Ocado is one of the UK’s classier supermarkets. It’s online-only (although closely linked to meatspace retailer Waitrose) and most people would probably say it appeals to the better-off kind of shopper.
It’s also, as of this week, a pioneer of iPhone shopping. The free Ocado app does a few clever things that the other big retailers might want to keep a close eye on when they finally get round to building apps of their own.
For one thing, the app comes with Ocado’s full catalogue of 18,000 products, so you don’t need a net connection to browse and add stuff to your basket. Add things when you think of them, whenever it’s convenient. And next time your phone’s online, it’ll sync all your actions with your Ocado account.
It falls down with a bizarre bug: your phone’s clock has to be set to 24 hour clock mode for the app to install and run correctly. If it isn’t, the app falls over and very critical comments start appearing on the App Store. The developers know about this, though, and say they’ll have it fixed soon.
This app is a sign of things to come. Online shopping has grown enormously in the UK over the last decade or so, and it’s going to grow ever bigger if people can shop more conveniently, away from their home computers. Rival (cheaper, more popular) supermarkets are no doubt hard at work on similar apps (for iPhone and other platforms) right now, and it will be very interesting to see how they compare.
