Wal-Mart Looking To Take Spying On Shoppers To The Next Level

[gabemcg]

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[Wreckem]

Umm ever been in a wal mart? Everything you do is already on tape. Every square inch of Wal Mart is covered buy MULTIPLE cameras. This is much ado about nothing, and really once RFID is widespread every retail store will be doing the same thing. It's just Wal Mart has decided to adopt RFID quicker because it will cut down on losses on inventory. Their ordering system was pretty efficent before RFID, but after it will be even more so.

 

[daniel1113]

Meh. It's their store, they can do what they want. I don't shop there anyway

 

[ATLien247]

Originally posted by: Wreckem
Umm ever been in a wal mart? Everything you do is already on tape. Every square inch of Wal Mart is covered buy MULTIPLE cameras. This is much ado about nothing, and really once RFID is widespread every retail store will be doing the same thing. It's just Wal Mart has decided to adopt RFID quicker because it will cut down on losses on inventory. Their ordering system was pretty efficent before RFID, but after it will be even more so.

The mens shoe aisle is not covered by camera at a nearby Super Wal-Mart. Don't ask me how I know that...

 

[ElFenix]

Originally posted by: Wreckem
Umm ever been in a wal mart? Everything you do is already on tape. Every square inch of Wal Mart is covered buy MULTIPLE cameras. This is much ado about nothing, and really once RFID is widespread every retail store will be doing the same thing. It's just Wal Mart has decided to adopt RFID quicker because it will cut down on losses on inventory. Their ordering system was pretty efficent before RFID, but after it will be even more so.

same reason walmart was an early barcode adopter.

 

[Alex]

yet another reason to steer clear of it

 

[waggy]

shrug its a private store. they can do what they want (well within the law).

though RFID stinks. but if htey want to time how long i sit in front of a display let them.

 

[waggy]

Originally posted by: franguinho
yet another reason to steer clear of it

heh you don't think Target, K-mart etc are going to adopt it if it proves valuable?

 

[mugs]

Why should I care if Walmart is using infrared beams to determine if I'm lingering in the DVD aisle? I don't consider the things I do out in the open in a store filled with hundreds of other people to be "private."

People get their panties in a bunch over the stupidest things.

RFID, infrared beams, lazors, bring it on! I don't care.

And I don't even like Walmart.

And man, haven't you figured out that posting the Digg link with every thread you start isn't going to get you on the front page? You're not part of the top 30 circle-jerk.

 

[Turin39789]

Originally posted by: waggy
shrug its a private store. they can do what they want (well within the law).

though RFID stinks. but if htey want to time how long i sit in front of a display let them.

meh, what are you doing at walmart anyway?

 

[waggy]

Originally posted by: Turin39789

Originally posted by: waggy
shrug its a private store. they can do what they want (well within the law).

though RFID stinks. but if htey want to time how long i sit in front of a display let them.

meh, what are you doing at walmart anyway?

heh where i live its the only place to shop. well we have one other grocer store but it sucks. Unless i want do drive to Rockford (hate the traffic).

and i like saving money.

 

[jadinolf]

Originally posted by: Wreckem
Umm ever been in a wal mart? Everything you do is already on tape. Every square inch of Wal Mart is covered buy MULTIPLE cameras. This is much ado about nothing, and really once RFID is widespread every retail store will be doing the same thing. It's just Wal Mart has decided to adopt RFID quicker because it will cut down on losses on inventory. Their ordering system was pretty efficent before RFID, but after it will be even more so.

If that's true, someone isn't watching because on my once a month trip to my local Walmart I see many boxes which have had the contents swiped out of them.

 

[Sphexi]

This isn't spying on customers, it's simply tracking traffic patterns. IR beams won't know who is there, just that something or someone is blocking it, that's all. All retail chains track traffic in their stores, back at RS they had about 100 stores setup with extra cameras, and would analyze the footage every few months to see where people went first, what displays they stopped to read, stuff like that. They never tried to identify individual customers, just cared what they were looking at and what they were avoiding.

If it means I spend less time at Walmart each time I visit, I'm all for it.

 

[Vette73]

Originally posted by: jadinolf

Originally posted by: Wreckem
Umm ever been in a wal mart? Everything you do is already on tape. Every square inch of Wal Mart is covered buy MULTIPLE cameras. This is much ado about nothing, and really once RFID is widespread every retail store will be doing the same thing. It's just Wal Mart has decided to adopt RFID quicker because it will cut down on losses on inventory. Their ordering system was pretty efficent before RFID, but after it will be even more so.

If that's true, someone isn't watching because on my once a month trip to my local Walmart I see many boxes which have had the contents swiped out of them.

Thats because most cameras are not on and even the few that MIGHT be on are not watched.

