Thursday 9 December 2010

Scan2List – Did Australia just get the world’s best shopping list app? [TNW Australia]



Scan2List has announced the launch of its iPhone App specifically designed for Australian shoppers.
Scan2List is a free iPhone App that allows you to quickly and easily create shopping lists either by scanning the barcodes of items in your pantry directly onto your phone or manually adding them to your list.

Shopping lists can be saved for future use as well as synchronised with other Scan2List App users in the household. That means being able to quickly add that thing you forgot to the “shopper’s” list while they’re out shopping.

Lists are also easily organised into aisles matching the store floorplan and items are checked off as they are added to the trolley.

I’ve already had a play with Scan2List and while it’s a little more daunting than your typical general purpose list app at first, it only takes a few minutes to understand why this is so much better for shopping than anything else out there.

According to Kate Cass, Founder and CEO of Scan2List, the idea to create a shopping app for Aussie conditions was essentially born out of frustration with the usual random household shopping process.

“For the umpteenth time my husband had arrived home from a mega grocery shop with all sorts of weird and wonderful products, sadly none of which we regularly use or that the kids would eat. As I re-did the shopping the following day I thought there has to be an easier way.”

Seems my wife isn’t the only one who’s had that problem then…

Scan2List has already received industry recognition winning the top prize at the 2009 MEGA (Mobile Enterprise Growth Alliance) Digital Entrepreneurship Masterclass. The app uses Australian units of measure, Australian Naming, and recognises Australian Barcodes from an ever-growing list of items stored on the Scan2List database. It works with multiple stores and can be used for groceries, Christmas shopping lists, weekend DIY lists, holiday checklists and even a wedding gift registry.

“Like most working mums I can’t always get to the shops at a regular time, so being able to make a shopping list on the go with the brands I want – and share that list with my partner – it’s like a dream come true!”

Scan2List really is a comprehensive shopping list app, rather than just a list app you use for shopping. It should become even more useful when they roll out their “coming soon” features like ‘Daily Deals’.

You can download Scan2List for free from the iTunes App Store or from their website.