Ask any developer working in this space, and they’ll tell you that accurate grocery product information is hard to find via an API. To help solve this problem, the team from shopping list creator AisleFinder have launched Supermarket API, an open source API for the grocery industry.
The new API contains product details on over 150,000 grocery items as well as aisle info for over 2,400 supermarkets in the U.S.
Currently, the API provides access to supermarket aisle info from Whole Foods, Trader Joes, Safeway, CostCo and Wal-Mart in the U.S. and promises additional data for stores in Canada and Europe soon.
In terms of product listings, the API offers descriptions, photos, categories and aisle numbers for over 150,000 grocery items. And because it’s open source, the team promises there will always be a free version of Supermarket API to use.
It should be noted that Supermarket API isn’t the first product info service to attempt to solve the difficulties surrounding accessing grocery data info through programmatic means. In August, mobile app makers Pushpins, Inc. launched SimpleUPC, which contains data on over 120,000 food, beverage, personal care and household goods from over 15,000 brands and nearly 5,000 manufacturers. The difference is that SimpleUPC does not contain aisle information, while Supermarket API does. It’s also designed more for use with UPC and barcode scanner apps, than with shopping list or aisle navigation apps.
Supermarket API is still in the early stages of development, but if you’re in need of a service like this, head over to www.supermarketapi.com for more info.