Tesco to launch m-commerce app with Nokia

Thursday, August 12, 2010 - 09:51 by Sarah Collinson

Supermarket chain Tesco is going to offer Nokia customers the chance to shop for their groceries from their mobile phones, thanks to a newly created application.

The app has been sent off to Nokia for approval and presuming it's successful it will be made available from the Ovi Store download service, which can be accessed from many of Nokia's mobile phones.

Observers have pointed out that Tesco is bucking the current trend by ignoring the Apple iPhone and opting to target Nokia users and this is apparently because it considers the iPhone to cater to a small audience that does not include the majority of its customers.

The Grocery App for Nokia will allow users to carry out safe shopping online without the need for a desktop computer, so you could arrange for your weekly shop to be delivered to your door while you are commuting!

Consumers who already have an account with Tesco.com will be able to access most of these features via the app and you can make alterations to your order, whether you are on your PC or using your mobile phone, which means last minute additions will be easy to insert.

Tesco has made sure that the m-commerce app is compatible with a wide range of Nokia mobiles, from the N97 to the more affordable 5230. In fact as long as you have a Nokia phone that is based on the Symbian S60 platform, you will be able to carry out safe shopping online.

Although Tesco supports Apple's iPhone instore and via its role as a mobile network operator, it is keen to get the grocery app out to as many of its customers as possible and it believes that Nokia will be the best partner to do this with.