If your life is busy, things like managing your household products can easily slip by the wayside, leaving you out of garbage bags and toilet paper and inopportune moments. Alice.com, which launched in the summer of 2009, is a hybrid personal assistant/housekeeper that combines reorder reminders with online shopping. Now, the e-tailer has brought its Web site functionality to its free iPhone app, Alice.com.
Being new to Alice.com, I did have to sign up for a free account through the regular Web site (perhaps this step could be included in a future update). Registration was quick, but the site does request you select your family members as well as household products you commonly use. The iPhone app and site sync both ways, which means that anything added via the iPhone app will quickly appear on your computer and vice versa.
The biggest draw of the Alice.com iPhone app for me was its bar code scanner, which I was shocked to see actually work on my iPhone 3G. Line up a product’s bar code within the displayed box (it will turn green when placement is correct) and hold steady while it scans. It will then, if available, display the selected product on screen. This is a great feature for new users to quickly populate their accounts with commonly used products, and it’s also helpful for getting quick price comparisons while you’re actually out shopping. Items can be saved in your cart for future ordering, too.
I love that this iPhone app includes built-in package tracking for orders, reorder alerts, and concierge services to make your life even easier. Users can also search for products directly, browse the Alice.com by room, or check out the daily Top 50 deals within the coupons section. Orders can be placed directly in-app (a minimum of six products is required) and shipping is always free.
