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As has been stated a thousand times over, there’s an app for practically
any purpose you could dream of. Some in particular suffer from a glut of
apps, and shopping is one of those. With such a wide array to choose from,
sorting out which ones are truly useful can be a special kind of
challenge. This is why we’ve taken a rather picky stance in our CTIA
wanderings, but a neat little app called Aisle411 managed to catch my eye.
Aisle411 is a feature-packed and user-friendly app aimed at helping you
navigate large retail locations, such as Home Depot and grocery super
stores. The app has many functions, but what stands out are its list and
location features. So for example, you can create a list of all the items
you need at Home Depot and it will map out exactly where the items are at
the particular retail space you intend to visit. (For those who’ve never
been to a Home Depot, I can’t begin to describe how useful this is.)
Aisle411
As for the data on where items are located within a particular store,
Aisle411 acquires this on the backend from the retailers as well as
through users’ interactions with the app itself. That is, if you arrive at
the spot for “double-sided tape” and it now contains something else, you
can tap the Edit Location button on the screen.
Of course, this only scratches the surface of the many features offered by
the app. You can also use your phone’s GPS to find supported stores near
you, the built-in mic to speak lists, and the camera to scan barcodes in
order to pull up user reviews on specific products. Aisle411 also
integrates discounts and coupons for the items on your shopping list. And
as with so many apps these days, there’s a social element: you can check-
in at and earn badges at stores, as well as easily share coupons and
discounts via Facebook and Twitter.
Aisle411 comes out next month for iOS, with a mobile Web element for other
devices and plans for an Android app in Q1 of 2011. The initial launch
will focus on 1,000 retail locations in 17 metro areas, with more to come
early next year. Oh, and did I mention it’s completely free?
