Haßloch is a test market for new brandname items and consumer products: At Haßloch retailers’ shops, products are available in advance that are only to be introduced into the rest of Germany in the future. On the local cable television network, specially made commercials for these products are shown, and individual newspapers (such as "Hörzu" and "Bunte") are published for Haßloch with special advertisements for the new products. Moreover, some citizens hold cards with barcodes that can be scanned with every purchase so that an individual household's shopping habits can be tracked.