Genuine help and advice required please

8 replies
Putting together a potential project , have some people on board and possible funding etc, but I need to know if the following is genuinely possible both technically and legally, especially in the UK so I get that you might not all know that, but from a feasibility angle, is it something that could be done.

When consumers go into retail outlets, and they scan products for more info etc, is there a way the retailer can have any access to that persons purchasing habits to be able to make strategic decisions on pricing for each individual customer (where relevant) , ie to show they purchase similar products, how many, how often, the price points etc and their geo demos and who they may hold influence over via various on and offlline channels .
I cant say too much on this public space but if people are able to assist I am happy to share more in private ,
many thanks
#advice #genuine #required
  • Profile picture of the author phil.wheatley
    Hi Mike

    I'm sure technically there would be a way of doing it. However, it does sound like something that is collecting data without the buyer knowing about it? Could there be a similar issue as with cookies? It almost sounds like spying. I'm not sure if I fully understand what you mean as I realise you can't give too much away.

    Cheers
    Phil
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  • Profile picture of the author mjbmedia
    yeh I been speaking to people in the know about it and there are those sort of issues, but people are now openly sharing so much more than before, theres an option to have it where they can choose to share many of the details Id need in return for the benefits theyd receive , an very effective APP/ AR and other technology could do that and clearly the people that would choose to jump onboard are the major target market ie the innovators that would help develop and drive the whole thing forwards, much like the Apple in crowd
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    Mike

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    • Profile picture of the author jimbo13
      They wouldn't be able to have access to your private info as the Analytic companies are barred from passing this on. (In the UK)

      Stores already track customers through their smartphones and the video surveillance to see how best to lay out stores, where to put more or less staff, who are repeat customers, what do they do when they pick an item up -continue purchase or abandon, that sort of thing.

      ie They have the ability to do in store what they can do already on line.

      Euclid Analytics is one such company who provides this service.

      Not sure what you mean by price being shown individually as that would imply price would not be displayed and this would be the kiss of death to the high street.

      Only high end would do that which is different.

      By the way, TESCO use facial recognition software.

      Dan
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  • Profile picture of the author mjbmedia
    Hi Dan chees for the reply. price wise I mean there would and always should be an RRP price , but lets say the retailer has it priced at £2000 , the consumer only wants to pay £1400, the retailer will still make a profit at around the £1400 mark so the retailer has a choice to make , sell it at a lower price with negotiations and win the new client with some strategic reasoning ie knowing they have purchased this sort of product before and multiple times, and they hold influence over others who are also in the retailers/ products target market (a potential good sale looking at the long term view) Versus knowing the consumer has never purchased this sort of product before (tho that doesn't mean they wont develop into a high LTV client) , seeing they don't multiple purchase eg theyre not good up/cross sell potential and they don't hold influence over other target markets (a potential poor sale and a less effective use of profit reduction ) .
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    Mike

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    • Profile picture of the author jimbo13
      Mike

      I see the logic.

      So lets say the info was made available, I'm just thinking the flaws through now.

      I come into a Jewellers and look at something.

      The retailer would have to have the info instantaneously as he would approach me within 1 minute anyway and engage.

      It seems over complicated to me if there was more than one browser in the store.

      There was a big article in The Times or Telegraph about this a few months ago which is why I recollect the technology.

      I can't find it though online to link.

      I have found this that mentions the company I named plus a few others. One of whom is based in London. Not exactly a Trade view, more of a US legal persons thoughts.

      http://verdict.justia.com/2013/07/16...r-surveillance

      If I was you I would make contact with them and ask what is possible now, what is possibly going to be feasible in the next year, 5 years that sort of thing.

      These companies will have 5 year strategic plans and obviously be up to date with the industry which obviously I am not.

      Good Luck

      Dan

      PS: I like the way you are thinking anyway.
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  • Profile picture of the author mjbmedia
    I haven't told you the whole strategy so its not overly complicated as it wouldn't be applicable to all shop browsers until they take a certain action , and then it would trigger something to the retailer , etc etc, also this is only a small part of the overall project, not necessarily a vital cog, but a nice one to have available if possible.

    Thanks for the links, I will follow up on them .
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    Mike

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  • Profile picture of the author bizgrower
    It does get uncomfortable to discuss different pricing when there is more than one
    customer present. We run into that in my hotel lobby when there is someone
    who already purchased through, say hotels.com, and a walk in trying to negotiate the lowest price.

    Amazon had issues with differential pricing:

    Amazon.com controversies - Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia

    Differential pricing[edit]

    In September 2000, price discrimination potentially violating the Robinson–Patman Act was found on amazon.com. Amazon offered to sell a buyer a DVD for one price, but after the buyer deleted cookies that identified him as a regular Amazon customer, he was offered the same DVD for a substantially lower price.[23] Jeffrey P. Bezos subsequently apologized for the differential pricing and vowed that Amazon "never will test prices based on customer demographics". The company said the difference was the result of a random price test and offered to refund customers who paid the higher prices.[24] Amazon had also experimented with random price tests in 2000 as customers comparing prices on a "bargain-hunter" Web site discovered that Amazon was randomly offering the Diamond Rio MP3 player for substantially less than its regular price.[25]

    Collection of sales tax[edit]
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