It’s one thing to deliver a delightful customer experience to someone looking for the right parka, shoes, or handbag. It’s quite another to help a distraught shopper who has broken a few heirloom teacups to find authentic replacements.

Enter Replacements Ltd., which offers software and services to help customers identify, restore, or repair damaged pieces of history. Since its founding in 1981, the Greensboro, North Carolina-based retailer has preserved and archived more than 450,000 patterns; these represent about 11 million pieces of china, crystal, silverware, and other collectibles.

“We want our customers to continue their traditions, to gather with their family and friends, to give that gift to their family member, to help them start their own collection,” Replacements Chief Marketing Officer Lihn Calhoun told SAP for a new video at NRF 2023. “So we want to find the customers, understand what they’re looking for, and match that together.”

Data and analytics are vital in Replacements’ efforts to connect customers with the right piece, according to Calhoun. This includes how Replacements stores and archives each item; how the company presents products and services to the customer; and how – and how often – to send personalized, meaningful communications.