As a journalist for interior design magazine ELLE Décoration, Delia Lachance, founder of Westwing, discovered a gaping hole between the pages of interior design magazines: fashion was already everywhere online, but furniture and home accessories for design lovers were hardly to be found.
This gut feeling led to the creation of Westwing in 2011 – now one of Europe's leading online shops for designer furniture and home accessories.
This founding moment shows that many decisions in e-commerce begin with experience – with a feel for product ranges, target groups and trends. But in digital commerce, intuition alone is no longer enough.
Today, Westwing generates around 80 per cent of its orders from returning customers. How is this possible?
This high repeat rate is no coincidence, but the result of targeted data and customer analysis: through extensive behavioural and purchase data, the company recognises which products appeal to customers – and which do not.
Studies confirm what this example illustrates: according to McKinsey & Company, companies that operate in a data-driven manner are 23 times more likely to win new customers and six times more likely to retain existing ones.
Nevertheless, many retailers continue to rely heavily on their gut feeling – an approach that only works as long as experience and data work together.
However, if decisions are made out of routine, this can quickly become a risk.
So: When should data guide your decisions when working with Shopware 6 – and when should intuition? An overview.
More sales with Shopware 6: When gut feeling is right and important
Gut feeling is not the enemy of data – it is a compass when data is lacking. Experience helps when you are starting out in new markets, testing completely new products or need to react quickly even though no figures are available yet.
Intuition is particularly valuable when it is based on years of industry knowledge – for example, when you recognise market behaviour that is not (yet) reflected in data.
But what used to be a strength can now become a cost trap. Markets are changing faster, algorithms evaluate differently, and purchasing decisions are now based on digital touchpoints that hardly anyone can keep track of.
Shopware 6: When it's time to let data speak for itself
Our experience shows that data is the better basis for decision-making – especially in day-to-day business!
Whether it's warehouse planning, pricing strategy or campaign budget: only those who understand their key figures can manage efficiently.
- In the warehouse: Data analyses reveal which products generate sales – and which tie up unnecessary capital.
- In marketing: The combination of conversion rate, customer lifetime value and ROAS shows which channels really work.
- In day-to-day business: Linking sales data with payment and return rates allows you to identify early on where margins are eroding.
Incorrect or missing data analyses lead to decisions that, according to industry analyses, cost millions every year – an invisible but real loss factor.
Key figures such as conversion rate, customer lifetime value (CLV) and return on ad spend (ROAS) should form the backbone of data-driven management.
How Shopware 6 and INTELLIFANT help to secure decisions
With its API-first architecture, Shopware 6 offers the ideal basis for data-driven work. But data alone is not the solution – it must be interpreted.
This is where INTELLIFANT comes in: the AI-supported monitoring solution detects anomalies in order data (e.g. pricing errors, payment defaults, conversion deviations) and sends a notification in real time before revenue is lost.
This creates an early warning system for operational risks – and a bridge between experience and data intelligence.
Conclusion: gut feeling vs. data – what counts when?
Nothing can replace experience. But it needs data to be effective. Gut feeling remains your compass – data is your radar. Together, they get you safely to your destination.
And with solutions like INTELLIFANT, experience can be backed up by data – so that gut feeling doesn't become a cost trap, but a competitive advantage.
#ecommerce #earlywarning system #data #businessintelligence #anomaly detection
