the retail industry: Data analytics is here to stay! Get in touch with LatentView and learn to make smart decisions based on retail data to increase revenue growth.

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