Can't find it on the Canadian app store :(
Show HN: InStock – like Waze, but for grocery availability
71–80 of 87 posts
Re: Show HN: InStock – like Waze, but for grocery availability
#72Interesting how this kind of app will be most useful if everyone uses the same app. In which case there is perfect market transparency (well, regarding availability only in this case) and perfect centralization.
Of course, this is still individuals contributing, and so it's not exactly central planning, but it does go to show that centralized organization of available goods is quite helpful in a crisis situation, simply because it is more efficient. Especially in this crisis, where inefficiency (wandering around town trying to find stuff) is in direct conflict with the best remedy (social distancing).
Re: Show HN: InStock – like Waze, but for grocery availability
#73This needs crowdsourced data with extremely short shelf life (if you pardon the pun). I don’t understand how this will ever work unless you find a more automatic way to get the data. Some ideas: - Cooperate with the grocery store, and integrate with their existing inventory systems. - Build the app around a smart shopping list. Automatically suggest the nearest store that is most likely to have everything on my list…
2 and 3 are unlikely, most in store inventory and ordering systems are quite antiquated, not easily integrating with modern web technology, they also do not monitor things like shrink and shelf misplacement. Working with a large grocer, the best method for in stock is sales analysis.
Re: Show HN: InStock – like Waze, but for grocery availability
#74A better method would be to have reservation only items, or even just a sign up sheet and distribution. As the concept of people following hot tips and traveling to en mass to various locations around the city will almost certainly exacerbate the spread. If the majority of people are good enough to use the system for it's intended purpose, then they can maybe also just not hoard items others may need.
Re: Show HN: InStock – like Waze, but for grocery availability
#75Are you an Orlandoan, by chance? I'm seeing some familiar addresses in the features screenshots. Need any help?
Re: Show HN: InStock – like Waze, but for grocery availability
#76it would have been somewhat would be useful if you could tie into inventory systems like brickseek, or directly from online grocers/amazon-wholefoods/instacart. but... during this time, even those systems are unreliable so i cant imagine this being of much use as of now.
good point. we agree that this would be useful, even if the information isn't perfect. you're exactly right to point out that the information isn't perfect, by the way. I was just at a store earlier doing some personal shopping and I noticed they had employees counting the items because their inventory system wasn't reliable.
If this were to take off and maintain popularity past the COVID crisis, you could start showing trends to identify when stores receive shipments, restock their shelves, etc.
During the crisis, I don't see many people clicking "I Can Help", but it would be interesting if you could find a way to solve that. Gamification as others have said, might help, but not sure.
It would be interesting InstaCart shoppers, etc, could adopt this as a way to drive more business for themselves. If they're already out shopping and can identify high-demand items are in stock, a would-be buyer could procure it pretty quickly by starting an order with that Insta-shopper. I haven't thought through that, but it's an idea.
I could also see uploading, emailing InstaCart receipts. You could grep in-stock/out-ouf-stock information from those and timestamp it based on when the shopping was done.
Re: Show HN: InStock – like Waze, but for grocery availability
#77Would be great if you could lease out this platform for other in demand assets or services that need crowd sourcing info.
Interesting idea! Do you have any specific examples in mind?
We had a similar idea, but didn't follow through. Here are some non-obvious use cases that you may find interesting
- Price comparison for the same item at different local stores - Localized demand estimation for brands - Referrals for items not available in the traditional distribution model (eg. Organic/Handmade goods)
Re: Show HN: InStock – like Waze, but for grocery availability
#78This needs crowdsourced data with extremely short shelf life (if you pardon the pun). I don’t understand how this will ever work unless you find a more automatic way to get the data. Some ideas: - Cooperate with the grocery store, and integrate with their existing inventory systems. - Build the app around a smart shopping list. Automatically suggest the nearest store that is most likely to have everything on my list…
2 and 3 are unlikely, most in store inventory and ordering systems are quite antiquated, not easily integrating with modern web technology, they also do not monitor things like shrink and shelf misplacement. Working with a large grocer, the best method for in stock is sales analysis.
I've done multiple POS data integration products with retail sales and inventory data and have thought about the backend of this sort of app before. #2 is doable, the main problem is that every retailer has different systems. But it can be done with enough capital.
Re: Show HN: InStock – like Waze, but for grocery availability
#79Are you an Orlandoan, by chance? I'm seeing some familiar addresses in the features screenshots. Need any help?
I am in Orlando! I appreciate the offer to help. I'll definitely keep that in mind. Can you send me an email (email on my hn user is good)
Re: Show HN: InStock – like Waze, but for grocery availability
#80How the heck are you able to get this data? I called the local store (Fred Myer) and they say they don't know they wait until the truck arrives and then they see what they get.
Here's an idea for OP: - track what users are searching for in an area (e.g. toilet paper) - use GPS to determine who is at a store nearby that hasn't had that item updated recently - prompt the user via notification with something like "Does [grocery store you're in] have toilet paper in stock?" Admittedly it's not motivating anyone to answer, but it might help to keep data fresh.
Just scan receipts that will tell you what’s in stock as the user bought it