Fetch’s AI Unlocks $200B in Consumer Data

The world of marketing has long been obsessed with a single, elusive goal: to understand the consumer. For decades, this pursuit involved a patchwork of surveys, focus groups, and third-party data sets, each providing a slow, expensive, and often incomplete snapshot of behavior. But in a move that signals a seismic shift in market research, rewards app Fetch has just pulled back the curtain on a tool that could render those traditional methods obsolete.

In a landmark partnership with OpenAI, Fetch has launched FAST, or Fetch AI Semantic Technology. This platform is not merely another data dashboard; it is a conversational intelligence engine designed to transform the company’s colossal repository of consumer purchase data into real-time, actionable marketing strategy. By leveraging the same kind of natural-language processing that powers ChatGPT, Fetch is turning nearly $200 billion in annual shopper receipts into a dynamic, queryable resource for brands, effectively creating a direct line into the mind of the American consumer.

The Vision: Taming a Data Tsunami

At the heart of this innovation is Wes Schroll, Fetch’s founder and CEO. Schroll recognized early on that the true value of his company lay not just in its popular rewards program, but in the mountain of data it generated. With 12.5 million active monthly users, each submitting an average of 31 receipts per month, Fetch captures a staggering volume of granular purchase information. This equates to an annualized snapshot of nearly $200 billion in consumer spending across countless retailers and product categories.

However, this data was, in Schroll’s own view, a messy and challenging asset. Receipts are the definition of unstructured data; item descriptions, prices, store names, and SKUs vary wildly from one retailer to the next. For years, organizing this information into a coherent and usable format was a monumental task, limiting its strategic potential. Extracting meaningful insights required significant manual effort and data science expertise, placing it out of reach for rapid, day-to-day decision-making.

The recent explosion in the capabilities of large language models (LLMs) provided the missing piece of the puzzle. As Schroll noted, modern AI excels at precisely this kind of challenge: ingesting vast, chaotic datasets, identifying patterns, and structuring the information in a way that is both approachable and actionable. The partnership with OpenAI was the catalyst that allowed Fetch to finally operationalize its data goldmine at scale.

A New Conversation in Market Research

What makes FAST so revolutionary is its interface. It replaces complex queries and filters with simple, conversational language. A marketer no longer needs to be a data analyst to get answers. They can simply ask the platform a question as if they were talking to a colleague: “Show me sales revenue in the last three months.”

FAST then instantly compiles the relevant data from its massive pool of receipts and delivers a clear, concise answer: “Sales were $350 million in the last three months.” This is more than just a convenience; it represents the democratization of data. The barrier to entry for sophisticated market analysis has been effectively eliminated. Speed, which is paramount in today’s fast-moving CPG landscape, is now measured in seconds, not weeks.

The conversational nature of the platform encourages a more iterative and exploratory approach to research. A simple initial query can become the starting point for a much deeper investigation. Marketers can ask follow-up questions to drill down into the data, such as, “How do we compare to other retailers?” This allows for immediate benchmarking and competitive analysis, providing brands with a clear understanding of their position in the market without commissioning a costly and time-consuming study.

From Reactive Reporting to Proactive Strategy

Perhaps the most powerful feature of FAST is its ability to bridge the gap between insight and action. The platform doesn’t just report on what has happened; it provides data-driven recommendations for what to do next. This transforms it from a passive reporting tool into an active strategic partner.

A brand manager, having identified a competitive weakness, can directly prompt the system for solutions. A query like, “Give me five ideas for a Fetch points offer to be more competitive,” will yield specific, tailored campaign suggestions. These recommendations are not based on generic best practices but are derived from the real-world purchasing habits of millions of consumers. It’s like having an AI-powered strategy consultant on call 24/7, ready to ideate campaigns based on the most current market realities.

This capability fundamentally changes the workflow for marketing teams. The cycle from data analysis to campaign development and execution is dramatically compressed. Strategies can be formulated, tested, and refined with unprecedented agility, giving brands that use the platform a significant competitive edge.

Implications for a Privacy-First Future

The launch of FAST arrives at a critical juncture for the advertising industry. With the impending deprecation of third-party cookies and a growing consumer demand for privacy, brands are scrambling for reliable sources of behavioral data. The data Fetch collects is a form of zero-party data—information that consumers knowingly and willingly share in exchange for a clear value proposition, in this case, rewards points.

This makes the insights derived from FAST not only powerful but also ethically sourced and sustainable in a privacy-centric ecosystem. It provides a direct, permission-based view of consumer behavior that is becoming increasingly rare and valuable. As other data sources dry up, platforms built on a foundation of consumer trust and transparent value exchange are poised to become the new industry standard.

Fetch’s innovation puts immense pressure on legacy market research firms and data brokers who rely on older, less transparent methods. The ability to access real-time, granular, and predictive insights through a simple conversational interface sets a new benchmark for what brands will expect from their data partners. FAST is not just a new product; it is a clear signal that the age of AI-driven, on-demand consumer intelligence has truly begun.