The Hex Clan’s project idea is to create a multipurpose application to assist its users in obtaining the best prices for groceries locally and to navigate efficiently to specific stores with users chosen products. Initially, the motivation for creating this app was to aid people of low socio-economic status to afford and plan delicious meals as well as help them keep track of their spending habits through budgeting. The app was then expanded to include local shopping, as in recent years, online shopping has become more popular largely due to convenience and competitive prices. Online shopping has disrupted the local economy in small towns and capital cities alike. Hence our team wanted to create an app to help solve these problems with a tangible solution.
The key features of this app will include:
This project will be designed as a one-stop-shop that facilitates shopping, meal planning and budgeting into one easy to use app.
The desired goal of this app will be in giving users the ability and opportunity to minimise their weekly spending without compromising their quality of life. This will be achieved by helping users purchase only what they require. According to (Caeser 2019), it is important to make a shopping list to reduce the chances of impulse buying. Some of the additional benefits of having a shopping list include saving money, time, and energy, reducing waste, helping with keeping you focused, helping improve your memory and making you feel good when you complete it. With regards to food, the user will be able to accurately purchase only the ingredients they need to create the meals they plan to make. Also, with the apps ability to notify users when sale periods are happening, people will be able to buy products that they may not often purchase at lower prices, helping them with budgeting.
Due to the challenge of finding exact products in local shops, as well as not being able to find products at the best possible price, online sales have been and are increasing dramatically (Kristensen 2021, para.7.). This shift in the consumer market towards online shopping may be affecting local businesses. In fact, according to (Plastow 2019), Australia’s smaller cities and regional towns are losing their shopping districts as online shopping continues to trend upwards. The number of Australians who are shopping online increased 20.2% year on year in 2018. This trend is further exacerbated in “inner regional” towns such as Toowoomba and Ballarat, with these areas seeing increases in online shopping of up to 21.4% in the same period.
According to Aguirre (2020), the meteoric rise of online shopping has presented both challenges and opportunities for local companies to accomplish their vital task of receiving the attention and business of their target audiences. E-commerce can bring some negative impacts to local economies, the biggest negative impact being the reduction in the amount of sales tax and other local taxes that local governments collect.
Online sales also make it hard for local stores to have a competitive advantage with their prices as online sources often do not charge sales tax. The difference with small purchases may be negligible; however, this can add up on larger buys. Having customers choose to go online will also restrict local company’s growth rates. Online purchases from conglomerate retailers like Amazon can also drain the local economy further by reducing growth in the immediate community. This can cause a vicious cycle where local retailers are unable to compete with larger companies. This, in turn, causes companies in the area to hire fewer people and or to increase their prices to stay afloat and profitable. The local economy suffers as a result as there is less money circulating in the immediate area, causing fewer opportunities for growth and jobs.
Working on this project will provide valuable experience in working on an IT project as part of a team. We will have the opportunity to gain knowledge and experience in a variety of front-end and back-end tools. As well as gaining experience in web design, mobile design, and database structures. This will help our team stand out when we advance into the workforce rather than just an average university graduate. Working in a team will help improve skills like time management, decision making, collaboration, emotional intelligence, adaptability, and project management. These skills, according to (Omoth, 2020) are in the top 13 job skills employers want in 2021.
According to (Bourne, 2021) some of the top grocery shopping apps and how our app is unique when compared to them include:
Similar Products and Points of Difference
Our research showed that though most apps had similar functions to our app, none of the competitors had all the features working seamlessly in a single app. Our app’s aim is to function as the only app you will require for all your budgeting, shopping, and bargain hunting needs.