Typically, shoppers are unaware of local grocery prices in their area. This is due to the large number of purchasable items, the variety of prices between stores, the fluctuating prices within stores, and the shopper’s ability to keep track of store prices.
We have researched two apps related to our work, Flipp and Instacart. Flipp only searches for coupons through a store’s digital flyers. It does not calculate which store has the cheapest groceries, and the app does not total prices for the user. Instacart allows users to shop at stores but not compare prices. Instacart does not use in-store prices; instead, retailers set prices on the Instacart app, thus allowing them to introduce a markup.We have researched two apps related to our work, Flipp and Instacart. Flipp only searches for coupons through a store’s digital flyers. It does not calculate which store has the cheapest groceries, and the app does not total prices for the user. Instacart allows users to shop at stores but not compare prices. Instacart does not use in-store prices; instead, retailers set prices on the Instacart app, thus allowing them to introduce a markup.
Based on the items in the user’s shopping list (which they can store on the app), the app’s algorithms can find the best store in their area to save the most money. It can also filter stores by distance using location services.
Our app uses Android location services to find stores near the user. We programmed with Kotlin (a Java-based language) and XML using Android Studio. On the backend, we used Firebase to store our data. Our team used all of the above to create a high-performing app.