Is your web browser steering you to spend more money?

So, Jessica forwarded this article to me about how Ortiz is presenting shoppers different results based on their web browser, in particular, if you’re using an Apple device.  The results are not only different but more costly.  Why?  Because by tracking their shoppers’ purchases, Orbitz was able to determine that Apple users tend to spend more per night on a hotel.
I’m sure Orbitz is thinking: Why not capture this potential additional revenue?  The same rooms are shown at the same price whether you’re a Mac user or a Windows user.  Users can always still sort by price.  The difference:  What is presented first or the special offers presented.  Of course, other factors contribute to what results are shown such as previous purchase history and more.
Studies show that Apple users tend to be bigger spenders than Windows users.  Mac users account for only 9.8% of the market but in the mobile arena, Apple’s market share is much greater.  As more and more data becomes available, smart businesses are mining the information to determine what makes their clients tick and increase the overall “lifetime value” of client.
What does this mean for you as a shopper?  Have a Mac and a PC? Or maybe an iPad and a Windows desktop?  You might want to consider doing your online shopping from your Windows machine or at a minimum, be sure to truly comparison shop when doing online purchasing.
Have an opinion on this topic?  I’d love to hear your thoughts on IT….

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