Public fears Big Brother effect of RFID tagging

Seventy per cent of UK shoppers are concerned about the introduction of radio frequency identity (RFID) technology, according to research

Their main fear is that retailers will use RFID to track consumers' movements after they have left the store, and that they will be inundated by junk mail by companies studying their purchasing patterns, says the survey from analyst GartnerG2.

Removing the tag at the checkout removed concerns for about a third of respondents, while 80 per cent say they would accept RFID if it made a tangible improvement to their shopping experience, says GartnerG2 retail analyst Gill Mander.

'This illustrates how crucial it is for retailers to manage the transition to RFID properly,' she said. 'Educating consumers about the practical benefits could remove a lot of the current hype and debate.'

GartnerG2 suggests promoting benefits such as fewer empty shop shelves, shorter queues, and faster checkout procedures as potential benefits for the technology.

Marks & Spencer, Tesco and Debenhams, among others, are all evaluating RFID in their supply chains, although it is likely to be several years before practical consumer benefits are available in stores.