Coles Vs Woolworths App Comparison: Features, Performance Reliability   

In the modern era, where everything has been made digital and accessible to people, grocery shopping has become something one can do from the comfort of home without having to struggle in long lines to purchase the products of their choice. 

The digitalization of supermarkets has opened the door to a plethora of opportunities for app development companies and entrepreneurs interested in building grocery shopping apps. 7 Pillars, an app development company, is skilled in creating the dream grocery app for their clients with the years of experience their technocrats have and the promise to deliver nothing but perfection to them.  

The Australian supermarket landscape is a fiercely contested arena with two app development giants, Coles and Woolworths, leading the charge with their brilliant technique and technology they incorporate in their apps.  

These supermarket apps have enabled app development companies to make the entire experience convenient for shopaholics by making it possible for them to shop whenever they want from their homes and have their goods delivered to them. Now that you know about the two app giants in the market, let’s delve into which one has better functionalities and overall features. Which of the two app giants offers a better user interface and experience to the customers, whether they are iPhone or Android users? 

Types Of Grocery Apps-  

Before we delve into the comparison between the two supermarket chain apps that were previously one of the most loved supermarket chains for Australian customers, let’s talk about the types of grocery app that exists. Apart from supermarket chain apps, there are several grocery apps that you can build to make the shopping experience convenient for your consumers and expand your business. 

1. Supermarket Chain Apps- 

Supermarket chain apps are nothing but large grocery shops expanding their business by making the shopping experience enjoyable and convenient for their customers by building apps for them to broaden their business. Supermarket chain apps like Woolworths, Coles, and ALDI allow users to shop for groceries by creating a list to shop online, recipe suggestions for customers, etc. These apps have made shopping significantly effortless by providing users with a personalized, exceptional selection of goods and offers to ensure customer loyalty. 

2. Online Grocery Delivery Services 

Apart from supermarket chain apps, online grocery delivery service apps like Uber Eats, Deliveroo, and DoorDash are pretty popular amongst Australian residents due to the convenience it provides to customers.   

These apps allow users to schedule their deliveries according to their schedules with the benefit of contactless delivery, with introverts having no interest in socializing with the delivery person. These apps allow customers to choose products from a wide selection of premium products with brilliant offers and discounts personalized for customers. 

3.Speciality And Organic Grocery App 

There is a sizable part of the population that believes in consuming organic products and goods for their health benefits and creating an app that specializes in delivering fresh produce to consumers targets that specific part of the population. Harris Farm Market and Your Grocer are some apps responsible for supplying fresh produce to consumers from the Farm markets on demand, thus making it effortless for people to purchase organic goods at affordable prices. These apps are beneficial for both consumers and sellers as they allow the sellers to sell their goods to the target customer at a desired price without having to search for them. These apps also offer meal prep programs to consumers with delicious recipes to attract their attention and make it simple for people with no love for cooking. 

4. Meal Kit Delivery Apps- 

Meal Kit and Meal Prep apps have become significantly popular recently, with people leaning towards ordering pre-portioned ingredients and recipes to reduce their workload and save time. Apps like HelloFresh and Marley Spoon allow consumers to choose the meal kit according to their needs and then deliver it on a weekly or daily basis. These meals are easy to make with premium pre-portioned ingredients to the consumers, so the only thing they need to do is follow the given recipe with the kit and prepare the meal within minutes.  

5. Discount And Deals Apps- 

Who doesn’t love a good discount, especially in this economy with the price of everything rising significantly and salaries remaining stagnant? Apps like Shopfully and Lasoo allow consumers to get great deals on their desired goods by aggregating deals and special coupons from nearby grocery stores. Well, these are the apps you need to have if you want to save big bucks.  

Coles VS Woolworth Supermarket Chain Apps – 

What Is Coles Supermarket Chain App? 

Founded in 1914 by George Coles in Victoria, Coles is one of the major Australian supermarket chains that has expanded over the years, with their app being the latest addition to their laurels. The supermarket chain offers a comprehensive range of premium products, including meats, fresh produce, dairy, etc. 

