Every time I look at a grocery store register slip and see I could have saved $5 on a $25 purchase if I had used their loyalty card I get angry. Why are the stores being so agressive about getting us to sign up for their cards? They already have agreggate data they can sell - how many people in our area buy Product X on a Thursday in May, for example - and if they really just want our loyalty they could give us coupons at the register ($5 off your next purchase, for instance).
Whatever the stores claim, these cards are absolutely about tying what you buy to who you are. There can only be one reason the stores want this information, and that's to sell it to someone who cares about it. And you can bet they're making more from the data than they're giving us back with discounts.
I have so far refused to be bought. The grocery store is one of the few places where it's still possible to shop anonymously - provided you pay cash and don't use their card - and I'd like to hang on to this last thread of privacy as long as I can.
But I'm weakening.
I have already given in to other loyalty programs, in particular hotels and airlines. In these cases I figure I get more than I give, since just by using their service they already get all of my personal information. When it comes to the supermarket, though, I can't get past the feeling that by signing up for their card I'm giving up something I'll never get back. At the moment, I'm still willing to pay the price for my privacy.
I'm not sure how much longer I can hold out. I'm working on my pseudonym and false address for the day when I finally cave. Just my little way of sticking it to the man.
