Likewise, when you walk through the door, stores will know whether you are a frequent buyer of high-ticket items, or someone with an arrest record for shoplifting, and you will be treated in the context of who you are.

FORBES: Why Sensors Are a Force of Context

Goods producers are hit hardest in downturns: consumers are more likely to defer spending on big-ticket items, such as cars and home appliances, than on the frequent small purchases that keep service industries ticking over.

ECONOMIST: Europe's economy