Consumer firms in China tout data analysis, digital strategies as ways forward

Chinese consumer companies are pointing to data analytics and digital strategy as key tools for their business development, a study of global executives shows.

About 48 percent of the Chinese companies surveyed highlighted data analytics capabilities, while 42 percent noted that digital strategies will be critically important to their businesses in the next year, accounting and consultancy service firm KPMG said in a report.

The survey included 469 executives from food, drink and consumer goods industries worldwide with headquarters in 32 countries. Regulatory and tax compliance topped the list with 53 percent of respondents saying it's their top priority in 2014. Last year, top priorities include R&D and innovation, economy and consumer demand and supply chain management.

"The rapid proliferation of social and digital media has pushed the retail industry to become more open to serve customers anytime, anywhere, and in the way they choose to shop," said Nick Debnam, Asia Pacific chairman of KPMG's consumer markets. "Home-grown social media platforms and mobile devices are fundamentally shaping how businesses operate online."

The volume of customer data through transactions and social media has enabled companies to understand and predict customer preferences, but at the same time, challenges include maintaining customer trust over cyber attacks and privacy breaches, the study shows.