The store also has a speciality section that offers organic and healthy food for their customers to expand their base and gain customer loyalty by catering to diverse dietary preferences and needs. Coles has amplified and built an app for its customers that serves as an online shopping platform, where they can browse and order products for home delivery. The online service includes features such as subscription orders for regularly used items and same-day delivery options in many areas.  

The app has a partnership with Flybuys loyalty program that allows consumers to earn and redeem points for their shopping. The app also allows consumers to locate their stores with the nearest Coles store to help them get to their nearest store if they don’t want to order home delivery.  

What Is Woolworth Supermarket Chain App? 

Founded in 1924, the Woolworth Supermarket is one of Australia’s largest and most popular grocery stores that operates under the Woolworths Group, which is a major retail corporation in Australia. Coles is the only competitor of Woolworths, as it also has similar products and offers for consumers.  

The grocery store has amplified over the years with its premium client service to customers by supplying them with brilliant deals on personal care products, bakery items, household essentials, etc.  

Over time, Woolworths developed an app for its customers to provide them with an online shopping platform that allows them to order groceries for home delivery. The app has enhanced the shopping experience for consumers by offering them features like search products, personalized recommendations, and barcode scanning.  

Initial Impression Of The App- 

Coles Mobile App–  

Coles Mobile App is a comprehensive tool designed to help users enhance their grocery shopping experience by providing them with the choice to buy their groceries from the comfort of their homes and have it delivered to their homes. Developed by a brilliant mobile app development company, the Coles Mobile app stands out among its competitors with its user-friendly interface and extensive features.  

The Coles app has a clean design, with the homepage being well-organized, displaying key categories that make it easier for users to navigate through the app. The homepage uses bright colours and icon guides to help users go through various app sections, including groceries, recipes, etc.  

The onboarding and registration process of the app is pretty straightforward, with new users having the ability to directly register on the app using their existing Coles online account. Apart from a straightforward registration process, the app provides a detailed guide to users to help them set up their accounts and link to the Flybuys loyalty program.  

One of the app features that impressed me is the wide product range it offers to the consumers, with each product having detailed information about the ingredients, pricing and nutritional value. The best part of the app is that it provides users with the ability to create their shopping list and mark stuff off after purchasing it. The app experience is consistent on Android and iPhone, but it provides smoother and faster access to people with iPhones.  

  Woolworth Mobile App 

The Woolworth supermarket mobile app is the digital extension of one of Australia’s leading supermarkets, giving tough competition to Coles, one of the other leading supermarket chains. 

The Woolworth mobile app doesn’t fall behind in terms of first impressions with its clean and intuitive design that helps users navigate effortlessly through their pages, thus enhancing the overall shopping experience of individuals. 

Developed by a known app development company, the app has a well-organised, visually appealing homepage that greets the users upon launching the app with quick access to various app sections.  

The Woolworth app also has a straightforward registration and sign-up process, with new users having the ability to directly register on the app using their existing Woolworth online account. The first thing I noticed after opening the app is its “Shop” section, which stands out in comparison to the Coles app with its products that are organized in categories logically, thus making it easier for users to navigate through the section. The search bar is placed at the page top to help users search for particular products allowing them to save the time that would have been spent browsing each section for their choice of goods. 

 One of the best features of the app is that it has a loyalty program of its own, therefore, the users do not link with any other loyalty program to gain store benefits and discounts. A feature that helps the app stand out is its “My List” feature, which allows users to create and manage multiple shopping lists that can be shared between friends and families.  

The app uses bold colours and icons to attract users to the app, similar to the Coles app, but it promotes sustainable and healthy choices among the users. The app runs efficiently on Android and iPhones by offering identical features and smoothness to the users, thus making it the first app choice for several individuals.   

Features – 

Coles Mobile App – 

There are certain app features of the Coles supermarket chain app apart from the regular features that help it stand out among the competition. 

