[hugh]

Best Buy Canada, owners of big box consumer electronics retailers Best Buy Canada and Futureshop, has released two iOS apps for the Apple iPhone, iPod Touch and iPad which let users search the respective retailers products.

The nearly identical Best Buy Canada and Futureshop apps let iOS users search the respective retailers entire catalogue as well learn more about each product through ratings, reviews and enlarged views.

In addition, a store Locator feature with geo-location allows users across Canada to find the stores closest to them.

It would have been nice to just combine them, then it would have had real value to customers.

 

[rfielder]

Just loaded and tried the FutureShop app on my iPhone.

Searched for a camera I am likely going to buy - Panasonic Lumix ZS7. Found it and displayed some details. Options to add to cart, add to wish list, or Share. And you can see user reviews of the item.

You can use your current location to see which stores are close.

What you can't do is see which stores have the itme you are viewing in stock. Maybe that comes up if you put the item into your cart, but I am not going to buy online, so I don't know.

 

[Arcanum]

I agree completely that it has to let you know the in-store availability of the product you are researching. I am hoping that is a future update.

Other than that, it is a pretty good app. It makes finding something much quicker than going through the website on Safari. It also makes price checking much easier if you are trying to comparative shop - or get a price match.

 

[cooper83]

This app is so much faster than using the websites. Might come in very handy when shopping around on the go.

 

[Jake]

This app (if they add stock information) should make for some interesting customer service conversations regarding vanishing/reappearing stock and "price errors".

I'm talking about you Best Buy!

 

[jaazzman]

Its pretty sad when its faster to search for products on your phone than it is on a computer. I agree with everyone else, needs to have stock availability, but for a first shot, its pretty damn good. Too bad it doesn't make the staff any more intelligent...

 

[james99]

From my personal experiences the stock availability for these two stores is always wrong.

 

[rfielder]

From my personal experiences the stock availability for these two stores is always wrong.

I have had good luck with the stock accuracy - more problems with staff finding the stock, or forgetting that they include display units in their stock. Shrinkage is a fact of life no matter how many security systems are in place, but FS seems to at least try to keep good controls in service.

Canada Computers does it better by showing the number of units in stock - if they have 1, it is best to call ahead, but if they have 5 you are gonna find what you want.