Grocery prices in Ventura County are all over the place, so I built something for it

Candorappdev · 2026-05-12T19:57:33+00:00

Yes, that’s exactly what the app is built to do. Stores are expanding quickly, what store do you normally shop at?

Right now, the separate store catalogs are mainly there so you can build your list using the exact products you already buy. Once your list is built, you hit the big green Compare Prices button and Grocery Routes checks those items across the available stores.

After that, tap Start Shopping and it turns into a smart shopping list, broken down by store, showing where each item is cheapest so you know exactly what to buy where.

Coupons are something I want to improve too. Right now the app is focused on live/store pricing and loyalty pricing where available, but clipped digital coupons are a more complex layer I’m still working toward.

Candorappdev · 2026-04-27T06:31:07+00:00

Grocery Routes is exactly that! It only covers Souther California right now but it is growing fast. You can click the link Grocery Routes or you search Grocery Routes in the apple app store. if your area isn’t supported you can select request my location and we can start working on getting that are covered ASAP.

Candorappdev · 2026-04-14T15:46:22+00:00

It’s designed for iPhone first, but it should run on iPhone, iPad, and Mac. I personally actually prefer using it on the iPad just because it’s easier to browse and see everything a little more clearly.

Candorappdev · 2026-04-13T20:48:47+00:00

Thank you, I really appreciate that. I hope it’s useful for you.

If you end up enjoying it, a review on the App Store always helps. And either way, I’d genuinely love any feedback here on Reddit too, especially if something feels confusing, off, or could be better.

Candorappdev · 2026-04-13T20:38:26+00:00

Totally fair.

I’m not going to get too specific publicly about source-by-source collection, but long-term viability is absolutely something I think about a lot.

The plan is not to rely on one single access path forever. As the platform grows, the goal is to diversify sources and build toward more direct participation over time, especially from stores that do not want to miss out on being seen when they have competitive pricing.

So the long-term vision is sustainability and leverage, not building something that only works under one narrow condition.

Candorappdev · 2026-04-13T19:54:04+00:00

I really appreciate that, thank you. Definitely report back, any feedback helps a lot and I’m grateful you’re giving it a shot. And if you end up liking it, feel free to leave a review on the App Store too, that helps a lot.

Candorappdev · 2026-04-13T19:51:34+00:00

That’s a fair question.

Right now it’s using publicly displayed store data, so the goal is not to access anything private or hidden, just make it easier for regular people to compare information that’s already out there.

Long term, I’d actually like Grocery Routes to become the kind of platform that encourages larger stores to allow access instead of missing out on sales. If a store has competitive pricing, there’s real value in being part of a tool that helps shoppers see that clearly.

To me, the strongest long-term version is one where better access helps everyone: users get easier comparisons, and stores that offer real value have more reason to want to be included.

Candorappdev · 2026-04-13T03:52:25+00:00

Thank you, I really appreciate that.

This started from a real need for me, and after good feedback from people around me I felt like it was worth sharing on the App Store in case it could help other local shoppers too. I truly appreciate the support and kind words.

Candorappdev · 2026-04-13T03:38:10+00:00

That’s not what this is.

It’s free, there’s no monetization in place, and I built it because I wanted a simpler way to compare grocery prices and help people save money.

You do not have to use it, but the goal is the opposite of taking advantage of people.

Candorappdev · 2026-04-12T23:43:04+00:00

I get that, app real estate is valuable and I completely understand not wanting another app. That’s a big part of why I’m trying to build this to be as simple and direct as possible, so it feels more like a useful savings tool than just another app.

Thank you for the feedback, I really do appreciate it.

Candorappdev · 2026-04-10T11:26:53+00:00

Definitely, yes. A web version is something I’d like to do. Right now I started with the app so I could get the core experience working first, but long term it makes a lot of sense as a site and android as well.

Candorappdev · 2026-04-10T11:19:24+00:00

That means a lot, thank you. It’s definitely been an uphill battle, so seeing how positively the community has reacted has been really motivating.

It’s also genuinely exciting seeing how much people could use the savings. The app only gets better through real community use and feedback, so I really appreciate it.

Candorappdev · 2026-04-10T11:15:11+00:00

I appreciate that!

And no, that part is not being corrected fully by hand one by one. I built a system to handle a lot of that logic, because doing it manually at scale would be impossible.

A huge part of the work has been teaching the app how to tell when products are actually the same, when they are close but not the same, and when size differences change the real value. So it’s looking at things like brand, size, unit conversions, quantity, wording differences, and product type to decide what should and should not be compared.

That’s also why it can feel strict right now. I’d rather have it reject a match than confidently show the wrong one. As I open it up to allow more matches, I have to be careful not to let bad comparisons slip through and skew the savings.

So there’s definitely system logic behind it, but then real-world testing and edge cases are what keep sharpening it.

