Grocery Store IPS Android and IPhone App

Photo Credit: Engadget.com

It’s one thing I can never, ever find in the grocery store. Even in my local store that I patronize twice weekly, I can still be found on certain days wandering the aisles, aimlessly searching for my desired item.

I wish that could count as exercise.

Anyway, there’s a new IPhone app that’s being test marketed by Meijer grocery stores right now. It uses Indoor Positioning Systems (as opposed to GPS) to map out the locations of many items within a large facility – like a grocery store, mall, etc.

So if I was looking for capers, I could find it with this IPhone app, instead of a) searching to find a grocery store employee (who is hiding out in the back on a “break”) b) wandering the aisles myself or c) leaving without them.

The app was created by Point Inside, which is a start-up company that focuses on using IPS in different deployments.

It’s more than just a “direct me to the capers” tool. It also can display sales and promotions, as well as help you remember where you parked your car in the parking lot. For anyone with mommy brain, you’ll know that is a helpful feature! It also displays the location of restrooms (no more dashing around with the potty-training toddler who waited too long to tell you he had to go!) and customer service within the store.

Right now the app is only available for use at 4 Meijer grocery stores in Michigan. For those folks, it’s a free app both for IPhone and Android. You can download it at the App Store.

Another excuse for me to get a smartphone: “Honey, I’ll be able to find my car in the parking lot.” Think it will fly?