5 Ways To Work A Wishlist

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5 Ways to Work a Wishlist


Beyond wishlist basics…Every retailer thinks they understand what a wishlist is and what it’s for. While they may know their stuff about its simplest form – a list of things

someone wants to buy, stored online or on an app – in the age of connected retail the wishlist has the power to go a lot deeper and offer a lot more.

It’s a matter of understanding the data which drives the engine – if retailers are really committed to omnichannel and developing a seamless customer experience, they need to think beyond wishlist basics and take a look under

the bonnet. Here are five ways to work a wishlist and fully exploit its potential...


Wishlists represent ‘money on the table’

Use the data from individual customers to tailor in-store sales approaches, marketing initiatives and after-sales care:• Alert them to special deals on wishlist items

when they’re picking up click-and-collect orders or asking advice about sizing, product information etc.

• Send customised information about offers, localised deals and promotions directly related to their list

• Follow up sales with targeted information based on their stated preferences

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2.They create a snapshot of what customers are doing and thinking

Put the wealth of information from potentially thousands of wishlists to use through intelligent analysis:• Identify retail trends and manage production to

match demand• Analyse the differences between what people

wish for and what they actually buy, find out and address why common gaps exist

• Measure promotional activity and its effect on customers’ wishes – price points, marketing, advertising, availability etc.


3.They offer practical insight for operations management

The trends, purchase indicators and actual buying patterns identified from wishlist analysis can be used to refine operations on a granular level - even down to individual stores:• Match stock availability to popular wishlist items,

defined by location• Gear up logistics and warehousing in line with

targeted, localised promotions• Predict seasonal and trend-based purchasing

activity to anticipate customer needs.


4.They are more than just a list of wants

There will undoubtedly be a degree of aspiration behind each list, and retailers can use this information to either confirm or adjust their business strategy to ensure it continues to match customers’ stated needs:• Buyers can take a lot of the guesswork out of

their process and make more accurate, informed and profitable decisions based on actual customer data rather than business assumptions

• It’s the ultimate in clienteling – anticipating not only what customers want but what they aspire to for a better life


5.Take advantage of customers’ love for listing

Retailer-specific online and in-app wishlists offer a rich source of data, but there is also a lot to be gained from taking advantage of our overall love of creating lists of things we’d like to own:• Embrace the idea that your customers will also

use third party wishlists and make it easy for them to add your products

• Monitor customer activity and product presence on these sites, and manage the data along with information generated from within the business

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