BetterCart Technologies: The only price comparison site for grocery shopping in Canada
Melanie Morrison watched a young mother put one item at a time through the grocery line until she reached her budget. Melanie felt empathy for this woman because she, too, had experienced difficulty buying the food she needed at various times in her life. Melanie knew there had to be a better way for people to save money when they shop at the grocery store.
Melanie, now a University Professor, created BetterCart. BetterCart is a free app that allows people to compare the price of grocery items across all of the major grocery chains in their area. With BetterCart, people can search for their grocery items, save their items on the platform, and importantly, identify the store where those items are offered for the lowest price.
“No one should be overpaying for groceries and that’s what we are shooting for. That money should go back into people’s pockets so they can spend it on other things,” shares Morrison.
The Saskatoon-based team of three is part of the Co.Labs program, Founder’s Table, and have recently won a trip to San Francisco as part of the SREDA Tech Trip. As they gear up for their next phase of development, they plan to move their app from just under 1000 beta users in different geographic locations to a nationally-trusted tool for people throughout Canada.
“Our goal is to dominate the Canadian market and have BetterCart become the central platform that people use to make wise consumer decisions,” Morrison continues. “Then we intend to help people around the world save money.”
“There will always be individuals that want a great deal, and we want to help them save. There is also a growing segment of the population that is in dire need of financial help. Cutting costs on groceries is one way to assist this group. There are also people that need a hand because of dietary restrictions, and I’m really keen to help them save money on the products they require,” Morrison adds. “Why should anyone pay more than they need to for gluten-free and allergy-sensitive foods? I don’t believe they should.”
BetterCart uses advertising as its first stream of revenue. “There are over 60,000 items in a grocery store and this is a way for each item to stand out,” Morrison says. “We target brands that are new to the market and give them an opportunity to showcase their products.”
As the ambitious team grows its user base, they plan to expand their company in Saskatoon. “I’ve been given opportunities that I may not have had in other provinces and cities. Saskatchewan is on the move and I want to be a part of its success story.”
Founder: Melanie Morrison
Employees: 3
Incorporation Date: October 24, 2018
Website: https://app.bettercart.ca/
