Grocery stores to launch shopping app

NECN, April 22, 2011

Your smart phone could be getting smart enough to do your grocery shopping. A Quincy, Massachusetts company has developed an app that allows you to use your cell phone to scan your grocery purchases. Stop & Shop is testing the pilot program and is looking to launch it in three Massachusetts stores this summer.

"This changes retail," said John Caron of Modiv Media, which developed the app. "Mobile is a huge, huge push," he said.

The shopping app uses your smart phone camera to take a picture of the item's bar code. It keeps track of what you spend, and even offers coupons for items tailored to your shopping habits. The app would reduce the need for hand held scanner guns now in use.

"It lowers the cost for retailers and changes the experience for customers because now it's (their) device, (they're) more likely to use it," said Caron.

We took it for a test drive. It was a little cumbersome at first, holding the phone and the item up to shoot the bar code. The biggest fear was accidentally dropping the expensive smart phone. As with the hand held scanners, customers are subject to random auditing to make sure they aren't taking items and not paying for them.

Caron says soon about 50 percent of people will have smart phones, so they expect a lot of usage for the free app. We asked some moms doing their grocery shopping what they think.

"It would make it so much easier than standing in line (at the checkout)," said Christine Mascarell. Motioning to her two young children she added, "..because they're fussy."

Amy Connor agreed, "I would absolutely use it ," she said. "With kids, it would make it easier and quicker."

Anything that makes it easier for moms...and dads...should be a big hit.

Right now, Movid Media has made the app for the IPhone and will soon have one for the Android.

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