[Analysis] Data sharing in retail: everyone wants to, but no one dares to go first

Retailers, manufacturers, and wholesalers know that sharing data pays off. Yet collaboration often gets bogged down in isolated files, negotiation tactics, and mistrust. This is evident from a new research project based on a literature review and interviews with industry experts.

Data sharing remains a one-way street

The key conclusion is stark: the sector does not lack data, but rather trust. Companies recognize the value of collaboration, but they fear that shared information will be used against them. This is evident from a research project by Vlerick Business School and Impaqtr on data collaboration in the consumer goods value chain.

Today, data sharing is primarily one-way: retailers and distributors provide information to manufacturers but receive only limited insight in return. Where collaboration does exist, data often plays a role in commercial negotiations. Only in a few strategic partnerships does data sharing evolve into true joint decision-making.

Lack of standards

The study identifies four barriers: strategic mistrust, GDPR complexity, fear of losing data sovereignty, and internal fragmentation. The latter, in particular, is time-consuming: companies sometimes need up to a week to make received information usable in their own systems.

The mutual frustration comes across clearly in the interviews, for example: “We share data, but we never hear what they’ve actually done with it.” One manufacturer points to the lack of standardization: “Every retailer shares data in its own way… you have to reformat it manually.”

Yet there is a clear business case: strategic collaboration can lead to 5% revenue growth, less waste, and better service level guarantees for distributors. Market research, in particular, is the most in-demand dataset worldwide, followed by global trends and category performance.

After all, medium-sized retailers and manufacturers in particular want to move forward but are waiting for a secure environment. As long as data remains a bargaining chip, collaboration stalls. Once parties treat data as a shared driver of growth, they can more quickly focus on category performance, inventory, campaigns, and waste.

Could data sharing be something for you too? And how do you go about it safely? Impaqtr will be exploring this in more detail during the Gamechangers pre-event at RetailDetail Night on 19 November 2026.