Despite Expectations Of Personalization, Most Shoppers Don’t Want To Share Data

Retailers want more information about consumers than ever before, and analytics technologies today offer an increasing number of ways to get it — whether shoppers want retailers to have their personal data or not. In the race to create personalized experiences for shoppers, retailers and brands are keeping a close eye on purchase behavior and product preferences through loyalty cards. They track shopper search history on their website, monitor coupon downloads from mobile apps and follow social media interactions. But if you ask shoppers, most say they’re not willing to knowingly give up personal information in exchange for more tailored experiences or to receive special promotions and loyalty points, according to Retail Dive’s Consumer Survey. For the third installment in our six-part series looking at consumer shopping habits, we asked 976 U.S. consumers whether they were willing to share personal information with one of their favorite retailers in exchange for benefits. The results are in — and roughly three out of every five consumers say they are not willing to share their personal data, such as birthdays, income, car ownership, product likes/dislikes, among other information. It’s little wonder why some consumers are hesitant given newsworthy cybersecurity breaches in recent history. Recall Target’s holiday 2013 headliner? Or Home Depot’s 2014 hack? Consumers don’t easily forget or forgive when their privacy has been compromised. Read more at Retail Dive.