Thrifty Thinking: Holiday Shopping Season Tips

In honor of this shortened shopping holiday season, retailers like Walmart are getting a head-start on seasonal discounts and promotions, which means less time to shop and save money. But, thanks to smart digital technology there’s no need to fret.

 

“With six fewer shopping days this year, your best tool this holiday season is your smartphone,” says Navneet Loiwal, co-founder and CEO of Shopular. Ranked by TIME as one of the 50 Best iPhone Apps in 2013, the widely popular mobile app, used by more than 1M people, pushes personally relevant deals as soon as you walk into your favorite retailer or mall.

 

Loiwal offers five ways your smartphone can help you to get a jump start on your holiday shopping, including:

 

1.       Make a list & ‘save’ it twice – An old cliché with a new twist. First, get organized; start by writing down everyone you plan to buy a gift for with ideas of what to give each person, and the maximum amount you’re willing to spend. Save this list on your smartphone or mobile device by emailing it to yourself, taking a photo and/or typing it into your notes. Chances are you’ll never leave home without it and will you’ll always have the list handy. 

 

2.       Never miss a deal EVER – Shopular’s intuitive technology automatically alerts you of coupons and deals when you are in a store or mall, at over 40,000 locations around the country.

 

3.       Start now – Retailers have already begun offering holiday discounts historically reserved for Black Friday. Despite the earlier holiday push, weekdays in early December will be some of the best days to beat the crowds this season

 

4.       Shop on off peak days / times – You can accomplish more when the malls are less crowded. Mondays and Tuesdays – including the weekdays following Black Friday and ‘Black Saturday’ – will have fewer crowds; and good deals for shoppers who wait it out.

 

5.       Create a 'holiday shopping' folder - In addition to Shopular, which gets you all the best deals and promotions when you are in-store, there other great free / low cost iPhone or Android apps, such as FastMall, The Better Christmas List and DocScanner, that can help you organize your holidays.