My cousin the data scientist said the quiet part out loud about grocery apps

We were at a diner in Columbus last Saturday and he told me the "personalized" coupons in my store app are just a way to test how much I will pay for cereal before they raise the price. He showed me on his phone how the same box of Cheerios showed two different prices based on my zip code vs his. Anyone else feel like their shopping data is being used against them in real time?

3 comments

3 Comments

joel_clark3719d ago

Wait you're actually mad about this? Here's the thing, that personalized pricing is basically the whole point of having a loyalty card in the first place. Grocery stores are businesses not charities, they exist to make money just like your cousin's job exists to make money. If you don't want them tracking your shopping habits then pay with cash and don't clip coupons. Most people love getting a cheaper price on their favorite cereal even if it means someone else pays more, that's just how supply and demand works. And honestly who cares if a box of Cheerios is 50 cents more for some guy in another zip code, that's not hurting anyone's wallet. Why does everyone freak out when companies use the same data tools that help them stay open during inflation?

bennett.evan19d ago

@joel_clark37 pretty much nailed it - loyalty cards are just a fancy name for a data deal.

hannah40019d ago

That whole "just use cash then" argument is the same thing people say about everything now - like when they tell you to just delete the app if you don't like being tracked, instead of actually questioning why every single thing we do has to be monitored.