If you’re looking for an app that will make your trip to the store easier and faster, check out aisle411, a free iPhone application developed in St. Louis and launched last November. You can make a shopping list, navigate the store with maps and routes based on your shopping list, search for store offers and coupons, and easily link to product reviews. It sounds perfect, so I put it to the test at two grocery stores.

First I developed a shopping list. The shopping list function of the app included plenty of product choices, and it was easy to use. I was able to find all the items on my list except deli turkey, mozzarella cheese, Lunchables and yogurt.

Next, I used aisle411 to check for in-store offers at Schnucks and Shop 'n Save. I was expecting to see the offers from their weekly print ads, but aisle411 only listed Shop ‘n Save’s $10 off of $50 purchases on Thursdays, and only listed three of Schnucks’ weekly specials.

I headed to Shop ‘n Save first because I thought it had digital coupons for several items on my shopping list. These coupons were accessible through a Perks Card, but when I talked to the store manager, I found Shop 'n Save does not have a Perks Card. I left Shop 'n Save unable to use the coupon and map features of aisle411.*

At Schnucks, the store route worked really well; all the products, with the exception of the four I couldn't add to my shopping list, were accurately mapped in the store. Aisle411’s product review feature was useful when I searched for the product by name. The app also has a feature to scan a product’s UPC code in order to search for product reviews, but when I attempted to use it, I got an error message because my iPhone didn’t have the correct update.

While my two shopping experiences were not made easier by aisle411, the application is free and it has promise. As more users provide feedback, more products will be catalogued and properly routed. Hopefully the coupon and special offers components will be expanded.

Bottom line: this application could be useful to busy families. While most mothers know the grocery store like the back of their hands, to be able to get in and out of the hardware store with an aisle411 shopping list and customized map would be a dream come true. For husbands who are sent to the grocery store with a list prepared by their wives, aisle411 would be a definite hit. Although I did not take my children with me on my aisle411 shopping trips, as I followed the route around Schnucks, I envisioned my first-grader holding my phone and using the map to guide us around the store. She loves a reason to use my iPhone, and I would love for her to gain the map-reading experience.

* It turns out there are two Shop 'n Save grocers in the United States. The Shop 'n Save based in Pittsburgh does have a perks card and several digital coupons.

A note from Nathan Pettyjohn, CEO of aisle411:
"Thanks to all the early aisle411 users, our system is consistently being enhanced by user feedback. We welcome all feedback and will continually work to improve the experience. All the Schnucks items in our tests show results. This could be unique bug with one particular store and we are continually working to enhance the searchable terms. Currently there is no spell-check incorporated and many items not found are because of a mis-spelling."

Download the free aisle411 application for your iPhone now or visit www.aisle411.com to learn how it works with different types of phones.

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