1. Weekly Deals –  

Who doesn’t love a good deal that helps one save big bucks? The Coles app has the brilliant feature of providing weekly deals to users that help them save big bucks. A unique part of the app is that it integrates a fuel discount offer in the app that allows users to track the fuel discount vouchers they earned through grocery purchases. The app also has a price lock and specials section in the weekly deals section that allows individuals to view and purchase products that are at special prices for a locked period. 

2. Coles Recipe And Meals Inspiration  

The Coles feature provides a rich repository of recipes and meal inspiration to the users that makes it easy for them to browse through and choose their favourite recipe. This feature also allows users to directly add ingredients to their shopping list that they are missing with a single tap, thus helping users discover new dishes without having to worry about getting the ingredients.  

3. Voice-Activated Shopping List 

The app’s best feature is its voice-activated shopping list that allows users to add items to their grocery list by speaking the ingredient name, therefore making it a hands-free experience for the users. This feature is excellent for busy shoppers or those with mobility issues, making it easier for them to keep track of their grocery purchases.  

4. Barcode Scanning For Price Comparison– 

Another feature that makes the Coles app brilliant is its barcode scanner feature that allows individuals to scan an item at their home or a store to help them compare the product prices, check out for discounts and add the items to their list directly. 

   

5. Rewards Integration 

The reward distribution feature on the app is brilliant as it allows users to gain points on their purchases and redeem them on their next purchase. Developed by a known mobile app development company, the app has a partner program with Flybuys that allows users to gain loyalty points on purchasing goods from the Coles app or store.  

Woolworth  

Like Coles, the Woolworth supermarket chain app possesses some feature that makes it a tough competition in the Australian market landscape.  

1. Trolley Totals  

Wouldn’t it be best if you could keep track of your grocery total to help you stay within your budget? The trolley totals feature of the Woolworth app allows users to keep up with the cost of their shopping cart in real time as they add the items to the list. This feature is a match made in heaven for users on a budget who want to avoid surprise prices at checkout.  

2. Direct-to-Boot Service 

Developed by a well-known app development company, Woolworths offers a direct-to-boot service to users that allows them to place their grocery orders online from the comfort of their homes and have them delivered to the boot of their car without needing to contact delivery people. This feature is an ideal solution for introverts, as it saves time and is safe.  

3. Woolworth Reward System– 

The Woolworth supermarket chain app was developed by a known app development company to make the entire shopping process convenient for individuals. The app has a reward system of its own that helps users keep track of their points, activate offers and view their points that they can redeem on their next purchase. This app feature allows users to know how many points they need to earn to reach their next reward level. 

4. In-Store Mode- 

Another feature that makes the Woolworths app stand out amongst users is its in-store mode, which allows users in the store to use features like aisle locations for particular products, store maps, real-time stock availability, etc. This feature helps users have an exhilarating experience by allowing them to have a personalized experience in the store. 

5. Fresh Food Finder 

Choosing the right app development company is a necessity if you desire to build an app that stands out in the market with brilliant features similar to the above-mentioned ones. Fresh Food Finder is another unique feature in the Woolworth app that allows users to find fresh, organic produce available in stock for purchase. Apart from stock availability, this feature also helps users access information on the produce sources, ensuring the users make an informed choice. 

6. Shopping List  

Isn’t it great that the digitalization of grocery stores happened? The shopping list feature on the Woolworth app, developed by a brilliant app development company, allows individuals to create and save their shopping lists on the app. This feature enables users to have a hands-free experience while grocery shopping. 

Usability 

Coles Mobile App 

Every app has its pros and cons that define the overall usability of the app, and we will discuss Coles supermarket chain app’s usability first- 

Pros – 

1. The app has a brilliant, user-friendly, and intuitive interface that makes navigation easy for all kinds of users, be it tech-savvy ones or the ones who are less familiar with the latest technologies. 

