Whether you are opting to do it online or in person, shopping can be either a fun sport or a huge pain. Depending on your personality, we’ve selected some apps that will either help you become a deal-hunting shopping master, or just help you get through your mandatory gift-purchasing shopping trip. Either way, these apps will help you find your way around the mall, find the best price online, or seek out something hard-to-find at a local shop. We’ve created the list based on iOS apps, but many of these are available on Android as well.
RedLaser, Free
This app’s technology is used in almost every other app that features a barcode scanner, and for good reason. RedLaser will quickly scan almost any barcode or QR code and quickly search site and local stores to find the best prices on whatever you’ve just scanned. Users can create shopping lists and search by voice or by photo if they can’t find a barcode. Now users can even purchase items directly through the app at select sites. If you only have one shopping app on your iPhone, this is the one to have.
Amazon Mobile, Free
Since Amazon is one of the biggest retailers out there, it only makes sense that they would have one of the best shopping apps around. As is expected, you can browse or search products on Amazon, view all of your account details, track orders, purchase items, and do anything else you would have access to on the web version. Users can also scan a barcode or take a photo of something to look it up through Amazon. Our experience with this was that it is accurate, quick, and certainly helpful. We like the pleasant design, as well as the fact that the app is just as fully-functional as the site itself.
Fastmall, Free
For the times when you have to physically go out and shop in the crowds, Fastmall can come in handy. This app can help you find your way around real malls without the need for either GPS or WiFi. The app has interactive maps for thousands of popular malls, helping you get from store to store quickly and effectively. You can even simply shake your phone to see where the nearest restroom is. Users can add certain stores as favorites, and there’s even a “deals” section to help you find discounts in the mall. We also like that this app has a “where did I park?” feature that records your GPS location and lets you make a voice note.
Coupon Sherpa, Free
If you’re a deal hunter, Coupon Sherpa is a great app to download and check whenever you’re out shopping. It offers a somewhat limited list of national chain stores and gives you instant access to any in-store coupons that the store is currently offering. It doesn’t have coupons for every store out there, but if we were to check this every time we were about to buy something at the mall, we’d probably save a fair amount of money. Users can also browse coupons by selecting a grocery store, search coupons by category, and add favorite stores to make checking for coupons fast and easy.
Goodzer, Free
This app is simple and doesn’t have a lot of bells and whistles, but it does a really good job finding things locally that might be difficult to find in a bigger app that does more. If you’re looking for something specific and possibly difficult to find, this app will help you find just what you need within a few miles range (or larger range if you choose). The app contains product info for more than 2 million products, and when searching for an item you will be able to see the product, price, availability, and get directions to the store of your choice. There is an online shopping option for good comparison, but this app is best used to find what’s local.
Stylebop, Free
This app is perfect for the luxury fashionistas out there who want a mobile app to browse and purchase the latest clothes and trends. Users can browse collections or different designers, see items in 360-degree photos, create a wishlist of items, and purchase directly through the app. The app also has fun features like “Key Looks” and “Shop By Look” that offer inspiration as well as help finding clothes from celebrity outfits. This app isn’t for everyone, but if you’ve got a high-style side then Stylebop will be a helpful personal assistant.
eBay, Free
This app doesn’t include anything revolutionary, but it does represent a highly-functional and well-designed mobile version of the popular auction site. The full-featured app includes a barcode scanner for quick eBay searches and allows users full access to their accounts and My eBay dashboards. While notifications aren’t always our favorite thing about apps, when you’re anxiously watching several important items, a nudge in the form of a notification is much appreciated. We also like that the app includes full selling functionality and will notify you when you receive bids on an item, if someone has won it, and when they have paid for it.
