Feb 1, 1990

Home Scanning

Company asks consumers to scan their groceries at home. Researchers later sell the information to other businesses.

 

A Fort Mitchell, Ky., company has come up with a new twist in market research. National Consumer Research provides in-home UPC scanning devices that consumers use to register purchases; the company then sells their names to manufacturers and list brokers. More than 10,000 people have already paid a $199 fee to participate; in return, they get rebates on their grocery bills.

-- Leslie Brokaw