Black Friday is just a few days away, and major retailers have been dazzling potential customers with flashy ads, mind-blowing deals and outrageous store hours for weeks.
It's easy to get caught up in the excitement of Black Friday, but it's important to keep your head on straight in the holiday hustle. Fortunately, there's a plethora of apps for that.
Many shoppers will conduct most, if not all of their shopping online, but of those who venture out to make purchases in stores, 86 percent will consult their smartphones, according to PC Magazine. Many will be looking for sales and price comparisons, but some will want extras like reviews and rewards for shopping.
Here are 9 apps to keep you ahead of the game on Black Friday, help you save money, and help keep your wits about you this holiday shopping season:
1) Black Friday 2014 by Sazze, Inc.: Basically, a comprehensive guide to everything you'd want to know about Black Friday. Features the latest news and alerts about sales and doorbusters, full ad scans from an extensive list of retailers, and the ability to search for low prices by product category.
» More from blackfriday.fm
2) RedLaser by eBay Inc.: This mobile barcode scanner lets you compare prices, search for nearby deals, and store reward cards to help unclutter your wallet.
» More from RedLaser
3) RetailMeNot by RetailMeNot, Inc.: Boasting "500,000+ coupons from 50,000 stores", RetailMeNot will help you search for the best coupons at your favorite major retailers, and find those retailers nearby.
» More from RetailMeNot.
4) shopkick by shopkick: For the window shopper in all of us, shopkick rewards you just for stopping by your favorite stores. Get points when you walk in the door and scan products, then redeem those points for gift cards at your favorite major retailers.
» More from shopkick.
5) Santa's Bag by Clay Pot Software LLC: Keeping track of holiday gift lists can be a challenge, and losing track of purchases can be expensive. Santa's Bag takes care of all of that for you, allowing you to set a budget, create custom gift lists, and tally up your purchases all in one place.
» More from Clay Pot Software.
6) Fancy by Thing Daemon, Inc.: Like Pinterest but with the ability to click to buy. Connect with your friends on social media, share gift ideas, and make online purchases in one convenient app.
» More from Fancy.
7. shopular by AirCrunch, Inc.: Geo-locating pushes the most relevant coupons and daily ads from nearby stores you choose right to your phone.
» More from shopular.
8. ShopAdvisor by ShopAdvisor, Inc.: Shop the latest in fashion, beauty, grooming, home design and other trends. Browse curated collections from the latest issues of magazines like People, Cosmopolitan and Men's Health, "Love" your favorite products, and get alerts for price drops.
» More from ShopAdvisor.
9. Smoopa by Smoopa: Scan a barcode with this app while browsing in stores to get comparisons to prices for the same item online. Smoopa lets you earn rewards for scanning, and put points towards rebates or charitable donations.
» More from TechCrunch.
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Don't miss our complete Black Friday 2014 coverage, including the latest on store hours, local deals, and hot tips for getting the most out of the busiest shopping weekend of the year.