App contest seeks savings in online price database
Supermarkets in Israel are required to post their prices on the Internet, and a competition sponsored by Google aims to make the most of that data
Recently passed laws require Israeli supermarkets and chain stores to post the prices for the products they sell in an online database, designed to be accessible to programmers for use in apps that will enable consumers to compare prices and keep track of deals.
The database has the potential to help reduce the cost of living for Israelis, and in order to help that happen, Google Israel and the Israel Internet Society this week announced an incentive to entrepreneurs to write programs that take advantage of the database. The two organizations are sponsoring a contest in which entrepreneurs will submit their projects, with winners getting free Nexus phones and tablets, and other goodies.
Legislated in mid-2014, the Food Law includes provisions whereby supermarkets and grocery stores, as well as outlets that sell cosmetics and gasoline, automatically upload data on prices directly from the cash register as items are scanned. The information is publicly available via online query engines at several sites.
So far, though, no apps have made use of the database for price comparisons (there are several apps that provide price comparisons, but they are limited in scope and do not make use of the national database). Google aims to change that, by incentivizing entrepreneurs and programmers to dedicate their time and energy to use the price information to save consumers money.
Other ideas for apps to save consumers money are welcome as well, said Avi Bar, director of public policy at Google Israel, but apps that allow access to the database are the real “gold standard” for the contest. “Consumer access to the database will lead to amazing results, and we at Google are anxious to see the great, creative ideas that this contest will yield.”
Points will be given for an easy-to-use interface, fast updating of price information, and access in languages other than Hebrew (including English). The winning apps will be made available in the Google Play store for Android devices, and the apps must be free for users to download for at least a year.
According to Morad Stern, business development manager at the Israel Internet Society, “intelligent use of the large amount of data provided by supermarkets and other retailers can help reduce the cost of living significantly, and improve the buying experience as well. We decided to join this project in order to help the public cope with the high cost of living in Israel.”
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