Retailers are watching me. You too!
With smartphones, online shopping and lots of data, more and more companies are watching everything that you do to learn how to better sell you goods and services. Retailers are using a variety of different tactics such as customer loyalty programs, facial recognition devices and cell phone signal trackers. Then they use the collected data to determine where to place products in the store and how and where to advertise.
Picking up your cell phone signal – Some U.S. malls rolled out technology that tracked consumers' cell phone signals in stores to track their paths through the mall. This technology is already popular in Europe and Australia.
Facial recognition – Retailers are using facial recognition technology to find out more about their core customer. It's used to find out demographic information.
Loyalty programs – Many businesses use loyalty cards to track purchases and shopping habits. The retailer uses this information to target promotions exactly to the shopper.
Location Apps – Target and Walgreens have apps that lead customers around the store to the items they're looking for. But while you have access to location information about the store, the retailer has the power to see what you're looking for and where you go.
Abandoned carts? Products that you pick up and then put down? How you walk the store? All of this information is being used to make your shopping experience even more pleasurable – or so they say!
Previous postHey, Where's my Salad?