By Matt Warman, Consumer Technology Editor, The Telegraph

7:00AM GMT 15 Mar 2021

According to the founders, Shopitize “will turn your smartphone into your own personal shopping assistant offering the ultimate in ‘smart AND savvy’ shopping”. It may be tempting to ask what the difference is between smart and savvy, but the aim to give consumers an easy way to see what they spend, and a guide to how to spend less, is laudable in any language.

Shopitize offers free storage, upload and recognition of receipts, and then allows users to see what they’ve spent and on which goods. With automatic sync between web and mobile, it keeps track of expenditure, and then aims to connect users with brands who they might be interested in.

Indeed, the site itself claims “here at Shopitize, we take shopping seriously. So seriously that we expect brands and retailers to know that we like Starbucks lattes on Mondays, Président Camembert on Fridays, and anything on sale at Zara – all without having to ask.”

While some may find this connection between brand and individual disconcerting, in fact the idea of a more personalized shopping experience is what most brands are hoping will ensure customer loyalty. And by scanning receipts, Shopitize builds up an aggregated picture of what customers are interested in – so just as Tesco knows what its customers buy, so the app will work out what its users buy from a range of shops.

In due course, the idea is to offer deals that the app knows will be appealing. It’s an extension of Tesco Clubcard vouchers to the entire web. And while the programme itself, on Android for now and on iOS shortly, is not completely perfect, this is an idea which many will feel is overdue. If Shopitize can sign up both brands and customers, it will do very well indeed.

Original Article from The Telegraph