Wal-Mart to use infrared to track shoppers / promotions

As if its insanely coordinated logistics system, biometric payment system, and (potential) RFID shelving weren't eerie enough, America's largest retailer is taking consumer voyeurism one step further with the use of infrared technology. In an apparent attempt to avoid the taboo "RFID" flavor of intrusion, Wal-Mart is hoping to sneak an IR system into its stores to gauge the effectiveness (and elicit more advertising dollars, of course) of its various promotions. Dubbed Prism, the arguably dodgy system was crafted by Coca-Cola, Kelloggs, Kroger, Procter & Gamble, Walgreens, and Disney in order to "track shoppers' movements around the store" and correlate them with actual sales in order to judge display effectiveness. The consortium of firms has coaxed the corporate giant to install a trial system in ten of its SuperCenters, with a much broader rollout expected to follow soon; so when making that mad dash to the Tickle Me Elmo eXtreme (or bathroom supplies) section, just remember that Big Brother could be keenly watching.

[Via TechDirt]

[Me @ Oct 4th 2006 12:06AM]

WTF!!! It really happening, isn't it. They've really gone and done it. Here come the anticrist. Soon they will all be chipping us requiring that for payment like a credit card. :P I hope not anyways, because that would suk.

[Javaflash @ Oct 4th 2006 12:15AM]

Who needs Patriot Act when you got Corporate America? I love this country. Long live, the free market capitalism.

[Deluxe @ Oct 4th 2006 12:18AM]

How about this for an idea - if you don't like it - dont't go there. This also works as a blanket theory. If you dont like blu-ray/dh-dvd, don't buy it. If you dont want DRMed music, don't pay for it.

Try it for yourself, you'd be surprised how well it works!

[Eric @ Oct 4th 2006 8:32AM]

Amen brother! People just like to complain just for the sake of complaining. Oooh Big Brother is watching you...again, you don't like it, why don't you leave the country then.

[Big Daddy Bane @ Oct 14th 2007 2:02PM]

ok i totally agree to a certain extent...there is a line that has to be drawn somewhere if not one day we will be agreeing to having cameras installed in our homes...you know just for "safety"...I think we have to be realistic but also have sometime of boundaries...not just if you don't like it leave...

[Sheynk @ Oct 4th 2006 12:23AM]

good stuff

its really cool to see corporations innovate on the operations side of things

[Zach @ Oct 4th 2006 12:23AM]

so what it does it keep track of the stuff it sells and compares it with the stuff it adverts?

...Oh no don't let WalMart get me now :rolleyes:

[Scabies @ Oct 4th 2006 12:34AM]

why not RFID?

If everyone had an RFID chip in their skull or wallet or whatever, and each product had an RFID chip in it, then you wouldnt need any cashiers. Walk in, grab your Tickle Me Elmo XXX, and walk out, and the store registers that you're holding a TMEXXX and bills you for it.

now, the day that system glitches, well thats another story.

[tekdemon @ Oct 4th 2006 1:59AM]

You know, we all like to paint Walmart as some evil big brother corporation, but the truth is that most online retailers already see all this info-what pages you were looking at, what you've bought, how often you buy, etc.

Go log into your Amazon.com account and see all the nice things they recommend based on what you've looked at or purchased...it's the same thing if not even more detailed than Walmart's new system (which would only appear to track you during one trip and not match you trip to trip).

And the truth is that if they're not using it for some nefarious purpose, well, good for them. Although to be honest the only store whose recommendation system actually impressed me was Macy's (after looking at a couple items it suggested both a watch and cologne that I already own...and purchased at Macy's B&Ms before!).

[geekb @ Oct 4th 2006 2:03AM]

I'm not sure I get the privacy fears in this one. This is basically an electronic version of having someone in the store keeping an eye on which displays get the most customer attention, right? I'm not a fan of ultra-mega-marts, but I'd rather this than have it be like of an electronics chain with employees running up to sell me over-priced accessories for my Coke. "Do you already have some glasses? How about a new fridge to keep it cold?"

[patrick @ Oct 4th 2006 2:24AM]

Oh well this doesn't matter to me as I haven't been to a spral-mart in about three or four years. The last time I went the aisles too cluttered and there was more white trash than a Britney Spears family reunion. Oh well if it makes them more money then more power to them.

[MikeMulligan @ Oct 4th 2006 3:56AM]

Please everybody calm down. This is NOT tracking YOU SPECIFICALLY. This is just gathering aggregate data about where the "hotspots" in a store are, what the traffic flow is like in a store, whether a particular display is attracting the kind of attention they hoped.

I've seen this kind of thing in action. Essentially you get one of those neato-looking temperature-blob kind of pictures overlayed on the store map, and it shows where the most popular areas are. This kind of stuff is good for the store, and good for the consumer as it helps put what you're looking for in the right places. It even helps them balance their checkout counters knowing when they might get overloaded and need more staff.

I'm not a big fan of Walmart, but this really isn't BigBrother style stuff. There is no individual-level tracking.

[AndyM @ Oct 4th 2006 4:19AM]

I gues this is something similar to the system that Tescos in the UK use, and have credited with increasing sales. See the below link from The Times
http://business.timesonline.co.uk/article/0,,9074-2387990,00.html

[Xavier Gill @ Oct 4th 2006 4:57AM]

If Coca-Cola, Disney and Walmart are working together then it can only be for evil. If someone even whispers Nike then I'll be really scared (although not as scared as those companies slave and child workforces!)

Viva Pinata!

[Andrew Winn @ Oct 4th 2006 9:34AM]

Let wall mart track me via infared. I am going to start carrying a lit zippo around and look like 2 people just to mess with their system. If we all did that not only might Walmart seem more cool (kinda like a rock concert) but it would really screw with their numbers.

[JBo @ Oct 4th 2006 10:38AM]

Actually they could tie an individual temperature blob to an identity. All you have to do is follow the blob to a register, then pull the POS information for that exact time stamp. Of course, if they use cash, they'll be "off the grid", but you could follow them out to the parking lot, grab a picture of their license plate, run it by your buddy at the DMV, and have access to all of their info!

There's plenty of reasons to not shop at WalMart, this isn't one of them.

[Annoula @ Oct 4th 2006 11:51AM]

It's funny people get all in an uproar about a little infrared. Maybe they'll use the additional money they make to PAY their employees a decent wage?

Walmart bringing low prices and high taxes for you. Don't shop there.

[gage308 @ Jan 10th 2007 10:07PM]

Well actually its simple. When you enter the storefront. Instead of the 133 year old Greeter Passting a Smily face sticker on your Kids Forehead. He'll have a CATTLE Tag that he'll use to BLAST an RF tag into your neck. Hole should heal up before you could find a Manager to complain. Then whenever you return to the store, they will have record of prior Purchases and your Likes and Desires. and all you do then is follow the trail among the six figure count of Plasma screens above the isles. " HEY STEVE COME HERE YOU KNOW YOU LIKE THIS STUFF>>>>SH@%#& We're Friggin ROLLIN IT BACK JUST FOR YOU BIT@$!!!....That way you'll hurry up....get what you need then leave/....Make room for more shoppers......ok maybe a bit extreme....But we all know wal mart would LOVE To operate like that.

[d1g174l @ Feb 23rd 2008 12:24PM]

Just rig up a hat with this and use it every time you shop at that sh**hole.

http://www.engadget.com/2008/02/23/diy-ir-headgear-repels-security-cameras-attracts-security/

Just one of the many high costs of low prices.