Science & Tech · Big Tech & Internet · 6 hrs ago
Shopping apps help French consumers compare grocery prices
With food prices rising in France, new apps help shoppers compare prices at nearby stores.
One app, Aukilo, lets users photograph shelf prices and compare the same products across retailers in their region.
Its creator, Émilie Frochtmann, says saving a few euros could help people afford foods they have stopped buying.
The app has about 700 users so far, and prices scanned by shoppers become visible to others.
Other apps compare the cost of a chosen shopping basket or show cheaper drive-through collection options.
The tools rely on shoppers sharing prices, but some customers say using a phone for every item could take too much time.
Food prices rose 1.8% in a year, and the apps aim to help households spend less.
Their usefulness will depend on whether enough people contribute prices.
Shopping apps in France are helping consumers compare grocery prices as food costs rise.
The apps can compare prices at different stores, track the cheapest shop for a selected basket or identify a lower-cost drive-through pickup location.
Aukilo lets users photograph prices in stores and compare products between retailers in the same region.
The app has about 700 users, and its price comparisons depend on shoppers submitting information.
Franceinfo reported that food prices had risen 1.8% in a year.
- Who
- French consumers and developers of grocery price-comparison apps, including Aukilo creator Émilie Frochtmann.
- What
- Apps help shoppers compare grocery prices across stores and find cheaper options.
- When
- November 2, 2026.
- Where
- France; Aukilo compares stores in the same region.
- Why
- Food prices have risen, and the apps aim to help consumers save money on groceries.
App developers and supporters
Shoppers concerned about the effort
Participation
App developers and supporters
Developers say users’ price reports help others compare prices.
Shoppers concerned about the effort
Some shoppers say they would contribute only if it took little time, or that they would not want to use a phone for every product.
This story does not have a timeline yet.
- Aukilo users
- About 700
- Aukilo price comparison
- Between stores in the same region
- Example price difference
- A cheese was 16 cents more expensive at another store 6 km away
- Food price rise
- 1.8% in a year
What people are saying
We realize from the news that there are people who no longer buy meat, who no longer buy fish because these are expensive items. And in the end, if we can help them save 4, 5, 6 euros on a basket of groceries, maybe that’s the meat they’ll be able to buy.
I’m willing to do it if it isn’t too time-consuming.
I can’t really see myself doing my shopping with my phone for every product.