Navigating the Ever-Changing Retail Landscape

Kartix helps you regain control of your shopping experience and budget through expense tracking and behavioural insights.

Kartix

Time

September 2022 — March 2023

Tools

Figma, Maze

Overview

A mobile app that helps shoppers regain control of their budget and shopping experience

MobileUx ResearchInterfaceRetail

Collaborators

This is a solo project by Gabriel Lam.

Gabriel is responsible for ux research and interface design.

OVERVIEW

Budget Monitoring Made Easy

Kartix makes it easy for you to keep track of your overall expenses and budget usage in one convenient place. Simply input your budget and let Kartix do the rest, as it tracks your spending and alerts you when you approach your set budget limits.

By empowering users to make informed decisions about their purchases, stick to their budgets, and avoid unnecessary expenses, Kartix aims to enhance the shopping experience for users while potentially saving retailers millions of dollars in investments in sensory-based A.I. retail spaces or smart carts.

Effortless Shopping and Checkout

Kartix helps you stay on track with your shopping list. With features such as automatic store detection, Kartix will alert you to available deals and item availability and keeps you within your budget.

When you're ready to check out, our speedy process lets you pay quickly and effortlessly.

Empowerment

Shoppers often find themselves overspending while making purchases. The long checkout lines also turn grocery shopping into an exhausting experience. Locating items in a supermarket can be a challenge for many shoppers, and the added complexity of deciding whether to order an out-of-stock item online or drive to the next store can be frustrating.

Based on our evaluation of the problem space, our goal is to create a product that not only helps shoppers stay within their budget but also offers a personalized checkout experience that can be scaled from local grocery stores to national supermarket chains.

RESEARCH

Understanding How People Shop for Grocery

Research for the Kartix app involved conducting a series of interviews, surveys, and observational studies with potential users to identify pain points and opportunities for improvement in the shopping experience.

Through these research methods, the team was able to gather insights on a range of topics including budgeting challenges, shopping habits, and preferences for features in a shopping app. The data collected helped to inform the development of Kartix's features, such as the ability to monitor expenses and item availability, automatic store detection, and personalized deals.

Key Research Findings

64.7%

Of respondents would opt for an alternative product if it is priced lower

41.5%

Of respondents said they often or very often go over budget when grocery shopping

69.8%

Of respondents would skip or replace an item if the original product was hard to find or out of stock

36.8%

Of respondents said product stock or options are the major reason for leaving or selecting an alternative store

Ethnographic Insights

Users find staff members to be unhelpful as they don't know where specific products are. Online shopping is easier to find items and check off a list, however, is pricier due to delivery fees. Users prefer to invest more time instead of asking for help. The pressure to buy a specific product increases when buying for someone else.

What Did We Learn

Our research revealed a key problem with self-checkout — it does not necessarily lead to a quicker checkout experience. Instead, shoppers struggle with impulse purchases, uncertainty about whether they truly need an item, and the risk of missing out on important items while shopping.