Frugl app allows users to compare grocery prices between Woolworths and Coles supermarkets

Family Insights Group (ASX: FAM) has launched its “ground-breaking grocery price comparison and wellness application” called Frugl, available on both Apple and Android devices.

The Frugl app allows users to compare products and prices between Woolworths (ASX: WOW) and Coles (ASX: COL) supermarkets, thus customising the shopping experience while providing the ability to create store-specific shopping lists.

Frugl utilises technology to compare prices between different retailers in their local areas, while simultaneously analysing shopper behaviours in real-time, against the changing landscape of merchandising across 60,000 different products.

The new comparison app will also overlay wellness tools to enable shoppers to compare products and optimise shopping baskets by nutritional value, ingredient listings, allergen inclusions, health ratings and product sustainability, according to a company statement.

Chief executive officer and managing director Sean Smith said the new app represents a means for shoppers to find affordable, healthy food for their families – an aspiration that has been at the core of Family Insights’ development program since acquiring the Frugl business last year.

Growing use of the Frugl mobile app is also expected to add valuable shopper intent and behavioural data to the historical product pricing and promotions data asset already developed by Family Insights.

“The company is very excited to give Australian shoppers this fantastic tool whilst continuing to drive its commercial focus via the provision of its advanced retail analytics platform for grocery retailers and suppliers,” said Mr Smith.

Platform growth

In a statement, the company said that its app offers shoppers enhanced health and wellness capabilities including automated allergy and additive notifications that help shoppers avoid “nasty surprises in their groceries”.

Also, Frugl allows shoppers to set recommended daily intake thresholds against sugar, fat and sodium content, enabling them to manage their specific consumption levels.

Over the coming months, Frugl plans to add several new features to its new app including filtering specific diets, additive pop-ups with detailed descriptions and the inclusion of a library for shoppers to research additives and ingredients found in commonly purchased grocery items.

In future releases, Frugl plans to deliver major enhancements in product search capability, pre-curated and shareable grocery lists and product reviews.

Frugl has also confirmed that it has begun commercialising its data analytics products after initiating discussions with major Australian retailers and grocer suppliers to determine their key data analytics objectives and identify appropriate analytics solutions.

One feature that is expected to attract customers is Frugl’s Grocery Pricing & Promotion Analytics platform utilising data collated since May 2019, with advanced product, category and retail supplier analytics capabilities “now in readiness for immediate deployment with retailers”, the company said.

As discussions with potential analytics customers continue, Frugl said it expects to announce further news on business development activities in Q2 of this year as it seeks to build market share within the $2 billion Australian retail analytics market.