2. Apart from an intuitive user interface, the app also offers a robust search function to its users with auto-suggestions and extensive filtering. The app prominently displays all the recent discounts and offers individuals can use to save money. The app also provides accessibility features for special needs people. 

3. The barcode scanning feature present in the Coles app is quick and effective and allows users to add products directly into their carts. 

4. The app runs smoothly and effectively on any platform, thus making it accessible for iPhone and Android users.  

Cons-   

1. The users of the Coles app often experience glitches and bugs while using the app, especially during peak usage hours, which impacts the app’s overall performance and usability. The app is dependent on a stable internet connection to function without any issues, which limits the use of the app in areas with unstable internet connections.   

2. Another con of the app is that it requires a massive amount of storage space and can be complex to use for new users due to features like advanced filtering.  

3. Often the app fails to yield relevant results for specific searches, thus making it difficult for users to find a product of their choice. 

Woolworth Mobile App  

Pros  

1. Woolworth mobile app has a clean, intuitive user interface that makes navigation through the app effortless for users, ensuring they have little to no issues. The app has a colourful homepage with a search function available at the page’ top to help users find their products without spending a lot of time. The app also allows users to save their shopping history and save their favourites, thus allowing them to order their favourites at any time without any hassle.  

2. The app’s shopping list feature is brilliant for people who like to make plans ahead of time to avoid unexpected prices at checkout.   

3. The app has a faster load time, as compared to the Coles app, leading users to prefer it over other available apps.  

Cons – 

1. The Woolworth app needs a stable internet connection to function appropriately, thus making it difficult to use for people living in areas with unstable internet connections. The app often has technical glitches during peak hours of sale, thus impacting the usability of the app.   

2. The overall design of the app appeared a bit minimal and dull compared to the Coles app, making some advanced features less evident to new users.  

Performance And Reliability-  

If we talk about the apps’ performance and reliability of Coles and Woolworth’s apps, both of them are reliable with minimal bugs and crashes, but in terms of reliability, the Coles supermarket chain app is a point ahead of the Woolworth app. The Woolworth app takes the cake for its performance, as the app and its pages load faster than the Coles app. The stability of both apps is brilliant, as they continuously update their apps, but occasional glitches do occur in them. Coles and Woolworths are brilliant apps, and users should use both for a while before making the final decision, as every individual has different needs.  

Customer Support – 

Developed by brilliant mobile app development companies, both Coles and Woolworth feature a brilliant customer support service available to users service 24/7. Collaborating with a known app development company provides valuable insights to clients on market trends and user preferences. If you have any queries, it is invaluable to get real-time assistance for users. 

Conclusion 

Both the Coles and Woolworth mobile apps are brilliant, with each having its pros and cons, thus it depends on the needs of an individual to download either of the apps.  

If you are looking for an app with intuitive designs and great deals, then the Coles mobile app is a brilliant match for you, but if you value speed and a minimal interface with excellent features, then Woolworth would be your go-to app. If you like using the iPhone and aesthetically pleasing design, then the Coles mobile app is a brilliant choice for you, but if you are an Android user, then Woolworth is your dream app, as it runs smoothly on this platform.  

Creating custom supermarket chain app features may be expensive, but the benefits of these apps, including improved shopping experience, increased customer satisfaction, and higher revenues, are indisputable.  

In conclusion, a grocery app marks a significant change in how grocery app operates and caters to customers. No matter what app you ultimately choose to use, both Woolworths and Coles app offer robust mobile app solutions that make the grocery shopping experience convenient for customers. If you are an entrepreneur looking to build an app similar to Coles and Woolworths, then what are you waiting for, contact our team at 7 Pillars today. 7 Pillars, a brilliant mobile app development company in Australia, believes in taking a client-centric approach by involving them at every step of the development and waiting for their nod before moving to the next step. 

If our team at 7 Pillars, a leading mobile app development company, had to choose one of the two, we would go with the Woolworth mobile app due to its brilliant speed, well-thought features and load time.