An IBM retail client wants help with gathering data on customer buying habits relative to their top products. Which cloud service can best support this?

The best choice for gathering data on customer buying habits relative to top products is analytics. Analytics services enable organizations to analyze vast amounts of data, identify trends, and generate insights that are critical for understanding consumer behavior. By leveraging analytics, the retail client can collect and process data related to customer purchases, preferences, and patterns over time, providing a comprehensive view of buying habits.

Analytics tools can aggregate data from various sources, such as transaction histories, online interactions, and customer feedback, allowing businesses to make informed decisions. They can also facilitate advanced reporting and visualization, helping the retailer identify which products are performing well and which customer segments might contribute to increased sales.

In contrast, while the Internet of Things can provide valuable data from connected devices, it is primarily focused on real-time data collection rather than deep analysis. Blockchain offers secure transaction records but does not provide direct insights into customer behavior. Artificial intelligence can enhance analytics by providing predictive insights or personalized recommendations, but it is not the primary service designed for data gathering on buying habits. Therefore, analytics stands out as the most effective solution for this particular need.