DESIGN AND DEVELOPMENT OF MY SHOP ASSISTANT MOBILE APP: A SMART RECOMMENDER FOR BUDGET TRACKING AND PERSONALIZED SHOPPING AMONG UUM STUDENTS

Abstract

My Shop Assistant is a mobile application designed to enhance the shopping experience by improving organisation and budget management. Although the number of mobile shopping apps is increasing, many still lack features that enable users to prioritise purchases, manage spending, and compare prices in a user-friendly, efficient manner. This project explores how a mobile shopping assistant can support budgeting and efficiency without requiring complex personalisation.  The primary objectives are to develop an application that provides categorised shopping lists, automatic price comparison, budget tracking and priority tagging of items such as “wishlist” or “must-have”. Users can view a monthly breakdown of their spending over three months and receive insights into shopping patterns, including popular and favourite items and stores, with the top three stores ranked by items on the user’s shopping list. The project was developed using the Rapid Application Development (RAD) methodology, which consists of four phases: requirements planning, user design, construction and cutover. A field test was conducted with 30 respondents from Universiti Utara Malaysia (UUM), who interacted with the app and completed an online questionnaire assessing usability, usefulness, ease of use, acceptance and intent to use. The result indicated that users were very satisfied with the app, particularly with price comparison and budget tracking features. This application benefits budget-conscious individuals, including students, young adults, and frequent shoppers, by providing a useful, user-friendly way to prioritise purchases and manage their expenditure. It fills a gap in current mobile shopping tools by offering an efficient, simplified solution that does not rely on complex personalisation features.