Grocery Store "Smart Shelves" Will Identify Customers, Show Targeted Ads

cagraham writes "Snack company Mondelez International (maker of Oreos, Trident, Cadbury eggs) will introduce so-called 'smart shelves' into store checkout aisles beginning 2015. The shelves will use Microsoft's Kinect software, in addition to other tech, to identify shoppers age and sex, and will then use that info to deliver demographically tailored advertisements. The shelves will be able to track engagement, monitor how long customer's watch each ad, and offer discounts if a customer is considering a purchase (weight sensors will tell the machine if you pick up a product). Mondelez says the software will only use and collect aggregate data, and will not record any video or photos."

Comments

Could be good.

[meerling]

Especially once we figure out how to 'convince' it to give us the best discount on everything.

Humans are lousy at reading humans, machines programmed by humans and used on the cheap will be relatively easy to fool.

Re:Could be good.

[daem0n1x]

What's more likely to happen is that this will annoy the fuck out of me so much that I'll never return to that retailer again. And let the "smart shelf" figure out the reason why.

Re:Could be good.

[Anonymous Coward]

I have yet to use a self-checkout.

You see, I used to be a grocery checker, and I used to get a paycheck for doing that work. (I quit when I got a "real" job, but it got me through college.) When the stores decide to pay me (a 2% discount on everything I purchase through self-checkout would be nice), then I'll use the self-checkout. Until then, I'll wait in a long line, not buying their stale candy bars, and make their for-pay employees earn their paychecks (and keep their jobs).

Re:Could be good.

[RabidReindeer]

"Fat person detected. Would you be interested in a 20 cents off coupon for Special K?"

More like "Fat person detected. Have a coupon for 50 cents off 5-gallon Hagen-Daas, 2-for-1 Mega-Bag chips and 3-liter Diet Dr. Pepper".

Re:Could be good.

[icebike]

There is nothing about this proposed technology designed to make your life easier.
Its not there for you. Its there for the stores.
It won't reduce your prices.
It will not save you money.

Frankly, I'd rather remain an ass then become a koolaid drinking idiot like you.

Great way to lose customers

[treerex]

I for one have no interest in such targeted advertising, and until they become ubiquitous I'll avoid any store that has these.

Can you imagine where this will go? Shelf notices that you're overweight and you picked up a candy bar? Screen says, "Are you sure you want to buy that?" This will work great until someone puts a sticker over the sensor bar.

OT: I'd love to see grocer cards banned

[GodfatherofSoul]

It'll never happen, but I'm sure they've been used as an end-around credit card privacy laws. I remember when my local grocer first introduced them. The prices of everything went up overnight, then you needed their card to get the same old prices. The thought that they might make advertising to me even more interactive isn't at all appealing.

And, as for just switching grocery stores, I don't know where most of you live but here in KC I only have 2 practical choices (without a long drive).

Advertising Bubble

[thatkid_2002]

If the advertising becomes really bubbled I can see an issue where attractive people are shown healthy products and ugly people are shown unhealthy products because that's what their respective profiles are probably going to indicate that they want... It's like the Search Engine Bubble (http://dontbubble.us/) - except for advertising.

This trend is obviously unhealthy...