In-Store Tracking: Personalization Innovation or Privacy Invasion?

First, let's do a quick review of the technology. While there are a variety of options available, most retailers are latching onto those based on mobile device-enabled tracking. They fall into two basic categories: the first tracks the signals a digital device sends out as it connects to a retailer's Wi-Fi system and matches it to a device's MAC address (basically a unique ID number); the second uses in-store beacons to connect with (and track) devices that have the retailer's app installed on them. Both types allow retailers to monitor where consumers go inside a store, how long they spend in front of a particular shelf, etc. Beyond this basic description, the uses and implications of these technologies differ depending on who you ask.