There are plenty of product comparison apps out there for big-ticket items such as televisions, but consumers are often on their own when deciding what to buy in the aisles of the grocery or drug store. Consmr Barcode Scanner, a universal app, has been called the “Yelp for Supermarket Products” by Forbes due to its comprehensive product guide, rife with user reviews.
Consmr’s bread-and-butter is its in-app scanner, which works lightning fast. I was wowed by the recognition speed of the app (on occasion it’s simply too fast for you to line up the UPC properly) and its overall accuracy. Once a UPC has been scanned, users will see full product information, including rating, rank and user-provided reviews. Consmr also offers alternative products—typically brands you’ll already know of—and nearby retailers, which is probably the least useful section of the app. If you aren’t physically near a product’s UPC, you can use the keyword function to pull up the item manually.
I think shoppers will find the app particularly useful when choosing items they might not be familiar with, or if it’s time to branch-out in terms of brand loyalty. Consmr also claims to display recall information on products. I tried searching items currently on the FDA recall list and couldn’t get the message to appear, so either the function isn’t fully operational or it only works with barcode scans, not manual entries.
All of Consmr’s reviews are viewable without an account, but to leave your own ratings or use the in-app list you’ll need to register your information.
Find great games for iOS here
