The Consumers Association of Singapore (Case) has created a new app for consumers to make the best cost-saving choices when buying groceries and hawker food.
Price Kaki app comes with a list of prices given by partner businesses and shoppers. Rewards such as grocery and movie vouchers will be provided to consumers who provide in-store retail prices and promotions that they pick up while shopping.
Photos of these details must be provided for verification.
Users of the app can search for an item, look up on which retailer is offering the lowest price and be informed and updated on price changes.
For hawker food, users can search for the dish on the app and identify the stalls ad the prices at which they are being sold.
Price Kaki is expected to be launched by the end of September.
When launched, 3,000 frequently bought items such as milk and eggs will be listed on the app with price information which will be updated daily by FairPrice, Giant, Sheng Siong and Prime Supermarket.
Mr Melvin Yong, chairman of Case’s consumer empowerment task force and MP for Tanjong Pagar GRC said that the app is meant to be a one-stop platform for in-store prices of daily necessities.
He said that there are plans to make it more widespread and include more goods and businesses such as coffee shops, said Mr Yong.
The app will also come in various language modes.
Enhancing consumer experience with technology is an approach which is increasingly being adopted.
Last month, OpenGov had reported on the use of technology in new unmanned stores for improving the consumer shopping experience.
Some of these technologies include a biometric palm scanner, QR code scan and facial recognition system.
Biometric palm scanner
Customers will have to create an account with retailer Octobox and register a palm scan. Upon registering, they will have to scan their hand on the biometric palm scammer located at the entrance of the store, every time they wish to enter.
Upon completing the selection of items for purchase, customers will bring all their selected items to the checkout room where the RFID tags on the items which will be automatically scanned.
They will proceed on to pay by scanning their palm to use DBS PayLah and keying in the last four digits of their mobile number for authentication purposes.
QR code
After setting up and account with retailer OMO Store, customers will have to scan the QR code using the company’s mobile app for entering the store.
After having chosen their items, they will bring them to the checkout kiosk where the RFID tags of the items will be automatically scanned.
Payment will be made using cashless options such as credit card, Nets and GrabPay.
QRcode/ facial recognition
Customers will have to set up an account with retailer Pick & Go. Like OMO Store, they will have to scan a QR code with Pick & Go’s, mobile app to enter the store.
Alternatively, facial recognition can be used for authorised customers. They will have to submit pictures of themselves via the app to use this method.
Customers can conveniently leave the store after selecting their items as they will be automatically charged to their accounts. Payment options include Mastercard and Visa.