Technology can help track shoppers by mobile phone

05/01/2012

Shoppers are being tracked by their mobile phone in order to keep an eye on consumer movements and to allow companies to accurately sketch trends.

The "Big Brother" technology has been implemented in the US for some time and now it is creeping on to the British high streets.

Princesshay Shopping Centre in Exeter has been criticised for using the mobile phone tracking system without seeking the direct permission of shoppers. They have yellow signs posted around the centre but shoppers claim they are too small.

Chief executive officer of Path Intelligence - the provider of the FootPath software - Sharon Biggar said the company is open with the public and wants them to be aware of what exactly they are doing when tracking mobile phones.

"We cannot identify phone numbers or who an individual customer is. It is very much like watching dots walking around a room," she was reported as saying.

FootPath claims that the technology helps shops to maximise the potential of their space by seeing which areas people populate the most

Posted by Claire Marshall

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