Amazon pays shoppers to spy on competitors

Amazon is sending consumers to investigate other retailers. The e-commerce giant is launching a cashback programme that allows customers to earn money by shopping at competitors. In exchange for data, obviously.

Scanning receipts for Amazon

Amazon is launching a very special cashback programme: with Alexa Shopping List Savings, shoppers can earn money by shopping at competitors. When they download the app, they get an overview of all kinds of cashback offers from brand manufacturers. Consumers can choose for themselves which offers they want to participate in and thus create their own virtual coupon booklet.

They can then go shopping anywhere (in the United States): supermarkets, non-food retailers, pharmacies, anything goes. If they buy something that is subject to a cashback promotion, Amazon will personally refund the money in the form of a gift card.

The catch? Consumers have to scan their receipts from the shops and send them to Amazon. In this way, the American platform knows exactly what people buy, even if they do not shop at Amazon. And possibly even more important: the company finds out the current prices and product range of physical retail competitors without having to do any research.

Through the initiative, Amazon hopes to gather even more consumer data as well as market data. As an added bonus, consumers receive a gift card from Amazon for every purchase made elsewhere, which sort of forces them to make their next purchase on the platform.