Retailers and Big Data: The Creepy Continuum

We've certainly read and heard a lot about data gathering lately, and the term "Big Data" is making its way into the public lexicon. One issue that's come up often is "Given what we've found out about what's being done by government agencies with available data, will we see a consumer backlash against giving retailers information? Will consumers batten down their privacy hatches?" I'm a firm believer that an educated consumer will make better decisions, and so I thought I'd spend a few hundred words giving you some correct definitions, followed by some realistic retail scenarios.