Comments on: Featured Startup: Blink Media Presents an Innovative Shopping Experience

By: Maneesh Madambath

Maneesh Madambath — Mon, 08 Sep 2008 09:14:12 +0000

Why is my blog not accepting my own comments. everytime I tryt he sql on line 124 runs away ..

Hmm.. anyway, thanks for participating so well, specially to the blink guys who took time to clarify everyone’s questions…

good one..

By: devang

devang — Sun, 07 Sep 2008 09:03:48 +0000

surabhi: thanks for the feedback..

renu: all items/skus in the store are covered.. this includes non-branded items as well. and they’re updated real time..
so you don’t have to worry bout that..

abt the latter part your note. we’ve had a major upgrade and the initial response is positive. but thanks anyway..

also, do vote for us at NEN Hottest Startups
(link: http://www.hotteststartups.in/viewandvote.do?method=fetch&businessFn=viewandvote&startupId=57)

thanks!

By: Renu

Renu — Fri, 05 Sep 2008 16:39:19 +0000

Great product, guys! Really liked the idea of seeing the previous times’s grocery list.

But what about perishables? Dals and bread and eggs and veggies etc? Will those be updated as often as they fluctuate? And certainly you won’t have any advertisers there anyway? I ask because i buy toileteries etc once a month and fresh groceries every week.

And its in this fresh stuff that I have the most trouble keeping track of prices, and end up buying stuff and getting horrified after coming home.

Anyway, overall - real cool.

Renu
PS: Devang - you could do with a haircut, you know.

By: Surabhi

Surabhi — Fri, 05 Sep 2008 06:00:36 +0000

Hey Devang …tablet approach seems to be good and workable and really good idea !!!! But however I m not convinced with space crunch issue ……….My experience with biggest supermarkets giants ..store 18 ,bigbazaar,reliance fresh, spencer ,Subhiksha, Max ,Dollor shop and so on …….really makes me wonder Blink solution have to be very store specific when it comes to real time use !! But I hope this should not bother storekeeper and u guys should rock on !! Best of luck !!!!!

By: manuscrypts

manuscrypts — Thu, 04 Sep 2008 15:15:31 +0000

thanks maneesh.. have been trying to figure out what these guys were upto for quite sometime now, ever since i heard abt them from those who attended proto..couldn’t get details from the site..
from what has been shown, its awesome and i think there’s great value for the buyer, retailer and the advertiser.. all the features look extremely cool, and more importantly helpful to the shopper..
meanwhile, a couple of quick queries.. how is the ‘blink’ system connected to the store’s inventory? eg. if i choose a particular flavor of say, gatorade, will the system know whether it’s in stock/displayed on the shelf?
also, is my data portable… as a shopper, does the card shown in the beginning work with any store that has a blink system, or is it store specific?

By: Hemang Shah

Hemang Shah — Thu, 04 Sep 2008 14:10:45 +0000

@Himanshu: thanks

@Surabhi: thank you for the comments.
Firstly, the aisles in Indian supermarkets are large enough for two carts to easily pass by one another, so it wouldn’t really matter whether you have stopped looking at a product or playing around with blink

and secondly, if you watch the video closely, you would notice that blink is designed as a tablet which can be pulled out of the shopping cart handle as you exit the store. You can then simply take the cart to your car minus blink!

By: Devang

Devang — Thu, 04 Sep 2008 13:03:33 +0000

Thanks Himanshu.. appreciate the comments.

Hi Surabhi,
thanks for the questions..

a. on Space Crunch - We’re targeting large format stores for this version of the product - which means wider aisles & enough space for people to make the most of the interactive features on the device..

also, our objective is not to replace the physical brick & mortar experience of shopping but to enhance it. to expect shoppers to be staring at the screen at all times would be too presumptuous..(though the retailers / advertisers would love it.)

b. issues around Maintenance / Operations - There are 3 core issues here - How do we make the system:
1. Theft Proof
2. Baby Proof
3. Weather Proof

We’ve analyzed these problems - and most of the answers are found through our approach to design.. If you notice there is a tablet which rests on the cart handle. its a detachable tablet.. i cannot disclose more here, but the system has been tested and it works

so in short, you’ll be able to take the cart right up to the parking lot and the retailer won’t have to worry abt device safety etc.

hope this helps,

thanks.

- devang

By: Surabhi

Surabhi — Thu, 04 Sep 2008 10:57:12 +0000

Definately Blink’s product looks impressive ( I have seen demo in Proto) but few questions are not yet answered !! Manessh help me answer these probably I have missed out few strings !

- Space Crunch how will it be managed with these shopping carts ? We will need big floor space as one might be so engrossed surfing all the ads n offers on the cart’s panel and would result in a jam in the shopping aisle.

- Maintainence of the expensive technology as its gonaa move from one customer’s hand to another.Will supermarket allow to take me this cart till parking and dump goodies in my vehicle and leave the cart unattended there ??

By: Himanshu Sheth

Himanshu Sheth — Thu, 04 Sep 2008 08:31:40 +0000

One of the coolest products Interesting and eye catchy UI….

-Himanshu Sheth