Thoughts on Redoing a Popular Grocery Savings App

Associatedjustinium @ groceryplay.com.au on 23/07/2024 - 22:07
Last edited 24/07/2024 - 08:53 by 1 other user

Hey everyone,

Back in 2017 I posted about a grocery savings startup I launched in Australia. The feedback was good and we got national media coverage but unfortunately it ended. But now I’m thinking about redoing it under a new name and making improvements because there’s a serious cost of living crisis and none of the grocery savings app seem to be any good.

What do people think of existing grocery savings apps? What are their major shortcomings? What do you think they need to really offer value? Is there room for AI to improve them?

For now I’m gauging interest for a new app I’ll probably develop. It’s called GroceryPlay and it will aim to help people make savings in a gamified way.

Please give me feedback on the website. I’d really appreciate it. Thanks.

[GroceryPlay] (https://www.groceryplay.com.au/)

Food & Grocery

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groceryplay.com.au
groceryplay.com.au

Comments

  • WoodYouLikeSomeCash on 23/07/2024 - 22:12
    +1

    You have to pay for it? Why would I pay when there is free alternatives?

    • Associatedjustinium @ groceryplay.com.au on 23/07/2024 - 22:13
      -4

      The idea is to offer more value than what’s available and make it generally easier. That’s why you’d pay for it.

      • WoodYouLikeSomeCash on 23/07/2024 - 22:20
        +1

        https://apps.apple.com/au/app/upup/id6478162037

        What’s more can you offer that this app doesn’t?

      • coffeeinmyveins on 23/07/2024 - 22:59
        +9

        Go on.

        What value are you offering.

        And I mean tangible value. Not wishy washy gamification and optimizing time stuff.

        Looking at your site you are just flat out making stuff up mate

        10x fun? 10x buying local?

        Best deals across Coles, Woolies, Aldi with instant price comparison

        How's this different to any of the other grocery apps that try to do this and mostly fail??

        Absolutely no chance you are getting people to pay for this with the level of investment (minimal) you'd be putting into it and compared to others in the market

  • Hybroid on 23/07/2024 - 22:15
    +2

    These apps come and go all the time. Constantly cropping up thinking they're different. No chance people are paying for something that will 9 times out of 10 disappear overnight within next few weeks/months.

    • Associatedjustinium @ groceryplay.com.au on 23/07/2024 - 22:19
      -1

      Does that mean there’s no potential for an app like this? Seems like no one has done it well. The experience for so many of these apps is very average.

      • Hybroid on 23/07/2024 - 22:22
        +9

        Nope, no interest for me. Groceries is a chore and a necessity. Not interested in signing up for a subscription and some gamified experience for some potential savings.

        But I don't speak for everyone, see what others say.

        • Associatedjustinium @ groceryplay.com.au on 23/07/2024 - 22:26
          -1

          Okay. I recognise it’s a chore. It’s also a chore finding savings which is why it might benefit from being gamified. But do you think if something offers a fun experience and saves you more than other apps then it might be worth paying for? There’s plenty of room for improvement here.

          • zonra on 23/07/2024 - 22:37
            +10

            @justinium:

            which is why it might benefit from being gamified

            Err, not for me.
            It’s a chore hence I want to be done with it quickly then spend time on actual games/hobbies.
            Prolonging the chore is the last thing I want to do.

          • DoctorCalculon on 24/07/2024 - 19:29

            @justinium:

            It’s also a chore finding savings which is why it might benefit from being gamified.

            F*** me! Does gamifying something make it less of a chore? Like putting lipstick on a pig, dude!

            I am still not seeing your app's value proposition over existing alternatives.

  • randomusername2017 on 23/07/2024 - 22:28
    +2

    Popular Grocery Savings

    Can't have been that popular 🤔

    Rename, rebrand, pivot…. latch on to the Costa living crisis life raft …

    /End

    • askbargain on 23/07/2024 - 22:33
      +2

      look at OP's other abandoned projects. what a waste of time for everyone else.

      • randomusername2017 on 23/07/2024 - 22:53
        +1

        IDK
        I'm guilty of looking at the linked site…that was cringe enough to lose my interest.
        Closely resembles some elements of the sphincter coin based one..maybe more than 10x input from edr .

        Still trying to work out the up to $100 PM in savings claim..

  • coffeeinmyveins on 23/07/2024 - 22:53
    +1

    Oh look it's that time of month for us to get another grocery app…

  • MS Paint on 23/07/2024 - 23:19
    +3

    The picture of people drinking on the home page - where did you steal that from?

    • simplystu on 24/07/2024 - 08:20

      Not only that - but image shows alcoholic drinks.

      An unusual choice of picture to have as main image of a "grocery savings" website.

    • ThithLord on 24/07/2024 - 08:36

      If you use Google Chrome, you can right-click the picture and Search image with Google to find the image used elsewhere. I'm sure OP paid for the use of this image, surely?

      • randomusername2017 on 24/07/2024 - 09:04
        +1

        …or maybe they're gamified the system and are raking in the savings.

      • MS Paint on 24/07/2024 - 09:18
        +1

        I did that first and was surprised to see it on an Amazon ad and several online newsletters.

  • freefall101 on 24/07/2024 - 00:03
    +2

    If I can enter my groceries for the week and it picks out perfect substitutes at the lowest cost that then orders from the minimum number of stores I want to collect/deliver from using whatever subscriptions I have (i.e. coles deliver/woolworths deliveries) then it holds value to me.

