Retail Surveillance: From Consumers’ Interaction to the Process of Data Extraction In-store and Online

In recent years, retail surveillance has evolved into a sophisticated system of data-driven observation and analysis, encompassing both physical store environments and digital platforms. This dual-channel surveillance infrastructure enables retailers to collect, process, and extract vast amounts of consumer data with the goal of enhancing customer experience, optimizing operations, and maximizing profits. The increasing diffusion of technology offers new possibilities to collect data from consumers’ interactions automatically. This article aims to provide a comprehensive understanding of the retail technologies available, classified according to different approaches, and the kind of data they can extract from this interaction, emphasizing the customer journey stages. The results show the extent to which the large amount of extracted data might led to a certain retail surveillance. Consequently, this phenomenon opens new lines of inquiry about the benefits and pitfalls of retail technology surveillance in online and offline shopping settings. The data extraction process involves transforming raw behavioral data into actionable insights. Retailers utilize data analytics platforms to segment consumers, forecast demand, personalize marketing, and manage inventory. While these practices offer clear commercial benefits, they also raise critical questions about transparency, informed consent, and data protection. The convergence of physical and digital surveillance – sometimes referred to as "phygital" surveillance – blurs the boundaries of consumer privacy, demanding renewed scrutiny from regulators, researchers, and civil society. Retail surveillance in both in-store and online contexts has become a central feature of contemporary commerce. As data extraction techniques grow increasingly sophisticated, striking a balance between innovation, customer experience, and ethical data use remains a key challenge for the retail sector.