A few days ago an article in the New York Times explored the way people are using their phones while they are shopping. I’ve been using an iPhone for the last few months and I’m warming to it, but I’m definitely not as savvy as some people.
According to the article…
“One in five shoppers said they intended to use their cell phones to shop this holiday season, according to an annual survey by Deloitte, the accounting and consulting firm. Of those, 45 percent said they would use their phone to research prices, 32 percent said they would use it to find coupons or read reviews and 25 percent said they would make purchases from their phones”.
Wow. In this new world it seems that everyone is as gadget happy as 007. Software applications for cell phones are helping bargain hunting consumers locate the best deals in retail stores in a matter of seconds while they shop the aisles of the store.
This is how one mobile power shopper goes about finding the best deals in town:
“Heather Reed, a mother in Cypress, Tex., is one of those mobile power-shoppers. She uses several apps on her Samsung Moment phone to whittle down her spending. She was recently considering a $29.99 Hot Wheels video game for her son at Wal-Mart. With a quick scan of the bar code, an application called ShopSavvy found it at Target, just across the freeway, for $19.99. Another app from MyCoupons.com provided a Target coupon that sliced off $10 more”.
As impressive as it sounds, bargain shopping on cell phones is not all smooth sailing. Inaccurate information and bad network connections can make the process frustrating. Plus, viewing items on a cell phone screen and typing from a tiny keypad is not ideal.
Needless to say, I am in awe of all tenacious and savvy bargain shopping skills. But I’m not yet using my cell phone to track down deals online. Are you a mobile power shopper? And regardless of whether the answer to that question is “yes” or “no”, what features would you like to see in a great shopping app for the phone?