    Otherwise, it's just playing a stupid game that delivers no value.

  • hasher22 on 24/07/2024 - 01:13
    +2

    The reason why other apps are not good is because Woolies and Coles keep blocking and changing their code on their site from third party data readers. Price hipster stopped trying to recode their website to keep up with Coles.

    And don't forget ALDI doesn't even have an ecommerce online store for their instore products.

    If other apps are failing, it will be a miracle if you can get the price data quickly from Coles, woollies, iga, ALDI…. Etc

    If that happens, I'll be happy to pay and if it has an in app price alert or email price drop alerts too.

  • woodg on 24/07/2024 - 02:36
    +5

    Gamified? That's a no from me. Sorry, but I wouldn't even check it out if it's "gamified".

  • Sammy2000 on 24/07/2024 - 08:20
    +1

    The background colour of the homepage is sewer green and unappealing.
    Thanks anyhow.

    • samfisher5986 on 24/07/2024 - 09:38

      ChatGPT says its "faded beige" or "Muted Moss"

      ;)

  • samfisher5986 on 24/07/2024 - 09:35
    +1

    Dead on Arrival

    Why? Because you can't see Aldi prices so why would I bother?

    The coles/woolworths app combined with the "half price" app does well.

    If you could somehow get a live list of all Aldi grocery prices in your app that would be different, otherwise its dead on arrival and I'm not sure how you can't see that.

    (And having the community or your business do the manual listings of Aldi prices is not going to work, its been done before and it was bad)

  • cuteseal on 24/07/2024 - 09:40

    It seems like the main goal of the "game" is to achieve the highest savings which seems ok on face value but could be counter-intuitive.

    • Supermarkets often raise prices to ridiculous levels and then discount them back down to normal prices, so it appears you are getting a bigger saving than normal.
    • A particular item may have a higher discount but still be more expensive than an alternative item
    • Shoppers may be led to purchase things they don't need to achieve their "gaming" targets

    At the end of the day the "game" may be incentivising shoppers to spend more than they would have.

    It's a no from me.

  • leiiv on 24/07/2024 - 10:24
    +3

    These are what might be useful for me:
    1. I want to see the historical price for all products (at least 2 years behind), Woolworths and Coles would be a good start.
    2. I have a list of items, and I want the app to alert me whenever each of those items go on special or at their lowest ever price (and at which shop of course).
    3. I have a list of items (a,b,c,d,e) that I want to buy now, and I want the app to find the shops where I can get them cheaper (eg, buy a, b, e from W, buy c, e from C)
    4. A lot of places don't have their prices published online, so a crowdsourcing system (just like ozb) can help with that.

  • 2esc on 24/07/2024 - 12:02
    +2

    I like your enthusiasm but its not something most people will use.

  • onetwothreefour on 24/07/2024 - 12:39
    +3

    Your website looked like it was aimed at my kids rather than me and my wife who do all of the shopping.

  • simplystu on 24/07/2024 - 19:27

    1 possible idea (esp with AI coming into our lives) …

    Not only APP to compare prices between shops - but to look at what previously/recently bought (esp if buy said item regularly) …

    Prompt you … Hey you often buy "such item" it is on special ATM - but you bought it only last week, do you still have enough in-stock at home?

    This would also set this APP apart from the others +++ would actually be worth paying for (whereas current APP model, I certainly wouldn't pay any $$$ to use it).

    AU shoppers waste Soo much food - (and according to another "savvy shopping" website - that is where end customers can save $100 each week) … By NOT buying food they don't need, when already have enough at home, then throw out when past used by date.

    OBS not what DEV was thinking … And DEV seems to have a rep of making apps/ideas - but spreading too thinly (eg. the fashion QR code idea - that never really took off) - even though had potential (but then look at prices he was asking).

    [EDIT] …

    Great idea with the fashion QR thing BTW (as everything has gone QR these days) … But poorly implemented business strategy (+ crazy prices).

    As with current idea … Has potential - but again poorly implemented process.

    Perhaps - need to see a business planner + find someone with decades of IT/marketing/business EXP to "lend an ear" + "be a helping guide".

    APP/website clearly shows - your not ready.
    And will unfortunately fail "again" in current form.

    Sorry for harshness … but just what I see.

    • samfisher5986 on 25/07/2024 - 10:21

      Coles/Woolies already do the previously shopped special thing.

  • randomusername2017 on 25/07/2024 - 14:26

    Last Seen
    23/07/2024

    Premium subscription have a faster turnaround?

    • simplystu on 25/07/2024 - 18:07

      Perhaps thinks - OZB == part of his marketing strategy (going by previous post history).

      Rather than taking onboard - what ppl actually say.

      Maybe he even has a 2nd OZB A/C ???
      Just throwing it out there.

  • l005e on 25/07/2024 - 18:13
    +2

    Go free for 2 years and get thousands of reviews saying things like this app saves me $$ each month.
    Then charge $2/month and gamble.
    My guess is it will be very popular in our current market.

    • simplystu on 25/07/2024 - 21:14
      +1

      As long last he doesn't charge $99/month.
      When rest of market is charging $5/month (and a savvy OZB can source EXACT SAME for free).

      As that is what he did for one of his previous ventures.
      Just saying.

      OP : REALLY REALLY needs to see some sort of professional business planner - if he wants any of his ideas to succeed.

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