Tesco to scan customers’ eyes for tailored advertising
Tesco is to start scanning its customers, in a bid to tailor advertising towards them.
Tesco petrol station users will be scanned at forecourts, using high-tech "OptimEyes" screens. The new system will be rolled out to all 450 of Tesco's petrol stations, with the screens predicted to reach a weekly audience of over five million adults.
OptimEyes, developed by Alan Sugar's company Amscreen, scans the eyes of customers, in order to determine age and gender. They then run tailored adverts in checkout areas.
Simon Sugar, chief executive of Amscreen, said: "Yes it's like something out of Minority Report, but this could change the face of British retail and our plans are to expand the screens into as many supermarkets as possible." The deal with Amscreen will last five years.
Peter Cattell, category director for Tesco petrol stations highlighted that the "The ability to tailor content based on time and location means it can be extremely useful and timely for our customers."
The retailer stressed that the screens don't use eyeball scanners, facial recognition or make identifications of individual customers. No image, picture or personal data is recorded or saved, it added.