Now, consumers in the UK can access extensive and independently retrieved product information. The app barcoo, available for free download, enables mobile phones to scan barcodes that are usually printed on each packaging and will display testing and customer reviews, sustainability information, price comparison and ecological footprint information. When scanning food items it will also display nutritional information including a traffic light indicating dietary fitness. In addition it will also display what stores in the local area carry the product.
Currently barcoo offers product information regarding food items, cosmetics, electronics as well as media products such as CDs, DVDs and books.
barcoo integrates functionality for mobile social shopping. Consumers can recommend a product to their friends or advise against it. To reach them, the app uses Facebook among other channels. In addition, barcoo users can contribute their own information by entering nutritional values, adding comments or uploading images to products.
barcoo is available for many mobile phones and smart phones, but for the time being will launch for iPhone, Android powered devices and for the Samsung Wave with the bada operating system. To download simply visit your respective app store on your device. In a few weeks barcoo will also be offered in the Nokia Ovi store.
barcoo is one of the most used apps in Germany. To date, more than a million users have downloaded the app to their phones, more than half of them to their iPhones. With several million monthly scans they are busy informing themselves about food ingredients, reading tests reports about electronics or comparing prices.
CEO Benjamin Thym, said: "barcoo's success in Germany demonstrates us that consumers appreciate having the opportunity to inform themselves right during shopping. We are happy to finally bring this level of transparency to our British neighbours."