Note: The news sites linked from these stories are constantly being updated. As a result, some links may no longer be valid.

Shoppers protest Albertsons in Dallas/Fort Worth

Disgruntled shoppers in Dallas/Fort Worth took to the streets to protest Albertson's new "Preferred Card" on January 26th. Nearly 50 demonstrators turned out to carry signs and distribute flyers in front of an Albertsons store in the Dallas suburb of Irving, Texas. Film crews from all the major local television stations (NBC, ABC, CBS, Fox) covered the event , and CASPIAN founder Katherine Albrecht was interviewed by the three major Dallas talk radio stations (KRLD, KLIF, and WBAP). We have gotten an extremely positive response from Dallas shoppers who saw the protest and/or viewed the coverage on TV. As a result of our work in Texas, hundreds of people have written in to join CASPIAN and to volunteer for future activities, and even more are signing up as I write. (Click here for a photo gallery of the protest.)

Albertson's Loyalty Card Creates Consumer Backlash

CASPIAN has been inundated with complaints from shoppers in the greater Dallas/Ft. Worth area since Albertson's "Preferred Savings Card" was introduced on November 7th. Most express concern over the invasive nature of the cards, which collect detailed demographic and purchase information about shoppers. Even more upsetting to many long-time Albertson's shoppers is the sense of betrayal they feel now that Albertson's has reneged on its "No Cards" promise. In a press release issued today, CASPIAN publicly condemns the card and calls on Albertson's to discontinue the program. (CASPIAN Press Release 12/17/01) http://www.nocards.org/press/pressrelease.shtml

Dallas Radio Station Deluged with Complaints about Albertson's Card

When Katherine Albrecht appeared on a Dallas talk radio show recently to discuss Albertson's "Preferred Customer Card" the listener response was so overwhelming that the segment expanded from a planned 15 minutes to nearly six hours of air time over several days. "It was one of the highest volume of calls we've ever gotten from any topic," said Kimyla Stegall, executive producer of KRLD NewsRadio's Marty Griffin show. "I'd say that 95% of the calls that we received were negative, meaning that they did not want the card. We heard shoppers' voices loud and clear and they definitely have a bad taste for it."

John Moritz, an Albertson's marketing executive, shied away from an invitation to discuss the card program and address listener concerns on the air during the second night of coverage. This confirmed our suspicions that Albertson's already knows how we feel. If Albertson's executives really believed that "shoppers love the card" they should have jumped at the chance to set us straight and get some free publicity in the process. They know their position is indefensible. (The Marty Griffin Show, KRLD News Radio, Dallas AM 1080; December 3-4, 2001)

Ahold Imposes Cards on nearly 400 Supermarkets in 6 States!

Ahold USA began distributing frequent shopper cards to customers of Giant Food Stores, Inc. (based in PA) and its affiliates on Sunday, August 13th. The cards are now required to receive the sale prices and discounts that had always been available without cards before. This change affects hundreds of thousands of shoppers at 161 Giant-controlled stores in six states: Giant Food Stores in PA; Edwards Super Food Stores in NY and NJ; and Martin's Food Markets in MD, VA, WV, and PA.

Then, Ahold introduced cards to their other affiliate, Giant Foods, Inc (headquartered in MD). This change, which goes into effect on September 10, will affect shoppers at 176 Giant and Super G stores in DC, DE, NJ, PA, MD, and VA.

Though research has repeatedly shown that consumers do not want these programs, Giant's VP of Advertising and Sales Development, Dennis Hopkins, had this to say in an earlier press release: "The BONUSCARD is definately [sic] the most comprehensive and beneficial program we have offered our customers. It enables our shoppers to receive tremendous discounts and incentives both in our stores and with outside business partners." (Giant Food, Inc. Press Release Via PR Newswire 8/31/00)

- - - - - Action Alert! - - - - -

Card Introduced August 2000	Card Introduced September 2000
Dennis Hopkins VP of Advertising and Sales Development Giant Foods, Inc. 1149 Harrisburg Pike Carlisle, PA 17013 Office: 717-249-4000 FAX: 717-240-1546 Email: DHopkins@ahold.usa.com	Frank Gallagher Director of Bonus Card Giant Food, Inc. P.O. Box 1804 Washington, D.C. 20013 Office: 301-341-4722 FAX: unknown Email: Mr. Gallagher refused to give me his email address. Instead he referred me to Giant's generic "customer service web form"

If you live in the shopping area of any of these stores, contact Giant Foods to protest !

Nash Finch Signs up with Catalina Marketing

Nash Finch Company, one of the largest food distribution companies in the United States with $4.1 billion in annual sales, has announced that it will begin utilizing the services of Catalina Marketing, one of the worst offenders in the loyalty marketing arena. Nash Finch owns and operates 127 supermarkets, principally under the Econofoods, Sun Mart and Family Thrift Center trade names. Most, if not all of these stores already monitor their customers with "loyalty" cards. Nash Finch also supplies food to independent grocery stores and military commissaries in approximately 30 states. (Nash Finch press release via Yahoo Supermarket News 7/27/00)

Weis Markets Issues ID for Kids

Weis Markets offers a powerful tool in the ongoing battle to indoctrinate our kids into the ID culture. Weis, a surveillance card supermarket chain with over 160 stores, will be providing free photo ID cards for children at locations throughout Pennsylvania, Maryland, New York and New Jersey on Saturday, July 29. During this time, parents can obtain free standardized, instant photographs of their children for their passport size "KidCare ID Booklets" which contain identification facts such as height, hair and eye color. The service will be offered to the first 250 children under six at each store. (Weis press release via Yahoo Supermarket News 7/26/00)