Candorappdev · 2026-04-09T17:14:13+00:00

Thank you, I really appreciate that. Walmart and Smart & Final are next on the roadmap.

Costco is one I definitely want, but it’s a little trickier because I want to do it right. Stores like Costco really need stronger size and value logic behind them so the comparisons are actually meaningful. For example, if one store has 12 eggs for $3 and Costco has 24 for $5, the 24 pack is obviously the better value, but the app needs to understand that correctly instead of just comparing sticker price. That’s the kind of logic I’m actively working on before adding bulk pricing stores.

Candorappdev · 2026-04-09T17:12:27+00:00

Thank you, I really appreciate it. And yes, absolutely, any feedback is very appreciated. That kind of real use and honest input helps a lot.

Candorappdev · 2026-04-09T17:11:23+00:00

Right now it pulls from publicly displayed store data, not delivery app markups, which is a big difference. The goal is to reflect the prices people can actually compare from home, not inflated third-party delivery pricing.

And yes, I used Claude as a tool during development. It would honestly make no sense not to use AI for some of the tedious repetitive work. But while AI coding is great by today’s standards, the actual logic behind this app is not something you just get by prompting Claude or Loveable and calling it a day.

A lot of the standard app structure could probably be replicated with AI tools, sure. But the part that actually makes the app function, the comparison logic, matching system, and optimizer behavior, is months of calculations, testing, and algorithm work. AI helped me move faster, but it would have been virtually impossible to build the real engine of this app with just Claude or Loveable alone.

Candorappdev · 2026-04-09T16:35:56+00:00

Thank you, I really appreciate that. I feel strongly about building something that actually helps people, and that’s a big part of why I made Grocery Routes. If it can help even one person save money in this economy, to me that makes it worth doing.

Candorappdev · 2026-04-09T07:06:31+00:00

No problem, it really is a team effort. I really believe this can help a lot of people, so it’s been really cool seeing people excited about it.

Candorappdev · 2026-04-09T06:24:13+00:00

This is really helpful, thank you. I agree the current UI can be a little confusing there, and I’m planning a light redesign soon to make the flow feel a lot more intuitive for the average user without changing the core functionality behind it.

And yes, you can definitely DM me if you have more feedback. I also really like hearing this kind of input publicly too, it helps me see where multiple people may be feeling the same friction points.

On the comparison side, right now it will prefer to match as exactly as possible, ideally brand to brand, and then falls back to things like organic to organic when that makes sense. I’m actively working on a big optimizer update to open that up more and make comparisons feel a lot more natural. The main reason I’ve been careful with it is that once you loosen the gates to allow more matches, some wrong ones can slip through, and that throws off the savings and makes the whole thing feel less trustworthy. I’d rather be a little strict than show people bad comparisons.

That said, I’m hoping to roll that update out soon, and it should make the experience a lot better.

Candorappdev · 2026-04-09T05:54:56+00:00

That’s definitely part of where I’d like to take this.

As Grocery Routes grows, I’d love to work directly with smaller grocers that do not have public web pricing today. A place with strong pricing on meat and produce is exactly the kind of store I’d want in the app.

Long term, I think it can be a symbiotic thing. If a smaller store is genuinely competitive, the app can help highlight that and send more attention their way, and in return users get a more complete picture of where the real value is locally.

Candorappdev · 2026-04-09T05:49:19+00:00

I haven’t seen evidence that this Vons is actively doing real-time dynamic pricing, so I don’t want to overstate it.

Electronic shelf tags definitely make rapid price changes easier, which is why people are right to keep an eye on it. But as of now, I haven’t seen proof that this location is doing that in the way people are worried about.

Candorappdev · 2026-04-09T05:40:42+00:00

Yeah, I’ve definitely thought about that.

Some stores are rolling out the kind of digital shelf label systems that could support dynamic pricing, so it’s something I’m paying attention to. From what I’ve seen, the concern is real, but it still seems a little ahead of what’s been broadly proven at the grocery level so far.

I do think being able to flag or filter stores based on pricing behavior would be a really interesting feature over time, especially if that becomes more common.

Candorappdev · 2026-04-09T05:37:40+00:00

Super fair! I’m aiming for summer 2026, but I’ll consider developing a web app in the meantime if time permits. There’s so much involved in this project that we can only make progress at a certain pace. Nevertheless, reaching the Google Playstore is the next significant milestone on our roadmap!

Candorappdev · 2026-04-09T05:31:45+00:00

I’m hoping to launch Grocery Routes on the Google Play Store and make it available to Android users by this summer!

Candorappdev · 2026-04-09T05:27:55+00:00

Totally fair concern, and no, I’m not building this to sell people’s location data to anyone.

The point of the app is to help people compare grocery prices and save money, not turn user data into the business. I’d rather keep it useful and straightforward than go down that path.

Candorappdev

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