Bargain Shopping With a Smartphone

Deal-seeking shoppers who used to clip newspaper coupons and scan store windows for sales are now turning to their smartphones to save money. Twenty-nine percent of smartphone users search for coupons on their wireless devices at least once a month, while over half have used their devices as tools to compare prices while shopping in store. 

As the holiday season approaches, a smartphone can be a great tool for discovering great bargains and cashing in on deals straight from the screen. 

Signing up to be on a retailer’s email list is one way to receive alerts about sales, promotions and limited time offers. Online-based companies like Groupon, Gilt and LivingSocial send out daily or weekly emails to subscribers with discounts and vouchers to use or give as gifts. Some retailers like Macy’s, on the other hand, send out sales announcements via SMS, so there’s no need for shoppers to even check their inboxes. 

Nobody wants to spend hours running from store to store only to realize there are no sales to be found. The Zoomingo app uses a smartphone’s GPS to locate nearby sales at over 100 national retailers. Users can search for sale items by category, store or brand, and access maps to direct them to their stores of choice.

Even easier than locating a sale and heading out to shop, is being able to make a bargain purchase right on a smartphone. With mobile commerce expected to hit $10 billion this year, apps are enabling users to buy directly from the app or from retailer websites. TapSave features coupons and deals of up to 90 percent off fashion, beauty and home products that can be bought inside the app, while DealNews provides coupon codes for specific products that can be redeemed at a store’s online checkout. 

With a smartphone in hand, any shopper can be a bargain shopper this holiday season.