Out of stock? US students build website to track store inventories amid pandemic

Shelves are nearly empty of hand sanitiser at a store. Two University of Texas students have created a website that helps people find where items are in stock in the US. — Austin American-Statesman/TNS

AUSTIN, Texas: It’s an all too common sight these days: long lines, empty shelves, and days of waiting for toilet paper to come back in stock. But as fears around the coronavirus drive essentials off the shelves, two University of Texas students have an idea to help.

Rithwik Pattikonda and Darshan Bhatta, a sophomore and freshman studying computer science, recently launched InStok.org, a website designed to check inventories of big stores like Target and CVS and tell users where they can find the items they need.