Somebody said, > Frankly, if using my card saves me $10 on a roast, > it's hard for me not to think it's a good exchange..
Hogwash. It's not saving customers anything at all. Same gimmick as credit cards. Take away a percentage from noncard-holders and give it to the cardholders. What economic efficiency or productivity could these cards actually achieve?? One cannot argue, "Identity cards enable the store to improve product mix thereby improving service" because the chains have adequate cash register data. I don't think the cards are achieving *anything* except a carveout from the customers themselves. First of all they get a dollar, from day one, by selling our personal information to other corporations. That is pure profit, after a low-cost software module on their card reader. The rest of the payoff comes from calculating YOUR behavior in order to stick their knife deeper into you. The cards strengthen their pricing power against YOU. For example, avoid offering discounts for things you are going to buy anyway. Watch and see-- in a couple of years there will be "Dynamic Pricing." You'll find out you're paying higher prices on bread than the guy next to you!! But in the meantime they will jsut use the data to confuse you to death, changing prices and unit sizes and locations of everything in the store, so it's impossible to comparison shop. Consumers should begin to request our purchase history (so we can submit it to regional grocery auctions, competing chains, comparison websites, etc.) The chains will say "HELL NO, are you kidding?" That will show why they are really installing the cards! guffaws! What's needed is a little embedded linux device with a cheap scanner, where shoppers can pay a dime, insert their receipt, and receive their shopping list in XML format, by email. Thise should be in front of every store, between the pay phone, the coinstar, photo kiosks, etc. I believe it would become clear, grocery stores are as much an information phenomenon as logistical one. Direct supply by producers to residences, for some commodities would become economically possible. You'd have a critical mass of information. Todd Boyle cpa kirkland wa www.gldialtone.com a rant a day keeps the clients away
