Award-winning research unpacks customer retention trends in retail sector

Dr Kh’ng Xin Yi, an academic from the Faculty of Information and Communication Technology (FICT), and her research team were honoured with the Best Paper Award at the 7th International Conference on Smart Computing and Informatics (SCI-2025). Held from 8 to 9 April 2025, the conference was hosted by Sunway University and conducted in a hybrid format, allowing participation both on-site and online.

The team’s winning paper, titled Unpacking Retail Customer Retention through Cohort Analysis and Demographic Segmentation, was co-authored by Dr Kh’ng and Ts Dr Beh Woan Lin from the Faculty of Science (FSc), in collaboration with Dr Alex Ooi Boon Yaik and Dr William Yeoh Ging Sun from other institutions.

The research addressed the challenges of understanding customer retention in the retail sector by leveraging cohort analysis and demographic segmentation. It aimed to enhance retail competitiveness by uncovering how different customer segments exhibit varying retention behaviours over time, thereby informing the development of more effective retention strategies.

Dr Kh’ng explained, “We combined cohort analysis with demographic segmentation to examine retention rates among diverse customer groups. This approach enabled us to efficiently detect and analyse retention trends that reveal significant differences across segments. For example, we found that female customers exhibit higher loyalty than male customers across various cohorts, while Baby Boomers and Gen X demonstrate distinct engagement levels. These insights suggest that tailored retention strategies are necessary to address the unique behaviours of different demographic segments. The study’s managerial implications are substantial, providing actionable insights for business stakeholders to optimise marketing efforts and enhance customer relationships.”

When asked what motivated the team to join the conference, Dr Kh’ng said, “We were motivated to participate because the SCI-2025 conference theme aligned with our research focus. Our study explored how cohort analysis and demographic segmentation can address real-world challenges in retail customer retention. The conference’s emphasis on practical, AI-driven solutions in society and industry provided a valuable platform to share our insights and connect with researchers working on similar issues in smart computing and business analytics.”

She shared, “We are truly honoured and grateful to receive this award. It was a pleasant surprise. The award affirms the potential of our analytical approach and highlights the importance of data-driven strategies in solving business challenges. It also reflects the collaborative effort of our team and encourages us to continue exploring this line of research.”

Dr Kh’ng added, “This recognition affirms the relevance of our work in the evolving field of smart retail analytics. It motivates us to expand our research, potentially incorporating predictive modelling or applying our methods across different sectors. Most importantly, it encourages us to continue developing practical, data-informed solutions that support better decision-making in industry.”

Bearing the theme Towards Achieving Sustainable Development Goals: Harnessing the Power of AI, the 7th International Conference on Smart Computing and Informatics (SCI-2025) aimed to provide a unified platform for cutting-edge, multidisciplinary research in the fields of smart computing and informatics.