10 iOS Shopping Apps You Should Keep Handy on Black Friday

By Don Reisinger

When shopping for deals, determining the price isn’t always easy. That’s where the free Sale Saver app comes in. The app features a slider that helps users determine how much they’ll pay based on the product’s sticker price and sale percentage. Sale Saver even includes tax calculations.

On Black Friday, speed is a priority. That’s why the free app FastMall might be particularly useful. The application lists nearby malls and provides a full list of store locations. There’s even help on where to park. Since planning is everything on Black Friday, having FastMall handy should be a top priority.

RedLaser comes with a wide range of features, but it’s perhaps best known for its barcode scanner. With that feature, users can scan a barcode at a store to help determine whether they can get a better price online or at another nearby store. The app is able to achieve that functionality thanks to the iPhone’s onboard camera. Best of all, the barcode-scanning app is free in Apple’s App Store.

ShopSavvy is a must-have on Black Friday. In addition to providing a barcode scanner like RedLaser, ShopSavvy comes with a list of popular products people are buying around the world. That tidbit of information alone can be a big help in finding the right gift for the right person on Black Friday.

Black Friday by FatWallet puts all of the best Black Friday deals in one place. Users can search by retailer or product category to find deals both locally and online. The app is free, so it doesn’t add to the cost of shopping. Best of all, it lists, in some cases, thousands of deals for each retailer.

Shoppers who see a nicely discounted product in-store can search Amazon’s free Amazon Mobile app to see how much the e-retailer is charging for it. In some cases, consumers might find themselves buying a product with their mobile app rather than getting it in-store.

As the name might suggest, the free Black Friday Shopping app is designed especially for one day out of the year. With Black Friday Shopping, users can sift through the ads and flyers released by top retailers. The app also includes a wish list feature that lets folks input what they want before they shop and then highlight the best deals around town for that item.

Black Friday 2013 Ads App is by no means a high-powered piece of software. But then again, it’s not meant to be. The app features all of the ads for local retailers and provides a single point of reference for busy holiday shoppers. Best of all, the free app is already populated with several ads and flyers at install time.

Amazon earns a second mention due to its popular Price Check by Amazon app. The app allows users to snap a picture of a barcode at a store to see how much the e-retailer is selling the same product for. The offering won’t provide search results that are as expansive as with the Amazon Mobile app, but for those who know time is of the essence, which is just about everyone on Black Friday, Price Check by Amazon is a nice option.

Apple recently updated its free Apple Store application for iOS to make it more user-friendly. Not only does the app make it easy to find products, but it’ll also feature all of Apple’s Black Friday deals in a single pane within the menu. Those planning on shopping for Apple products on Black Friday should definitely have the Apple Store app handy.