How Stores Spy On You

According to this article at Consumer Reports.org"Many walk-in retailers are taking spying to a new level. Video cameras record your every move. Your face and car’s license plate are captured and filed in searchable databases. Hidden cameras classify you by age, sex, and ethnicity, and even detect your body language and mood. Even your bank account records are being pried into. The main goal of these surveillance methods, of course, is to get you to shop more and spend more.
One such manufacturer, 'Axis Communications', posted the following video on YouTube



How CCTV can assist retailers in driving sales


From what I gather it is possible, with the right software, to identify a individual customer from the moment they pull into the lot. From that point on they could evaluate what kind of car they drive and it's value. How long they were in the store and through the use of the RFID tags on merchandise track where they went in the store. It's also possible to track eye movements to see what merchandise someone(s) are looking at. Then upon checking out, through the use of anything other then cash, further identify that person by name and address.

Upon repeated visits a retailer could develop a profile of the dollar value, how much and what kind of merchandise that individual takes home. It could also reveal whether someone goes shopping as an individual, with their mate or with whatever number of kids. It could also reveal whether kids influence the purchases they make via kids pestering their parent(s). Yes even one's gender and racial makeup.

With the proper software these systems can also detect any suspicious behavior which can trigger automatically an alarm on the system's security equipment. Who knows it may be even possible to detect your medical condition if the store has a pharmacy in it.

Which brings me back to my repetitive pleas for consumers to support small local business owners. If people are truly concerned about privacy .... VOTE WITH YOUR WALLET.