Collecting information about customers
All online stores collect information about their customers but the systems supermarkets use are often superior and lead to improved knowledge and customer service.
Supermarkets let customers order their food online and choose when to have it delivered. Customers can create a list of their favourite items to speed things up. The supermarket has access to this list and it can be remembered for future online shopping activity.
Cards given to customers by larger stores, often supermarkets. Points are added to the card with each purchase. These points allow customers to claim discounts or other rewards at a later date. bring customers rewards but they also keep a record of what the customer is buying. This gives supermarkets access to massive amounts of data and they can tell a lot about their customers鈥 preferences and shopping habits from it.
Supermarkets can tell a lot about a customer based on the products they buy and how much they spend, including:
- their Social groupings, sometimes used to measure people's place in society.
- whether or not they have children
- if they have pets
A loyalty card also records the time, date and store location every time it is used.
Supermarkets use this data to:
- decide what products stores should stock, along with quantities
- make sure they have appropriate staffing numbers, during busy and quiet periods
- send special offers to the customer on products they frequently buy or to encourage them to buy new products