Across B2B, retail and enterprise services, new research from KPMG, Deloitte, and PwC points to customer experience becoming a core operating discipline tied directly to growth, loyalty and performance.
In B2B environments, KPMG’s latest research frames CX as being at “an inflection point,” driven by “accelerating digitization, rising customer expectations and the rapid evolution of AI.” Traditional advantages are losing their power, the report notes:
“Product depth, contracts and even trusted relationships are no longer enough on their own.”
Despite heavy investment in digital tools, many organizations are still struggling to turn experience into measurable impact. KPMG’s research finds CX remains “fragmented, operationally siloed and difficult to scale,” with disconnected data and reactive journeys that fail to deliver business outcomes.
Leading organizations are taking a different path. KPMG describes a shift toward connecting “Total Experience—customer, employee and partner interactions—with Total Performance—orchestrating operations, data and AI around shared outcomes.” The payoff is “Total Value: stronger retention, higher lifetime value and sustained growth.”
As Walt Becker, Global Customer CoE Lead at KPMG International, put it:
“In the very near future, value will no longer be derived from experiences delivered by a single function—or even a single company—but from highly proactive, personalized experiences delivered by an ecosystem focused on shared customer outcomes.”
That ecosystem mindset is clear in the data. KPMG reports that 66 percent of B2B CX leaders cite “data access, quality and management” as their biggest obstacle. At the same time, 58 percent say they already have “significant or extensive use of autonomous systems,” with another 61 percent actively implementing agentic AI.
AI adoption is moving quickly, but governance, integration and coordination are lagging behind.
Rather than optimizing isolated touchpoints, B2B leaders are increasingly focused on outcomes. KPMG finds experience success is now measured through “customer lifetime value, retention, adoption and profitability—not satisfaction alone,” reflecting buying journeys that involve multiple stakeholders and require coordinated engagement across functions.
Retail Shifts Toward Personalization and Customer Trust
Deloitte’s research similarly describes a turning point in the retail sector.
“Changing consumer expectations, market uncertainty, and rapid technological advances are reshaping what it means to deliver exceptional customer experience. For luxury and premium retailers in particular, product quality alone is no longer the primary differentiator.”
Deloitte’s ConsumerSignals research highlights how fast expectations are shifting. “69 percent of global consumers want enhanced ultra-fast streaming capabilities on their smartphones,” while more than 60 percent expect digital tools that support in-store experiences such as “instant item location, stock visibility, and real-time assistance.”
GenAI is rapidly becoming central to meeting those expectations. Deloitte reports that “98 percent of retailers plan to invest in GenAI infrastructure within 18 months,” even if most are taking a cautious approach on spend.
Early adopters are already seeing results. At European footwear retailer Bata, “GenAI-powered customer segmentation has delivered a 50 percent increase in conversion rates.” Meanwhile, Dubai-based Majid Al Futtaim’s Lifestyle division has achieved “a 25 percent reduction in inventory alongside a 12 percent increase in revenue” using advanced forecasting and AI-driven personalization.
Yet Deloitte’s research also highlights a growing tension.