How Retailers Can Stay                Agile in 2025

Our Take on Mastercard’s Customer Engagement Report

Retail is evolving fast. According to Mastercard’s CMO’s Guide to Customer Engagement in Retail (2024), customer acquisition, retention, and engagement are now the top priorities for business leaders, but more than half of retail execs say they’re facing major roadblocks doing just that (Mastercard, 2024, p. 3).

With economic uncertainty, rising consumer expectations, and digital behaviours changing weekly, retailers, especially small businesses, need tools that help them stay nimble. That’s where Nexxtap and our latest product, Nexxtap+, come in.

Let’s explore the trends reshaping retail and how we’re helping Aussie businesses keep up.

1. The Need for Agility in Customer Understanding

“75% of retailers are struggling to transform at the rate of consumers’ expectations.” – Mastercard (2024, p. 4)

Understanding customer preferences isn't just about collecting data, it’s about doing something with it. Big retailers are turning to AI, segmentations, and predictive analytics to personalise the customer journey, but what about small businesses?

Nexxtap makes it simple for any business, from local cafés to fitness studios, to see what’s selling, when, and where. You don’t need a team of analysts to spot that smoothies spike on Mondays or your 10am trade’s down 15% from last month. With real-time payment insights, you can make decisions that actually respond to changing behaviour.

2. Personalisation Is the New Expectation

“Only 9% of brands have personalisation baked into their business strategy.” - Mastercard (2024, p. 9)

Let’s be real: customers don’t just want personalised experiences,  they expect them. Whether it’s tailored offers, smart receipts, or just remembering their last order, it’s those little details that build brand loyalty.

Nexxtap+, our advanced checkout experience, empowers small businesses to offer this level of service without needing a complex CRM. It allows:

• Custom digital receipts

• One-click repeat purchases

• Mobile-first checkouts that adapt to your customer’s preferences

Even better? It’s built into your existing device, no dongles, terminals or new hardware required.

3. Loyalty That Goes Beyond Points

“Loyalty leaders are 1.6x more likely to achieve double-digit revenue growth.” -  Mastercard (2024, p. 17)

The Mastercard report highlights the shift from generic points programs to more thoughtful, experience-driven loyalty. We couldn’t agree more.

4. The Power of Testing and Adapting

“84% of retailers say they need to test strategies on a small scale before rolling them out.” – Mastercard (2024, p. 22)

One of the most exciting takeaways from the report is how more businesses are embracing experimentation. Whether you’re trialling new hours, testing a discount, or changing product placement,  the only way to know what works is to try.

Nexxtap’s reporting makes that easy. Run a weekend promo, see the sales uplift instantly, and refine for next time. Test. Learn. Tap. Repeat.

The Future of Checkout Is Simple, Smart and Scalable

In a world where agility is king, we believe your payments solution should do more than process transactions. It should:
✅ Help you know your customers
✅ Offer flexible, frictionless checkouts
✅ Deliver value beyond the tap
✅ Work on the phone already in your pocket

That’s what Nexxtap+ is built for.

So if you're ready to ditch the dongle and run your retail like the big guys (without the overheads), it might be time to give Nexxtap a go.

📲 Want to see Nexxtap+ in action?
Get in touch or start your free trial today. Business moves fast – your payments should too.

References

Mastercard. (2024). The CMO’s Guide to Customer Engagement in Retail. Link