How supermarkets get your data – and what they do with it

This article describes how supermarkets monitor customer’s club cards to advertise to its customers through analytics.  Even though the article is British, we can all relate to how the supermarkets we shop at use our buying history to advertise to us.  I believe that there is a positive and a negative side to providing large corporations with our buying habits.  Yes we may be getting coupons in the mail to save money, but where will the line be drawn to protect our privacy.

Questions to comment on…

#1.)  Should supermarket chains have the right to browse your debit card if you did not know you were opted in to the Visa or MasterCard “perform data analyses”?

#2.)  Would you be offended if a supermarket assumed you were unhealthy and suggested healthier products or recipes because of your shopping history?

#3.)  Is it ethical for supermarkets to monitor your spending outside of their stores to gain aggregated data to decide on new store locations?

http://www.theguardian.com/money/2013/jun/08/supermarkets-get-your-data