24A- Conscious Consuming for Dummies

Opportunity:
In an increasingly over-saturated market with millions of products and food items, it can be difficult for consumers to navigate the many items on the shelves of a grocery store. Daily people go to the grocery store and narrow down which items to purchase by looking at ingredient lists. This is extremely time-consuming as in many instances there are dozens of ingredients in an item. Many consumers are beginning to become aware of the companies they support, ingredients used, and the ethics of the company which is why there is a pressing need for something to help consumers navigate through these decisions effectively. Many conscious consumers, myself included, have been in need of an app that simplifies the process of conscious shopping. People who are committed to leading a life with minimal waste, ethical standards, sustainable materials, and protecting the environment commit to this lifestyle because it is apart of their morals and identity. I believe people would continually use this app when grocery shopping to make this lifestyle just a bit easier to the everyday consumer who wishes to begin making better choices on the products they purchase and the companies who make them.

Innovation:
There are many websites and forums committed to explaining the adverse effects of harmful ingredients which are commonly used to make food, cleaning, bath, and body products but do families really have the time to search every ingredient on the market? It’s impossible. Through the use of a barcode scanning feature on the app, consumers are able to instantly detect these harmful ingredients in order to avoid them easily. This barcode feature gives consumers the answers they need with the scan of a barcode and saves them time. The app is extremely custom as consumers can alter settings to work for their allergies, dietary restrictions, and the toxic chemicals they are looking to avoid. The Ad-free version of the app is based on a subscription service which charges $2.99 a month and $1.99 a month for students. The App will also have a free version for consumers to use. To pay for this the free version will have ads which play between every barcode scan. These ads would pay for the people who are using the app free without paying for the version with no ads. In many instances, people use the free version of things and if they find it useful enough they will opt to pay a monthly subscription in order to avoid waiting for the ads.

Venture Concept:
As previously mentioned there is a dire need for an app to help consumers navigate through the many products on the market. I believe an app which has a barcode scanning feature which allows the user to scan the barcode of an item and receive an immediate score based on the personal preferences that they identify when they create an account on the app. This acts as my unfair advantage because there is no app which allows people with dietary restrictions, allergies, and those seeking items with nontoxic ingredients the ability to scan a barcode while grocery shopping and receiving a research-based response which flags key ingredients that let the consumer know if the product does not meet their standards. This product has the potential to become a part of a customer’s everyday life, and thus a committed user. I hope my product will give consumers the opportunity to support companies and products which fit their ideas, diets, and allergy restrictions. Five years into this venture, I believe I would be motivated to make supporting products to simplify the conscious consumer process as this is a process which people need support with.