← ArchiveMay 29, 2013

My Grocery Store Sent Me My Next Month’s Shopping List…Well Almost

  Reliance One card (the loyalty card for Reliance retail brand across Reliance Fresh, Reliance Autozone, Reliance MART, and so on) sent me an e-mailer (the usual loyalty points summary + offers) and it included a simple graphical break-up of my shopping patterns at their stores. It tells me how much I spent (in %age of course) and on what category of items. You can see the image (part of the e-mailer) below. Staples, Fresh Fruits & Vegetables, Confectionary & Snacks, Home Care, Dairy, Other (April 2013)                                             Staples, Fresh Fruits & Vegetables, Non-vegetarian, Baby Care, Dairy, Other (Last 1 year)                  This RelianceOne e-mailer provided me with these 3 things:
  1. My point balance month on month
  2. A breakup of spends on RelianceOne card
  3. Latest deals/offers
A very common technique used by direct marketers, customer loyalty cards and programs are known to follow the point-reward system. What is novel here is that this is the first time a large Indian offline retailer has given me a breakup of my category-shopping pattern. You’ll agree that that we usually have (I do!) a rough idea about how much we spend on what on a monthly basis. But if you look at this exercise by a retail/grocery chain and the detailed information they have about us, you can have only one perspective -- Either this is great or this is ugly! Either cool or creepy On the plus side, this data helps the brand position schemes and offers that benefit me. It helps them inform me of special offers that they know will draw my attention and ones that I will avail. On the off side, my consumption patterns are no longer private (which they never were, but this e-mailer just makes it very obvious)! Technology and date interpretation has found its way into my groceries too. While I think this kind of data will benefit me as a consumer and a shopper, what do you make of it? Do you think it will enhance your shopping experience or do you think it is just a further intrusion of your privacy (and proud about it)? Do share your thoughts.