Groceries use self-service to zero in on loyalty
August 26, 2007
The Charlotte Observer: Loyalty cards are moving higher-tech. Popularized in the 1990s and now a fixture on American keychains, the cards have for years been used by retailers as a way to gain insight into their customers' shopping habits. In return, shoppers are given discounts on store merchandise. Now some retailers are tapping the technology associated with the cards to increase sales and better serve shoppers. San Francisco-based Pay By Touch says it has plans to bring loyalty card kiosks to some North Carolina grocery stores in November. Similar kiosks are eventually expected to appear in Charlotte-area CVS pharmacies.