In-Store Tracking: Personalization Innovation or Privacy Invasion?

More than three-quarters of consumers don't trust what you're doing with their information. At least that's the case if you're one of the many retailers today using in-store tracking to gather information about shoppers in an effort to target sales and promotions.

According to consumer survey firm OpinionLab, 77 percent of consumers find in-store tracking unacceptable and 81 percent don't trust retailers to keep their private data secure. The Federal Trade Commission (FTC) has even turned its eye toward the growing phenomenon, investigating whether new regulations may be required to keep consumers safe. Yet technology firms continue to roll out new options for in-store tracking and a growing number of retailers are adopting them. Why would retailers persist if the majority of consumers object to these practices? As they say, there are two sides to every story. We set out to investigate both perspectives and find out whether there's any middle ground to be had.