In-Store Shopping Will Only Get Better With Apps

Finding a deal is a cinch this holiday season -- if you own a smartphone. Now, more than ever before, the majority of people who own a mobile device have a smartphone, from which they can shop and find deals.

At the same time that shoppers are nabbing deals online, they're also shopping in-store and comparing prices. Brick-and-mortar stores aren't going anywhere. Shoppers are using their smartphones to make in-store experiences even better.

Vicki Cantrell, executive director of Shop.org, tells Mashable that for consumers, shopping in-store or in-app is not an either/or choice.

What consumers really want is a particular product, price and experience -- they don't care which channel that occurs through, Cantrell said.

"Some of these retailers have done a great job of integrating their in-store experience with their mobile experience," she said.

This season, retailers have responded to the growing number of mobile shoppers by attracting consumers in two important ways. The first, Cantrell explained, is by accommodating the cost-conscious consumer.

"Many stores brought back layaway, extended deals, offered price matching and coupons," she said. The second way is convenience -- letting consumers shop however and whenever they wanted. Many brick-and-mortar stores have offered extended hours this shopping season.

"Brick-and-mortar stores will become more relevant than ever as mobile apps grow," she said. Conversely, online-only stores are the ones that sometimes become real life stores or pop-up shops "because the consumer wants the total experience."

A recent study from Nielsen shows just how shoppers are taking advantage of their smartphones and tablets to locate the best prices for items on their holiday wish lists.

Sixty three percent of mobile shoppers have compared prices with their smartphone while shopping in-store or on their home computer. Smartphone owners are also three times more likely than tablet owners to use their handset for in-store activities such as claiming mobile coupons (39%) or using shopping lists (40%).

SEE ALSO: Men More Likely to Go Mobile Shopping

Tablet owners are more likely than smartphone owners to shop from their device at home, rather than venturing out to a store. Owning a tablet also makes it more likely you'll use it for product research before making a purchase (68%), and for reading online reviews (53%).

With all the deals online and endless products to scour, it can seem overwhelming. But you can use deal finding apps and websites to sort the best prices by category, price, brand and rating.

Lawrence Fong, cofounder of BuyVia, a price comparison website and app that shows tech deals, tells Mashable that deal-finding tools like BuyVia are the new way to shop, since consumers can compare online and in-store deals to get a complete picture of what's available. Your account on the app and website sync together so you can do research at home and view your list on the app while in-store.

"In the past, all these platforms were fragmented," he said. "Apps such as BuyVia seek to unify that experience, including the brick-and-mortar space, so you're not tied to shopping one way or another."

This app, like numerous other shopping apps, has geolocation so users can see sales based on where they are at the moment. If you're in a shopping mall for instance, you can see which stores are offering deals. Fong says retailers should welcome apps that use geolocation because it enhances the in-store shopping experience.

"One of the challenges when thinking about brick-and-mortar stores is the show rooming concept, where people handle the products and go home and buy it online," he said. "Retailers are feeling that impact and the way for them to survive is to be savvy about it. Like ensuring they have things in stock and encouraging shoppers to use geolocation apps."

"It's really an exciting time in terms of empowering shoppers," he said.

When you use your smartphone to shop, do you also use another device, or use your smartphone while in-store? Tell us your deal-finding strategy in the comments.

Photo courtesy of iStockphoto, Lisa-Blue