On Mon, 19 Jul 2004 16:23:09 GMT, "Vox Humana" >
countered after I > wrote in message
:
> > > Ohio grocer "segments" shoppers with personalized
> > > prices
> > > Shopper card data being put to discriminatory uses,
> > > [..] Dorothy Lane Market, an upscale grocery chain
> > > in Ohio, has implemented Customer Specific Pricing
> > > (CSP), a practice where different prices are charged
> > > to each group of customers. Now the majority of all
> > > discounts available in the store only go to the identified
> > > top 30% of Dorothy Lane shoppers.
> > >
> > > After starting their card program, Dorothy Lane eliminated
> > > newspaper advertising and switched to an "in-store
> > > ad-sheet".
> > [snip remaining paranoia]
> >
> > Ah. I understand. Customer loyalty -- beyond price -- is an
> > E-V-I-L concept and implementing a rewards system for
> > those customers that do more than shop the sales is wrong.
> > Got it.
> >
> > As has been said oft enough but ingored before the sentence
> > is finished, if you don't like the store and it's cards, don't shop
> > there. There _are_ alternatives in every major city across the
> > world. Many of these same alternatives offer cheaper prices
> > and a more-specific set of merchandize to their clientele than
> > any of the larger chains.
> >
> > Fer example: I do little shopping at Safeway anymore because
> > of three basic reasons. 1) The Safeway customer card (for
> > me-and-mine) doesn't work -- even on a limited basis nowadays;
> > I don't find the items offered any cheaper than I can get them
> > in bulk at several other retailers. 2) Corporate goes in [too
> > often] and changes the merchandize on the aisles. I am a
> > creature of habit; do not muck with my Habitrail. 3) I have
> > six (that I'm aware) other stores (only one with a card system)
> > that offer superior pricing on almost everything I was buying
> > at Safeway. It was minor to adjust my weekly route accordingly
> > and exclude Safeway. The 4th reason was a bonus; I started
> > shopping the neighborhood ethnic groceries (an Indian, a
> > Pakistani, two Mexican, one <I think> Portuguese).
> >
> > Paranoia has its place but not with this particular marketing
> > "secret."
>
> The problem with your approach is that it is destined for extinction.
> You will ultimately not be able to find a store without a loyalty card.
> Once stores start to segment their customer bases and assign
> pricing based on the customer's worth to the store, you will have
> to either pay far more for an item because you don't have a card
> or you flit from one store to another, or you will buy all your items
> from one store. Once they have you, you will ultimately pay more
> because there will be no incentive for you to switch to another
> merchant. I don't see this as being paranoid. It is just reality.
> It is being done already. In addition, that database will likely be
> used both to increase profit because they will sell the list, and
> it will also be likely to be used against you by the government
> or in civil litigation. The only party that benefits from the card
> is the store.
>
Nonsense and poppycock; "destined to extinction." The databases were
there prior to card systems they'll be there long after the next
data-mining trick surfaces. The only differences between when my
Sainted Mother(tm) shopped and my shopping nowadays is the subtlety
that is employed at utilizing that data.

As far as pinning what I purchase to potential litigation... Your
house of cards is built on supposition and prognostication, nothing
more. That is as far from "reality" as you can get.

The Ranger