Order groceries on your Pocket PC

[Ed Hansberry]

<a href="http://www.tesco.com">http://www.tesco.com</a><br /><br />If you are lucky enough to live in the UK, you can soon order groceries from you Pocket PC. They are getting ready to beta test and are looking for volunteers. So, if you time, live in the UK and are hungry, <a href="http://www.lansley.com/tescobetatest">apply for the beta</a>. Pre-requisites are that you have a Pocket PC 2000 or 2002 and a cradle-sync, plus the option of a direct internet connection should you want to place an order when you are far from your cradle. You must also be a registered Tesco.com customer or you can <a href="http://www.tesco.com">register for free</a>. They cover more than 90% of the UK.<br /><br /><img src="http://www.pocketpcthoughts.com/images/tescoproductsearch.jpg" /> <img src="http://www.pocketpcthoughts.com/images/tescobasketsync.jpg" /><br /><br />Shown are a few screen shots, searching for products in the Tesco database and syncing information with their server. They anticipate going live by May. Someone email me when Tesco opens up a store in Tennessee. :-)

[entropy1980]

Tesco owns 35% of Groceryworks.com here in the U.S. , This is in conjunction with Safeway who owns 50% of Groceryworks.com, Safeway.com will be rolling out nationwide with Groceryworks ( where there are Safeway, Vons, Carrs, Dominic's, Randalls grocery stores) So i expect if this is a success at all it will be rolled out here. I will see what I can dig up at work ( I work for Vons Corporate here in So Cal)

[GregWard]

An interesting aspect of Tesco.com's success (when others have failed miserably at the same game) is that it's very low tech at the "back-end". The front interface is high-tech 21st Century but - after the order is placed - a Tesco employee ends up pushing a cart around your local store and "picking" the products for you!

The big advantage being, of course, zip impact on the infrastructure - ie no expensive new warehouses etc.

Oh well - maybe they'll give the Employee a PPC in the future as well!!!!!

ps (ref the last post) Safeway in the UK were playing around with a Palm derivative to do the same thing a few years back - not sure it went anywhere though.

[garretwp]

Just wanted to say that the interface looks pretty nice. clean and xp like! : )

[Chubbergott]

The only problem I'd have with this is the practicality of it.

If I'm at home, I'd use my home PC. If I'm out, I'd call in on my way home and even if I can't, I'm not going to pay good pennies for something that will, let's be honest, take more than a few minutes of online time.

Good idea, but I don't think the market is either too insubstantial or only for rich geeks.

[dochall]

Tesco owns 35% of Groceryworks.com here in the U.S. , This is in conjunction with Safeway who owns 50% of Groceryworks.com, Safeway.com will be rolling out nationwide with Groceryworks ( where there are Safeway, Vons, Carrs, Dominic's, Randalls grocery stores) So i expect if this is a success at all it will be rolled out here. I will see what I can dig up at work ( I work for Vons Corporate here in So Cal)


After Webvan?

Using a PPC allows me to sit on the sofa to do it. I could do it now via WIFI but the Tesco site is not exacly ppc friendly and I can't be bothered to card my laptop around.

Could be interesting. I use the tesco internet service at the moment which may be low tech but it does work. The only time I go into a supermarket now is for five minutes to pick up milk and bread. I hate supermarkets and this is a good extension.

[Foo Fighter]

Great looking UI. Wish more app developers were this innovative.

[RussHart]

Woo hoo, I normally get quite annoyed when I see all these cool innovations and they are restriced to some place in US/Can only, now I'm pleased to have one that allpies to me! :D

[Kevin Tea]

Hmm, if I used this through my 9600 GSM connection, I reckon it would be quicker to drive to my nearest Tescos!

Regards

Kevin

[nicklansley]

Tesco have now launched the Tesco.com Pocket Shopper for Pocket PCs. registered Tesco.com customers in the UK can download the Pocket Shopper application (2Mbyte download) from a link on the grocery home page once they have logged in to the site at www.tesco.com .

The Pocket Shopper stores 20,000+ products in a compressed format, and both the product list and the basket are synchronised when the Pocket Shopper is either cradles, or a direct internet connection is established through a wired or wireless LAN or mobile cellular link.

Tesco.com Registration and the Pocket Shopper application are free - the only requirement is that the customer lives in a grocery home shopping zone (which covers 95% of the UK population as of August 2002).

Nick Lansley

[dochall]

Tesco have now launched the Tesco.com Pocket Shopper for Pocket PCs. registered Tesco.com customers in the UK can download the Pocket Shopper application (2Mbyte download) from a link on the grocery home page once they have logged in to the site at www.tesco.com .


Congratulations Nick but couldn't you persuade the WS team to give it a bit more prominence. I read your message and it still took ages to find. Unless I was really looking for it I doubt I would spot it.