New Revenue Through Data Collaboration
- Tom Fuyala
- Jul 9
- 4 min read
Updated: Sep 8
New Revenue Through Data Collaboration – A Retailer’s Guide to Monetizing Customer Insights with Suppliers
In the fiercely competitive world of modern retail, customer data has emerged as a goldmine—yet most retailers have only scratched the surface of its true value. Our white paper ‘New Revenue Through Data Collaboration’ is an essential guide for retail executives seeking to unlock high-margin revenue streams by commercializing customer insights with their suppliers. This preview offers a glimpse into the white paper’s key themes and practical frameworks, designed to spark your curiosity and equip you for the next phase of data-driven retail growth.
Why Monetize Customer Data?
Retailers are sitting on a treasure trove of information generated by loyalty programs, point-of-sale systems, and digital interactions. Traditionally, this data has been used internally to optimize operations and marketing. But a new frontier has emerged: sharing customer-level insights with suppliers, who are eager to understand not just what is being sold, but who is buying, why and how their products fit into broader shopping missions.
By commercializing these insights, leading retailers are generating tens of millions in high-margin, recurring revenue, while also deepening supplier relationships and enhancing category performance.
Who Should Read This White Paper?
This guide is crafted for retail decision-makers and stakeholders including CEOs, Chief Data Officers, Chief Marketing Officers, Commercial Directors, and Heads of Analytics. If your organization is exploring new ways to leverage its customer data asset, or if you’re considering launching a data commercialization program, this white paper provides the strategic and operational blueprint you need.
The Evolution of Retail Data Monetization
The white paper traces the evolution from simple data sharing, like scanned data or shelf fees, to sophisticated, customer-centric insight sharing. Today’s most valuable data asset is the 360-degree customer view created by loyalty programs, which enables retailers and suppliers to answer questions that were previously out of reach:
Who is buying my brand, and how often?
What else do they purchase?
How loyal are they, and what motivates their choices?
Who buys only on promotion, and who pays full price?
Which customers should we target for new product launches?
These insights are far richer than traditional sales data, providing actionable intelligence for both retailers and suppliers.
Three Models for Data Commercialization
The white paper outlines three main operating models:
In-house on Homegrown Systems: Retailer builds and manages its platform, often resource-intensive and rarely best-in-class.
Fully Outsourced: An external partner runs the program, usually taking a significant share of the revenue.
In-house via SaaS Platform: The emerging best practice, where the retailer owns the program but leverages a specialist SaaS platform (like 11Ants) for rapid deployment, robust security, and scalable supplier engagement.
The paper focuses on the third scenario, highlighting how SaaS solutions empower retailers to commercialize insights quickly and cost-effectively, while retaining control and maximizing margin.
What’s in It for Customers and Suppliers?
This isn’t just about selling data. When executed well, data collaboration programs deliver a win-win-win:
For Retailers: New, high-margin revenue streams, improved category growth, more efficient promotions, and faster innovation cycles.
For Suppliers: Unprecedented access to customer insights, enabling smarter investment, targeted marketing, and collaborative planning.
For Customers: More relevant offers, better product assortments, and improved shopping experiences—because both retailer and supplier are aligned around their needs.
Success Factors and Practical Steps
The white paper provides a detailed playbook for launching a data commercialization program, including:
Internal Alignment: Establish governance and working groups, build a robust business case, and ensure top-down advocacy from senior leadership.
Defining the Proposition: Decide what data and insights to share, how to tier access, and how to price offerings for different supplier segments.
Managing Risk and Objections: Address concerns around data security, competitive risk, and internal resistance with clear guidelines and transparent governance.
Supplier Engagement: Develop a compelling value proposition for suppliers, support them with training, and create feedback loops to refine the program.
Measuring Success: Set clear KPIs for revenue, supplier engagement, and category growth, and track performance with supplier scorecards and regular reviews.
Beyond Data: True Collaboration
The most successful programs go beyond selling reports or data dumps. They foster deep collaboration between retailer and supplier, including:
Joint business planning and category reviews
Collaborative promotional planning
Shared frameworks for measuring impact and ROI
Co-innovation on new product launches and customer targeting
Platforms like 11Ants make it possible to deliver these capabilities at scale, with granular control over what each supplier can access and powerful self-service analytics for all parties.
Ready to Unlock New Revenue?
New Revenue Through Data Collaboration is more than a white paper, it’s your practical guide for retail leaders ready to turn customer insights into a strategic advantage and a new profit center. The full document dives deeper into:
The mechanics of pricing and tiering supplier access
Real-world examples of successful data commercialization
Pitfalls to avoid and lessons from early adopters
A comprehensive checklist to assess your organization’s readiness
If you’re ready to move beyond traditional supplier relationships and unlock the full value of your customer data, this white paper is your essential starting point. Discover how to build a data collaboration program that drives sustainable revenue, sharper supplier partnerships, and a better experience for your customers.
Intrigued? The full white paper reveals the detailed frameworks, practical tools, and proven strategies you need to succeed in the new era of data-driven retail. Don’t miss out, read the complete guide to learn more.
