If you plan to head out for some Black Friday shopping this week at the Short Pump Town Center in Richmond, VA, mall management may be watching your every move. It’s a story making national news, as this is a first-of-its-kind program being implemented by only one other US mall. And while management won’t be able to identify you individually, they’ll aggregately know shopping patterns.

Here’s how it works: suppose you visit Nordstom and then walk over to Tara Thai to grab some lunch. The mall’s system will be able to track your cell phone signal, along with other patrons, to identify patterns like this and others. How many shoppers who visit the Apple Store also visit Brookstone? How long do shoppers spend in a particular store? The technology will help retailers determine the answers to these types of questions and more from Black Friday through Christmas.

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