Online giant Amazon is to reward consumers who leave bricks-and-mortar stores without making a purchase.

Starting tomorrow in the US, an Amazon promotion using its mobile price comparison app, Price Check, will offer discounts of $5 up to a maximum of $15 to customers who scan products in-store but then buy from Amazon.

Traditional US retailers have reacted angrily to the initiative, the Daily Telegraph reported.  They maintain that Amazon is turning their shops into showrooms for its own business.

Amazon’s venture will also allow it to gather useful competitor pricing information.

Amazon Mobile Director Sam Hall said: “We scour online and in-store advertisements from other retailers every day, year round.

“Now we are enabling customers to use their Price Check app to share in-store prices while they search for the best deals.”

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