Thursday, June 23, 2005

Wal-Mart Gets Busted For Using "Their" Mobile Froogle

From PromoMagazine.com Grocer Sues Wal-Mart Over Price Scanning .

I'm curious as to what data they were able to retrieve from scanning the barcodes.

Oklahoma grocer Super H filed a lawsuit against Wal-Mart Stores for using a scanner to collect barcode data from products on Super H's shelves.

The suit, filed in Osage County District Court on June 13, alleges that Wal-Mart sent workers into Super H to check prices as Wal-Mart readies to open a supercenter nearby in August.

Super H isn't worried about the price information; its real concern is other data the scanner may have captured, such as inventory and wholesale price. "We're trying to get [the scanner] back and find out what's in there," said Super H manager Greg McNeil

What happens when scanning a barcode offers more than just prodcut info from a closed network? Wal-Mart spies will soon be getting coupons, ringtones and video clips when they do their undercover work.

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