Shopary review

It’s not easy being cheap and still getting hold of really good deals. Sure, there are websites out there that are devoted to scoring you stuff for cheap like Cheapassgamer.com and Slickdeals. Yes, you could spend time sifting through the codes on coupon websites like CouponCabin.com, but who has that kind of time? Don’t even bother with those newsletters that only move from your inbox to flooded trash folder. There should be an app that saves you money and time–a really, really good app. Zanisoft LLC’s Shopary tries to be that app, and it does a pretty good job.

The app aims to provide you with the ultimate, organized shopping experience. Shopary promises to be your favorite shopping diary by helping you catalog your purchase, and provide you notices to alert you about deals that suit your wants. The alerts work by first asking you to subscribe to different locations. When there is a deal in that location, you’ll receive a push notification that tells you all about it. You’ll also be able to document each and every purchase you make in your shopping diary. Input information on product name, category, store, and brand for your favorite products to keep track of the best price for desired items. If you ever receive a push notification on a steal of a deal, you can even instantly e-mail friends the details in-app.

The idea of Shopary is fantastic but the execution could use a few improvements. The interface tries to be easy to use. However, I was annoyed by a few things while using the app on my iPod Touch. Firstly, entering local postal codes for push notifications is a pain in the butt. I’d appreciate it if codes could be automatically generated as I type. If that’s not possible, developers could just allow users to select from the suggested zip codes that are detected to save users time instead of making the user re-enter the codes one-by-one. Secondly, I wish I could pull up stock photos of the item directly from websites instead of having to select a photo I’ve already taken. Lastly, I’d like to be able to enter new items and have the program automatically create labels for me.

Graphics also left something to be desired. Shopary’s look is a very basic black, grey, red, and white theme. I’d like to be able to customize the background, font, and colors. Shoppers like to pick out from different colors for their items, so wouldn’t it make sense that the same rule applies for their desired shopping app? If developers could allow users to select different layout formats, that would be pretty nifty too.

My biggest gripe has to do with the deal notification. Sadly, despite entering zip codes for some major metropolitan areas in Southern and Northern California, I haven’t gotten a single push notification. Every single time, the app just tells me that there are no deals in the area and to readjust my query or try again later. If I could just get push notifications for items I want, this app would be my ultimate shopping tool!

Shopary has a lot of potential to become a fantastic app. However, for $3.99, the price is too steep for something that hasn’t delivered as promised. Those with a iPhone with a 3G network may have better luck. Those of you with an iPod Touch like myself should pass on this app. And I wouldn’t bother spending the extra $4.99 on top of the original price to add unlimited Global Categories and Local Zip Codes for push notifications if I were you.

AppSafari Rating: 3/5

AppSafari review of Shopary was written by Linda Ta on May 21st, 2010 and categorized under App Store, Productivity, Search, Shopping, Utilities. Page viewed 5026 times, 2 so far today. Need help on using these apps? Please read the Help Page.