Estimated read time: 3-4 minutes
This archived news story is available only for your personal, non-commercial use. Information in the story may be outdated or superseded by additional information. Reading or replaying the story in its archived form does not constitute a republication of the story.
Editor's note: This article is part of KSL's App of the Week, which features a different app with Utah ties each Thursday. Send tips for future articles to ddewey@ksl.com. SALT LAKE CITY — A Utah app hopes to make shopping for gifts this holiday season much easier.
Giftry is a wish list app that helps you give and receive the perfect gift for any occasion. You can add items to your lists from websites or simply scan barcodes while at a store.
"The moment you see a gift idea and think, 'Oh, I'd love that for Christmas or for so and so, that would be a perfect gift for them,' you just grab it and add it to your list and then you can share those lists with friends and family and collaborate together," said Brandon Wright, CEO and co-founder of Giftry.
The app helps you to know exactly what a person wants without having to ruin the surprise of what you are getting for them. One feature allows you to pick a few items for your spouse and then the app will notify your spouse that someone is looking to get them a gift and ask them which gifts he or she likes. The app will use your gift ideas as well as other recommendations to find the perfect gift.
"On your end you find out (your spouse) liked that item, didn't like that item, and you can buy (your spouse) something (he or she) actually wants," Wright said.
It also gives family members who may live far away a chance to shop for the right gifts.
"We will create a list for our kids, give them the phone and then they can run around the store and they can go scan barcodes of things that they want for Christmas or their birthday, and then we share that list with their grandparents who live both in and out of state but are looking to buy them a gift," Wright said.
If an item is not online and does not have a barcode, the user can still add it to a list. In the app, you can take a picture of it, fill out the price and location, and then anyone who lives near that store could buy it in-person.
Many couples who do a wedding registry or baby registry are forced to pick just a couple of retailers to register with. With Giftry, the wish list opens up to any item at any store.
"With Giftry, we want to create a retail shopping experience for people that is focussed on them and what they want, not necessarily what their retailer wants to sell them," said Wright. "We are really striving to be the consumer advocate when it comes to retail instead of just being another retailer that is looking out for what's best for themselves."
