Client: Empire Company Ltd. (Sobeys, Safeway) • Live as of Aug 2025
Using a Shopping List shouldn’t be this hard
Empire Company Ltd. (Sobeys, Safeway) is one of Canada's top grocery chains.
I was the Lead Designer working on the Shopping List feature that was a part of revamping their entire online presence.
Role
Lead Designer
Team
Design, Product, Technical, Business
Timeline
Summer 2024, three months
Scope
User interface design, rapid prototyping, cross-functional collaboration, user research, developer handoff
Overview
According to internal company data, less than 5 percent of registered users had created a shopping list.
At the same time, Sobeys' online presence was falling behind its competitors. The time for change had come.
Search for a product then add the item to your Shopping List
Problem statement
How might we give users the ability to find top deals in their shopping list, before they step foot in-store?
Research
I conducted 4 user interviews to see how people shopped for groceries
I worked with the UX Researcher to understand people's grocery shopping behaviours.
I interviewed 3 candidates, and sat in for 1 interview where I asked questions about how users viewed the shopping list on Sobeys.com, and how it compared to their typical methods.
Constraints
This cannot be a Shopping Cart
Due to technical, timeline, and financial constraints, the Shopping List is just that. A list. Business said we need to be clear about this requirement to users.
The Shopping Cart needed to be designed in future releases.
User value
What's our unique selling point? What makes the Shopping List better than using pen and paper?
The answer? Deals.
In the new designs, we want customers to view deals on their list in real-time. Furthermore, it also gives users the opportunity to stack coupons and maximize savings.
Wireframes
Maximizing access and value of the Shopping List
After my first round of user interviews, I designed wireframes with these driving factors in mind:
Deals shown first
Shopping List is accessible in all pages
Switching lists is easy
Research
I worked closely with the UX Researcher to frame the research goals and co-synthesize the insights that shaped our design decisions
Findings
😄 6 of 7 participants
were able to find the shopping list feature by selecting the list icon
😣 Only 1 of 7 participants
were able to find the breakdown of cost using the summary pane
Final design and impact
Shopping list, quick, intuitive, and ready to use.
Feedback from user testing
😄 3 of 4 participants
preferred the redesign
Features
1
Quickly view different lists, anywhere.
2
Want to shop for pickup or delivery? Redirect to Voila with ease.
3
Managing your lists, made simple.
