International Journal of Contemporary Research in Multidisciplinary

In today’s rapidly evolving and highly competitive retail environment, businesses must move beyond traditional marketing practices and adopt a more consumer-centric approach to gain sustainable competitive advantage. This research paper, grounded in a conceptual model, explores the strategic role of consumer-centric marketing management in enhancing competitiveness in the retail sector. The proposed model integrates key constructs such as personalized marketing, customer engagement, value co-creation, data-driven decision-making, and long-term relationship management, all of which collectively shape a retail firm’s ability to differentiate and thrive in a dynamic marketplace. The study conceptualizes consumer-centric marketing not merely as a tactical function, but as a strategic orientation that aligns marketing activities with customer needs, preferences, and behavioral insights. By emphasizing the importance of understanding consumer psychology and leveraging real-time data analytics, the model outlines how retailers can deliver more personalized experiences and foster deeper brand loyalty. Furthermore, the paper investigates how emotional connection, trust, and satisfaction serve as mediating variables in the relationship between consumer-centric strategies and competitive performance outcomes. The framework also discusses the role of digital transformation and omnichannel retailing in enabling consumer-centricity, suggesting that technology adoption enhances responsiveness and improves the overall customer journey. This conceptual paper contributes to the literature by offering a holistic view of marketing management that prioritizes consumer empowerment as a core strategic capability. It provides practical insights for retail managers to redesign their marketing strategies around the consumer experience.