Unlocking customer insights: How driving data is transforming retail engagement
With the shifting sands of the economy, retail consumers prioritize value more and more. In fact, a 2024 SAP report revealed that “overall loyalty is down 13% and 10% [from 2022] in 2023 and 2024, respectively.” That’s why understanding customer behavior, particularly through data, is more critical than ever.
Location data is one such source of consumer behavior information. Traditional location data offers a snapshot of where consumers are. However, mobility data, specifically driving behavior data, reveals the full journey of how and when they move. Understanding their real-world movement patterns can unlock powerful opportunities for retailers to connect with retail customers in a way that’s more relevant, timely, and effective.
Location data is good. Mobility data is better
First, let’s explore location data versus mobility data. Not all data is created equal, especially when it comes to understanding how people move through the world.
Location data provides a static snapshot. It can tell you who visited your store and when. That’s useful, but it’s only part of the picture.
Mobility data, on the other hand, offers a dynamic, contextual view of consumer behavior. It reveals:
- Where people were before they arrived at your store
- Where they went afterward
- Whether they merely passed by without stopping at all
This richer real-world context helps retailers answer critical questions like:
- Are our customers passing us by?
- Are shoppers visiting competitors before or after us?
- Are our stores conveniently located along common driving routes?
Arity, a mobility data analytics company, is an expert in the way people move. A provider of data-driven solutions, we have collected over two trillion miles of driving data since inception. We analyze over two billion miles daily from tens of millions of drivers. With these data and insights, Arity enables retailers to see the full journey – not just the destination. This means you can understand not just who your customers are, but where they tend to travel. These insights can help unlock smarter strategies for engagement, personalization, and growth.
Retail use cases
1. Understand traffic trends and store performance
- The challenge: A store experiences flat or declining sales, even as local traffic increases.
- The solution: Arity mobility data can reveal whether drivers are passing by without stopping. This insight can help retailers diagnose issues like unfavorable location or insufficient advertising, allowing retailers to take targeted action.
2. Turn one-time customers into loyal customers
- The challenge: Retailers struggle to measure the impact of loyalty programs or promotions.
- The solution: Arity’s data indicates visit frequency and patterns, distinguishing regulars from one-time visitors. This allows retailers to personalize offers, refine loyalty strategies, and retain high-value retail customers.
3. Better understand your customers
- The challenge: As customer loyalty wanes, retailers need new ways to understand evolving lifestyles and preferences.
- The solution: By analyzing near real-time and historical driving patterns, retailers can uncover the journeys retail customers take and anticipate where they tend to head next. This contextual intelligence better informs brands about real-life customer journeys, helping retailers gain unparalleled consumer insights.
Personalization without privacy risks
We can’t talk about this functionality and ignore privacy concerns. Retail consumers expect these kinds of seamless personalization, but not at the expense of privacy. Arity segments users by behavioral patterns (such as commute habits), not by individual user. This approach enables privacy-safe personalization, delivering relevant experiences without compromising trust. For more information on our privacy practices, visit our Privacy Center.
Putting insights to work with targeted digital advertising
With driving data, retailers are able to take a more targeted approach to their local advertising. Effective advertising is a blend of creative, timing, strategy, and data; Arity can provide retailers with the data but as well as activate your insight-based advertising through targeted mobile campaigns. This means that you can reach consumers before they even start the car, when they’re most receptive to messaging.
This timing may help brands achieve higher engagement and better ROI. According to a 2025 HubSpot report, “30.55% of marketers said data helps determine their most effective marketing strategies, 29.59% said it improves ROI, and 27.36% said it helps reach their target audience more effectively.
Ready to better understand and connect with your customers?