I worked at wal-mart and the cameras were NEVER on and we did not care much if the alarms went off either. I ran after a couple but the store manager just shruged ger shoulders and did not care. Ad the "please rotate severuity cameras 34, 16, etc..." you hear is just made up junk. It means nothing at the walley world I worked at. Now there may be some that have high theft or a manager on a power trip, but not as many that don;t care.

Oh and I rarely shop at wal-mart. Maybe to pickup a Motorcraft or Supertech oil filter, but not much. Target, costco, etc... cover the rest.

 

[jmdeathsquad]

maybe if people would get a damn job and stop stealing

 

[LtPage1]

I've never entered a Walmart in my life, and never will. Now there'll be video evidence to prove it.

 

[potato28]

Someone should just stand in front of a display for a while, and see what happens.

 

[FeuerFrei]

Wal-Mart I worked at, a lot of the ceiling bubbles were empty. Maybe six cameras for the store in reality. Then they went and added four cameras over the checkouts to keep an eye on cashiers. Of course you can never know for sure if a bubble is empty.

 

[waggy]

Originally posted by: jmdeathsquad
maybe if people would get a damn job and stop stealing

actually that has nothing to do with it. most shoplifters are not unelployed people. many people with good jobs do it

 

[waggy]

Originally posted by: FeuerFrei
Wal-Mart I worked at, a lot of the ceiling bubbles were empty. Maybe six cameras for the store in reality. Then they went and added four cameras over the checkouts to keep an eye on cashiers. Of course you can never know for sure if a bubble is empty.

my SIL was dateing the guy in charge of security at the local super center. he said they rotate the cameras around the store. only place you can gurentee that there is a camera is over each cashier station.

he also said 80% of the loss comes from workers.

 

[cavemanmoron]

Originally posted by: ATLien247

Originally posted by: Wreckem
Umm ever been in a wal mart? Everything you do is already on tape. Every square inch of Wal Mart is covered buy MULTIPLE cameras. This is much ado about nothing, and really once RFID is widespread every retail store will be doing the same thing. It's just Wal Mart has decided to adopt RFID quicker because it will cut down on losses on inventory. Their ordering system was pretty efficent before RFID, but after it will be even more so.

The mens shoe aisle is not covered by camera at a nearby Super Wal-Mart. Don't ask me how I know that...

Doing something dumb;
Not a great thing to brag about.

 

[Wreckem]

Originally posted by: Marlin1975

Originally posted by: jadinolf

Originally posted by: Wreckem
Umm ever been in a wal mart? Everything you do is already on tape. Every square inch of Wal Mart is covered buy MULTIPLE cameras. This is much ado about nothing, and really once RFID is widespread every retail store will be doing the same thing. It's just Wal Mart has decided to adopt RFID quicker because it will cut down on losses on inventory. Their ordering system was pretty efficent before RFID, but after it will be even more so.

If that's true, someone isn't watching because on my once a month trip to my local Walmart I see many boxes which have had the contents swiped out of them.

Thats because most cameras are not on and even the few that MIGHT be on are not watched.

I worked at wal-mart and the cameras were NEVER on and we did not care much if the alarms went off either. I ran after a couple but the store manager just shruged ger shoulders and did not care. Ad the "please rotate severuity cameras 34, 16, etc..." you hear is just made up junk. It means nothing at the walley world I worked at. Now there may be some that have high theft or a manager on a power trip, but not as many that don;t care.

Oh and I rarely shop at wal-mart. Maybe to pickup a Motorcraft or Supertech oil filter, but not much. Target, costco, etc... cover the rest.

It depends on the Wal Mart. Wal Mart does lose several billion from theft per year.

However, losses from theft come out of each stores bonuses. Some managers dont care, others do.

 

[RaiderJ]

Originally posted by: Wreckem
Umm ever been in a wal mart? Everything you do is already on tape. Every square inch of Wal Mart is covered buy MULTIPLE cameras. This is much ado about nothing, and really once RFID is widespread every retail store will be doing the same thing. It's just Wal Mart has decided to adopt RFID quicker because it will cut down on losses on inventory. Their ordering system was pretty efficent before RFID, but after it will be even more so.

I work for a company setting up in part an RFID shipping/receiving system. Pretty slick stuff - should definitely give companies like Wal-Mart a boost in productivity.

To RFID haters.... it's just a wireless barcode! Take off your tinfoil hat!

 

[Ika]

Wait, wasn't Wal-Mart the store that would let shoplifters leave if they have under $25??

 

[JulesMaximus]

Sweet, let's all go into a Wal-Mart at different times and linger in front of the women's lingerie for 30 mintues and then go buy paper towels. See what their RFID makes of that.