Holiday Shopping Hacks for Android Users

When you’re an Android power-user sporting a device stocked with the best shopping apps available, you don’t need any flying reindeer or magical elves by your side to be a holiday hero. Forget the long lines, winter weather, and crazy crowds, because our holiday shopping hacks will help wrap up your must-buy list quickly so you’ll have more time to enjoy the holiday season!

Use Price Scanning Apps to Check for Deals

If you absolutely have to do your shopping in person, downloading a trusty barcode-scanning app is essential – not only for people looking to buy an item for the lowest price in town, but for discerning buyers who value product reviews. We recommend that you download and become familiar with one or two of the various price scanning apps available on Google Play before hitting the mall so you know exactly how the apps function before trying to fumble around with scanner among the bustling holiday shopping crowd! Simply test them on a few barcodes found in your home to see which price scanning apps have the best features for your shopping needs.

Some of our favorites:

• ShopSavvy Barcode & QR Scanner
• Barcode Scanner
• QR & Barcode Scanner

Buy a Unique, Handmade Gift

While most big-box stores have an associated app to make holiday shopping even easier for loyal customers, crafty holiday shoppers will keep an eye on alternative marketplace apps for extra-special presents. Surprise your loved ones with a one-of-a-kind handmade gift from Etsy, or go back in time to discover something that you can’t buy at a department store anymore from a vendor on eBay. Although Pinterest isn’t officially an online shop, an army of dedicated pinners collect amazing things from the far-flung corners of the internet, making it an excellent resource for researching the perfect gift.

Ask Your Loved Ones for their Wish Lists

There’s no easier way to make sure that everyone on your list gets their heart’s desire this holiday than asking for their e-wish lists. Most major online retailers let users create handy wish lists, from Toys”R”Us to Walmart and beyond, but for everyone else, there’s always Amazon! Do yourself a favor by asking for wish lists from online stores that you already shop with, and go the extra mile to learn if your shop features bonus perks, like in-store pickup, coupons, and special sales leading up to the end of the year. You’re still doing the legwork, but think of the wish list as your trusty treasure map!

Bonus Holiday Shopping Hacks!

• If you’re looking for deals on a variety of potential presents, keep an eye on Groupon and LivingSocial. They have a wide range of revolving offers, so check on them frequently!
• Save time flipping through circulars and flyers by downloading Flipp. Flipp is an app that displays the current advertisements from many major retailers, and it’s a great source for finding a local deal or two.
• Transfer your holiday shopping lists onto Evernote, so that you can easily keep track of what you’ve already purchased, and what you want to find next.
• Stay tuned to the social media profiles of your favorite stores! Exclusive coupons, sales, and other discounts are often advertised over Twitter and Facebook.
• Apply any pending updates to your operating system and individual apps before shopping on your mobile device. The latest version of your favorite software will help to protect your purchasing experience from security vulnerabilities.

It’s great that you’ll shave a ton of time off your annual holiday shopping, but what are you going to do with it? We suggest building a pod of snow-dolphins in the yard, or baking a batch of starfish-shaped sugar cookies!

Happy Holidays!

-Team Dolphin