How to Grocery Shop With A Barcode Scanner

Using your smartphone for shopping is becoming more and more advance with the array of application offerings out there. From online shopping, to instant paying and beyond, the world of mobile is single-handedly transforming the way that we research and purchase good.

Having risen to the forefront of app functions the past years have been barcode scanners, which allow your phone to scan a barcode of an item, which looks up the Universal Product Code of that good. This effectively gives consumers access to information that they previously did not have before and enables them to shop smarter by learning more about product price.

What is a Barcode Scanner App?

To know how a barcode scanner app works, let’s first explore what a barcode scanner does in the context of consumer goods. As mentioned before, the Universal Product Code is the predominant format of looking up product information in the United States, the United Kingdom, Australia, and New Zealand.

What Does a Barcode Scanner App Do?

A barcode scanner gathers product information by scanning a striped code usually located on the back of a product. Using an iPhone or Android device, a scanner app reads the barcode image pulling information like product name, price, Stock Keeping Unit (SKU), etc. The information you gather from scanning a product depends on the available information in the local database of the service used.

Barcode Scanner app scanning an item


How Do I Use A Barcode Scanner App?

Scanning a product with a scanner app using your mobile device will give you access to certain product information.

With the Out of Milk Grocery List App on both Android and iOS, you can scan a product to add it directly to your shopping list. In this case, the free Out of Milk shopping list app allows you to scan the barcode of products that you would like to add to your list.

That’s right! The Out of Milk shopping list app is all about keeping your organized by all means. Living in a technology-fueled world has us thinking: “why not just combine all of the awesome technology together that we can?”, so we did. Organizing your shopping is a lot easier with a barcode scanner.

Shopping With a Personal Barcode Scanner App

Commonly known as ‘Barcode Shopping’, consumers are equipped with technology that opens up new possibilities while planning their shopping.

Here’s our tutorial on how to use the Out of Milk Barcode Scanner (with pictures)

In our tutorial of the using the Out of Milk Barcode Scanner, we review how to use the scanner in order to add new items to your shopping list directly, but what are the benefits of having a barcode scanner for a grocery list and why should you use it? Or use it more often?

Because it makes is so much easier to shop and manage your groceries! Build flawlessly into the user interface of the Out of Milk app, you can access the barcode scan feature whenever you want to add an new item to your list (see image). 

How To Grocery Shop With a Barcode Scanner

Before You Go Shopping

Taking quick inventory of what you need to get? Like mentioned before: make the process super easy by scanning items instead of writing them into your grocery list app. Just as useful as it is fun!

While At The Store

Impulse purchase? Might as well add it to your shopping list! That way, you can keep it in your list for next time. When you cross list items off of your grocery list, they go straight into your cart. If you select ‘Uncheck All’, you essentially have a re-usable grocery list on your phone. Manage all of the regular items you purchase right on your phone with the Out of Milk grocery list app. 

Benefits of Scanning Items In The Out of Milk App

  • The Barcode Scanner Saves You Time
  • Kitchen Pantry Inventory Tracking
  • Never Run Out of Essential Grocery Items

Just as fun as it is useful, the scanning feature in shopping lists allows you to add items directly to your list without having to actually type them in. Imagine this: you have a group of items in front of you that you need to replenish. You want to put them on your grocery list, but there are likely ten to twenty or more items, so it will take a lot of tapping. Like, a lot of tapping. Save yourself some finger-tapping.

That’s where the barcode scanner comes in handy. Simply scan the goods that you are running out of and they are added directly to your select shopping list or pantry list

With this simple feature, users of Out of Milk are able to prevent spoilage of pantry goods by allowing items to sit in the pantry for too long. Additionally, you are able to prevent the running out of essential pantry items, like these healthy pantry essentials. By scanning barcodes, you can add new items to your pantry list or add pantry items that need to be replaced with one simple step.

What’s worse than finding old, moldy items in your kitchen? Finding grocery items you need for cooking that are empty! Never run out of milk again.

Say you notice a kitchen grocery item you regularly use is running low. Instead of waiting to plan your grocery shopping, simply scan the code to throw it directly into your grocery shopping, even days before your shop. This way, you take care of it right on the spot. Unfortunately, your fresh vegetables don’t usually include a barcode, so we can’t help you there.

How to Grocery Shop With A Barcode Scanner