Aussies waste 68 Million hours at Christmas trying to find stores that sell what they want
26 November 2015 – Booodl, the smart local shopping app, launches today across Australia in time for the holiday season. Booodl is simplifying in-store shopping by letting users find and be reminded about nearby stores selling things they want to buy.
Aussies wasted over 68 million hours last Christmas, four hours per person, unsuccessfully searching for stores stocking presents they needed to purchase, according to research commissioned by Booodl.
With over 15,000 stores that can be found at launch, and more than one million products, Booodl is the simplest way to create a Christmas shopping list, find stores that sell those products and be reminded when one is nearby.
Booodl works by identifying stores that sell an item the user is looking for -whether vague (‘white sneakers’) or specific (‘White Nike Free Run 5’) – and sending a reminder push notification whenever one is close by.
Users can also message the store before heading in to confirm price and availability, eliminating time wasted if the shop is out of stock or doesn’t have exactly what you want.
Booodl Co-Founder and CEO, George Freney, said Booodl was born out of his own frustration at continually forgetting to buy products (like a USB cable) when at the shops.
“I hate wasting time. Once I know what to buy, I want a smart app that helps me find the closest store, reminds me when it’s convenient to visit the store, and lets me message them to confirm details before heading in,” said Freney.
“Booodl solves that problem: it’s a smart digital shopping list meets intelligent store directory; it’s the future of local shopping.”
“We have a million things on our mind, particularly at Christmas time, so an app that actually reminds you when a store is nearby is a huge benefit to consumers.”
The nationwide launch of Booodl follows a successful Sydney-based pilot program with seven local retail partners. During this time, 31,600 products were added to users’ lists, 12,500 reminder notifications were sent to nearby shoppers, and over 6,200 messages were exchanged between stores and customers.
The research also found that shopping crowds are considered the most stressful part of the holiday season (35.5%), followed by finding the perfect present (29%).
Booodl helps eliminate the stress by minimising the time spent finding stores and communicating with them so users can get in, get what they want, and get out.
“We can’t tell you the best present to get for your Auntie, but as soon as you decide we’ll connect you with the closest store to buy it. That’s our promise,” said Freney.
Initial funding for the Sydney-based start-up was secured from investors James Packer, Erica Baxter, Square Peg Capital and Matthew Grounds.
Users can download Booodl for free from the App Store or Google Play, and retailers can claim their store profile via the Booodl website.
Findings from November 2015 research commissioned by Booodl:
-Australians spend an average of four hours per person unsuccessfully searching for stores that sell the presents they need to purchase, equating to 68 million hours wasted across the country.
-Australians spend an average of seven hours shopping for Christmas presents each year, however, 18% admit to spending as long as 24 hours.
-The most likely cause of holiday season stress is Christmas shopping in the crowds (35.5%), followed by finding the right Christmas present to keep everyone happy (29%).
About Booodl
Booodl is a smart local shopping platform helping users find and be reminded about nearby stores that sell products they want. Booodl is available for web and mobile users in Australia, with over 15,000 stores and one million products currently listed.
