We don't really want privacy and the brands know it. Ask Amazon.

I can't help feeling like the innocent looking cat in this meme from Knowyourmeme.com
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That's because I just read this story in Mashable about Anticipatory Shipping and I cannot help ask if I missed the boat on this one. Ship before I order? That means you know my secret shopping desires! No privacy. Ok fine..Anticipatory Shopping is actually not new. Ha! Well think about it, you are a regular at a bar or diner, you walk in and within 30 seconds your favorite drink is brought to you by a smiling attendant who knows they have fulfilled that fantasy businesses all want - exceed your expectations. 

That's anticipatory shopping right..because you will pay for that drink unless told it's on the house right? Cool. If Google.com is a massive web advertising and seo business then Google Instant is really anticipatory shopping.  So maybe Amazon's decision to go ahead and PATENT Anticipatory Shipping should have been expected? Well with the way consumers (yours truly included) talk grump about brands invading privacy, "where will it stop" etc one would have thought Amazon would not go all out to patent something like this.

Let's smell the roses together. What do consumers really want? We want satisfaction. We are lazy. We want convenience. We want brands to anticipate our needs. Brands and our partners at home right? (Ducks the pillow thrown at me by my partner) So this Amazon initiative really is tapping into something already latent. The question is will it mean too much of your habits are in the hands of Big Business? What is too much? 

I imagine this will start to be implemented with the introduction of a retainer type service for niche customer segments covering specific type of products that are regularly ordered. Could it also mean Amazon shifting into new product or service areas? Well, one thing is sure, Anticipatory Shopping is going to be an active trend within the next 12 months. Especially via digital channels. If you think it (by clicking a product too many times on Facebook) it just may get sent to you. Watch out for that case of Heineken or wrist watch from Patek Philippe that gets delivered to you before you order it. Finders keepers right? 

Anticipatory Shopping. Quite a thought. Right up there with concepts from Minority Report