FTC Says Consumer Data Is Behind ‘Surveillance’ Pricing (1)

Major retailers can tailor prices based on customer data including location, demographics or shopping history, the US Federal Trade Commission said in initial study findings, raising concerns about the use of what they termed “surveillance pricing.”

The FTC found that as many as 250 different businesses, including grocery stores, apparel, health and beauty retailers, convenience stores, building and hardware stores, and department and discount stores, use consumer information to help target prices, profile consumers or rank products that are shown to shoppers. Companies most often said they were using the tools to boost revenue by increasing sales volumes, and they ...