BuyersMarket Beta: Help Test Jamaica's First Grocery Price Intelligence Platform
We've spent months building BuyersMarket's infrastructure: 18,324 products tracked, 20,957 current prices across 31 stores, automated daily data collection from 7 retailers, and an AI-powered WhatsApp bot that can read your grocery receipts.
Now we need real shoppers to test it.
What We're Testing
The beta program runs for 4 weeks in March 2026 — two weeks of closed beta with 50–75 users, followed by two weeks of open beta expanding to 150–200 users.
We're validating four things:
- Does the A-B-C rating system make sense? Do shoppers understand "Grab It / Fair Price / Hold Off" signals, and do they actually influence purchasing decisions?
- Do people come back? Our target is 40%+ weekly active users — meaning at least 4 in 10 beta testers use the platform every week.
- Does crowdsourced pricing work? When users upload receipts, can our OCR pipeline accurately extract product names, stores, and prices?
- Is the data accurate enough? With prices from 31 stores updated daily, we need to verify that our numbers match what's actually on the shelf.
Who We're Looking For
We want beta testers who reflect Jamaica's actual grocery shopping population:
- Primary grocery shoppers who shop at least once per week
- Mix of platforms: roughly 60% Android, 40% iOS
- Mix of ages: 25–34, 35–44, and 45–60
- Mix of income levels: J$80K–150K/month, J$150K–250K, and J$250K+
- Geographic diversity: Liguanea, Constant Spring, Half Way Tree, New Kingston, Portmore
You don't need to be tech-savvy. We want "average" users just as much as power users — the app needs to work for everyone.
What Beta Testers Get
All participants:
- Free Premium access for the full 4-week beta
- Permanent "Founding Member" badge in the app — this badge will never be available again
- Early access to every new feature before public release
- Extended Premium for 3 months post-launch if you complete all 3 surveys
Active contributors (top 30% by engagement):
- 6 months free Premium post-launch
- Exclusive "Beta MVP" badge
- Early access to the mobile app before it hits the App Store/Play Store
Power users (top 10%):
- Lifetime free Premium — forever
- Direct WhatsApp line to the founder for feature requests and priority support
- First look at every major update before anyone else
What We'll Ask of You
- Use the platform for 4 weeks
- Complete 3 short surveys (Week 1, Week 2, Week 4) — each takes 5–15 minutes
- Report bugs and confusing parts honestly
- Optionally: upload receipts, refer friends, and join a 30-minute video feedback session
The Timeline
| Phase | Dates | What Happens |
|---|---|---|
| Closed Beta | March 1–14 | 50–75 testers, core functionality testing |
| Open Beta | March 15–28 | 150–200 testers, referral testing, premium features |
| Analysis | March 29 – April 4 | Data analysis, go/no-go decision |
| Public Launch | April 2026 | Open to everyone |
How to Apply
Beta applications open soon. We'll share the signup link via our newsletter, WhatsApp, and social media. Subscribe to our newsletter at buyersmarket.app to be the first to know.
Why Your Feedback Matters
Jamaica has approximately 221 supermarkets and zero dedicated price comparison tools. The CAC Jamaica app, launched in 2019, has roughly 4,000 downloads after six years — partly because its monthly survey data goes stale almost immediately.
We're building something different: daily-fresh data, a timing-based rating system, and community-powered price verification. But technology alone doesn't solve the problem. We need feedback from real Jamaican shoppers — people who know the difference between counter flour and baking flour, who shop at both Hi-Lo and Coronation Market, who feel the weight of 8.1% food inflation on every trip.
That's why the beta matters. You're not just testing an app — you're helping build a tool that 2.9 million Jamaicans could use to stretch their grocery budgets further.