Hannaford Shoppers will soon get Cards

Delhaize America, Inc. has finally received FTC approval to acquire Hannaford Bros. Co. The companies expect to close the transaction on Saturday, July 29, 2000, making Delhaize the nation's 5th largest grocery chain. Delhaize already owns Food Lion and Kash n' Karry Supermarkets, which have long imposed surveillance cards on shoppers. Hannaford Bros, with 150+ stores on the eastern seaboard, has never had a card program, but no doubt that's about to change. (Delhaize press release via Yahoo Supermarket News 7/25/00)

Convenience Stores Joining Card Bandwagon

I just learned through a radio ad that AM/PM, the Southwestern convenience store chain, has introduced a loyalty card (with keychain accessory) called the AM/PM Goodstuff Card. Their website also features Club AM/PM where the first thing you are asked is "Can I see some ID please?" Below this is a button labeled "Card Me." (I kid you not.) Check it out, it's awful. There are over 1,000 AM/PM stores in California, Arizona, Nevada, Washington and Oregon.

Albertson's Launches Cardless E-Marketing

Albertson's, the nation's second largest supermarket chain and an avowed no-cards store, has announced that it has partnered up with InterAct Electronic Marketing to offer shoppers "customized purchase incentives and information before they shop utilizing in-store web portals." Though we are assured that no frequent shopper card will be required to use the system, it is unclear how offers can be customized without requiring identifying information from shoppers. (Interact press release via Yahoo Supermarket News 7/12/00)

More on InterAct Electronic Marketing Inc.

Despite claims that Albertson's partnership with InterAct (above) will not require frequent shopper cards, InterAct's website boasts that their network "captures the purchase history of each frequent card user and creates an individual profile." They go on to exclaim that "A full 65 weeks of item-level purchase history is retained for each individual shopper!" An image below this claim implies that data on 75% of U.S. households is available through their system.

An understanding of InterAct would not be complete without looking at the artwork the company uses to market its omniscient shopper surveillance system. In a disconcerting twist on Michelangelo's famous painting, The Creation of Adam (where the hands of God and Adam touch), InterAct has replaced one of the hands with that of a metallic cyborg. This odd misuse of religious imagery makes me wonder how InterAct views its role in human affairs.

United Airlines to Reward "Loyal" Safeway/Vons Shoppers

Egads, yet another "reward" for the herd of sheep who have given up their privacy through registration and monitoring cards -- and another way for stores to discriminate against their privacy-conscious patrons. Safeway shoppers (and shoppers at Safeway-owned Vons and Pavilions stores) can now earn 125 United Airlines frequent flyer miles for every $250 they spend on groceries. I think it's time to add United to our boycott list. (United Airlines Press Release 3/14/00)

Catalina's Tentacles Extend Again

Shoppers at Brookshire Grocery, Nash Finch, SuperValu Southeast Region, and K-VA-T Food will soon fall prey to a host of Catalina Marketing schemes. The addition of these chains brings Catalina's total contractees to 14,300 supermarkets across the country. Says Catalina, "We have reached almost complete saturation of the western market, and will continue in our efforts to develop partnerships with key retailers." Maybe we should write letters to the "key retailers" they haven't yet succumbed to let them know how consumers feel about being "targeted" by surveillance schemes. (Catalina Marketing press release 11/3/99)

Vons/Pavilions Announce New Charity Incentive

Vons and Pavilions (owned by Safeway) announced that their 238 California and Nevada markets have partnered with Electronic Scrip Incorporated (ESI) to offer "eScrip," a privacy-invading twist on an old theme (donating a portion of grocery purchases to worthy causes). Shoppers can now link their surveillance cards with schools and other charities. Now the national database will not only know what you buy, they'll know where your kids go to school or where you worship, too. (Vons/Pavillions press release via Yahoo 11/1/99)

Catalina's Latest Prey

Catalina Marketing has added another 350 stores to its "Network." Two Safeway divisions: Vons, a Southern California market leader, and Carr-Gottstein, the market leader in Alaska, have both signed contracts to "begin installation of the Catalina Marketing Network." Vons and Carr-Gottstein shoppers will now join the ranks of millions of shoppers around the world who are daily "influenced" by the experts at Catalina, who, in their own words, "strive to influence purchase behavior of consumers wherever and whenever they make purchase decisions." (Catalina Marketing press release 10/27/99)

H-E-B Signs up with "The Network"

H.E.Butt, 12th largest food retailer in the U.S. and former hold-out against registration and monitoring schemes, has agreed to test market schemes designed by Catalina Marketing. (PR Newswire 8/99)

"The Network" Invades Japan

Catalina Marketing signed a contract with Seiyu Co., Ltd., one of the top five general merchandise chains in Japan, to roll-out the Catalina Marketing Network in all their stores. This expansion allows the Catalina Marketing Network to reach an additional 3 million shoppers each week (in addition to the 150 million shoppers they already monitor in the United States). (PR Newswire1/99)

CASPIAN
Consumers Against Supermarket Privacy Invasion and Numbering
An information clearinghouse and resource for community and national action

© 1999-2005 Katherine Albrecht. All rights reserved.