Smartphones Have Become The Essential Black Friday Deals Tool

Smartphone owners are once again being spoiled during the Black Friday special shopping event. Those who stay home and avoid the shopping madness are expected back to the stores, and technological tools are the perfect bait to attract them.


If you have a smartphone, you’ll have been able to download a bunch of apps to prepare for Black Friday shopping, and they will have informed you of the best deals in your area. For example, Walmart has a map showing shoppers exactly where the best Black Friday deals are located, while Mall of America Twitter feed gives you advice on traffic, and sends gifts. But Macy’s goes even further: it sends you special gifts for every five minutes you spend in its stores.

“With the speed that people are shopping with on Black Friday, they need to be really efficient about how they’re spending their time,” said Jennifer Kasper, group vice president for digital media at Macy’s, the New York Times writes.

Obviously, users won’t download all the Black Friday apps or all the apps developed by retails stores in order to have the best deals one tap away; instead, they will be tempted to download location-based apps giving shoppers points, tips and redeemable perks if they walk into the store or scan certain items.

“Consumers are not going to download 40 different apps for 40 different stores,” said Cyriac Roeding, co-founder of Shopkick, a location-based app that gives shoppers points, redeemable for perks, when they walk into stores or scan certain items.

eBay app RedLaser, for instance, allows shoppers to use their smartphone for real-time price comparison, so you won’t close any deal before you’re sure it’s the best you can get for the money. For Canadians, the ShopWise app offers a great way to keep up with Black Friday deals.

Which app do you use for shopping on Black Friday?

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