Shoppers dislike grocery data collection but keep loyalty cards

Shoppers interviewed by Yle at the Iso Omena shopping centre in Espoo said they were bothered by grocery chains collecting data about their purchases, but reluctant to give up loyalty cards because of the discounts they offer.

Those interviewed knew that retailers gather information through loyalty cards and online stores, but were less familiar with the detailed profiling of customers. Yle reported that Finland’s K and S grocery groups create detailed assessments and classifications based on shopping behaviour. The information is used to target advertising, offers and product recommendations, and to personalise online stores.

“I have to use it, because some discounts are only available in the app,” Kari Kinnunen told Yle.

Catarina Diehl said data collection and the expansion of data centres caused her stress and anxiety, as did uncertainty about how the data would be used. She said a family member pays in cash to avoid sharing personal information, but she intends to keep using loyalty cards. “I only buy basic items from these stores,” she said.