Government has launched a web-based app – PriceCheck – which will give consumers an opportunity to find the best prices on a wide range of goods and products, so they can make informed decisions when shopping.
The Department of Commerce and Consumer Affairs of the Ministry of Energy and Business launched the app today, during a media event at the Warrens Office Complex. To access the app, persons may visit www.pricecheck.gov.bb.
While addressing the launch, Minister of Energy and Business, Senator Lisa Cummins, underscored the importance of the app, which would be rolled out in four phases. She described it as a market information system, which outlines what is available in the market, where it can be found and at what price.
Senator Cummins noted that some people currently visit two or three supermarkets monthly in search of the best prices.
“We now are in a position where we’re able to take some of the leg work… out of you having to drive all over the place to figure out where am I going to get the best prices. PriceCheck for the consumer now gives you an application where you can go for given items, in particular the basket of goods that we already have been monitoring….
“In this phase one, you can go on PriceCheck, put in a search that allows you to see the product that you are looking for, and it will pull up that item, all the different brands for that item, and it will give you a set of options as to where you can find that item, and what is the price of that item…, in particular, from major supermarket chains,” she explained.
Senator Cummins pointed out that she and her team had discussions with various officials, including from the Heart and Stroke Foundation, and several items were recommended as part of a nutritious food basket.
“The intention in phase two [of PriceCheck] is to also have…a healthy food basket, and to track those prices, … to see how much it costs me to eat healthy versus eating some of the other things that maybe we have been accustomed to eating,” she said.
She stated that in the future phases of PriceCheck, a mechanism would be provided that benefits the business community and the suppliers in the productive sectors, so they could see what was available to them in other jurisdictions.
Acting Director of the Department of Commerce and Consumer Affairs, Bertram Johnson, said information is key, and the onboarding of PriceCheck offers the public an opportunity to know the prices of essential commodities.
“This is what … a modern economy looks like, where we can digitise our services in a way that the public has access to them on a timely basis. I believe PriceCheck will bring a transformation within the Barbados economy,” Mr. Johnson suggested.
Chief Executive Officer of Infolytics, Quinn Weekes, described PriceCheck as a tool designed to help consumers save time, as they could access it anywhere and anytime, once the Internet is available.
“It is a very user-friendly website…. I think this will be a really great tool for us as consumers and businesses, to help us understand the cost of living and manage it a bit more within the country,” Mr. Weekes said.
He noted that consumers would be able to compare prices, do their own analyses afterwards, and utilise the data produced on the site. He encouraged consumers to share their feedback about PriceCheck, as it is a work in progress.
Information from 12 major supermarkets is currently on the app, and it is hoped that in phase two, changes to prices will be updated in real time.