Shopping
Expert: overestimated advantages of supermarket apps
Customers can secure additional discounts when shopping if they use apps from retail chains such as Rewe or Lidl. However, consumer advocates advise caution.
Many customers in Germany use the apps of supermarkets, discounters or drugstores. According to experts, their benefits are overestimated. “The savings advantage is often less than expected and consumers pay for the discounts with the disclosure of extensive personal data,” says Christine Steffen from the Consumer Center North Rhine-Westphalia. The advertising promises should be critically questioned.
Customers did not automatically save money from the discounts. A product in the special offer could sometimes be more expensive than comparable products from other brands. In particular, quantity discounts tempted more to buy than necessary. Consumers should not be blinded by supposed mega offers, recommended data protection expert Steffen.
The savings are also not always clear. Customers could check whether it is really a bargain. Dealers are obliged to specify the lowest price of the last 30 days for discounts. The reduction must refer to it. “This is to prevent prices from being used to be able to advertise with a supposed discount.”
“The more providers know about their customers, the more difficult”
Consumer advocates warn the trading companies to examine the purchasing behavior of customers, to play out the shopping behavior of the customers, to play individually tailored advertising and to influence purchase decisions.
“Psychological tricks are used to use temporary offers or supposedly limited contingents,” said Steffen. “The more providers know about their customers, the more difficult it is to avoid this influence.”
The Consumer Center NRW advises to adjust the data protection settings. Customers could prevent access to their location in the apps or contradict personalization. It is also possible to inquire about which personal data is processed from the provider.
Laws against Lidl, Penny and Rewe
In the apps, customers and retailers enter into an exchange store: the customer waves exclusive advantages when they register. Sometimes there are additional items in the special offer, some of them are an extra discount on reduced products. At best, the companies receive loyal customers and their data. They help them understand what the buyers want.
The Baden-Württemberg Consumer Center recently sued several trading companies. At Lidl and Penny, it is criticized that the price for app users has only been displayed in the advertising and not the other customers. Rewe is bothered by the fact that the bonus is specified for articles in the app, but not the price.
dpa
Source: Stern
