If you do not want to use a signature capture device, you may have to be persistent and talk with a manager. The Future of Consumer Data Gathering Merchants are increasingly taking advantage of the power of computers to gather information about their customers. A growing practice among retailers is database marketing . Information such as telephone number is gathered from customers at the time they make purchases. This allows the merchant to link actual purchases with the customer's name.
Many retailers enhance their customer lists with additional data purchased from other companies.
Such data might include estimated income, average ages of family members, hobbies and interests, home ownership or rental, and so on. Retailers use this data to learn more about the types of customers who shop in their stores. They also use it to market directly to their customers through mailed advertisements, alerting them to sales and special offers. Retailers claim that database marketing helps them improve services to their customers and develop a base of loyal shoppers. Indeed many consumers are concerned about what is done with the data that is compiled about them.