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Editor’s Note: ShopAdvisor is no longer offering the shopping services mentioned in this article.
If you’ve ever wished for a shopping assistant who could find you the best deals and alert you when a product goes on sale, check out ShopAdvisor. ShopAdvisor is a free service that can help you save time and money by alerting you to sales on your favorite products.
I recently spoke with Andrew Mahon, VP of Marketing at ShopAdvisor, about the services his company provides to shoppers. Mahon co-founded ShopAdvisor in September 2011 to help shoppers find the best deals for their purchases. “We realized the world didn’t need just another shopping app, so we designed one that fits the way people shop.”
ShopAdvisor started as an iPhone app then launched a website, Android and Windows Phone apps. “In under two years, ShopAdvisor has been downloaded over a million times, has over 10 million users and is consistently listed as one of the best apps in iTunes,” said Mahon. According to the ShopAdvisor website, the service has saved shoppers over $7.5 million on products worth $139 million.
How ShopAdvisor Works
Mahon explained that in developing ShopAdvisor they looked at how people shopped for major purchases such as electronics, appliances, cars and other big ticket items. Shoppers do their research, compare models, try to gauge prices and find deals. “But it’s a lot to remember and keep track of. Every day people might check the price but they never know when they’re getting a good deal, even if the price drops,” said Mahon.
ShopAdvisor is designed to help people with every step of the buying process. The service monitors prices on over 2 million products from over 16,000 retailers. “ShopAdvisor will work with online stores such as Amazon and local brick and mortar stores if you allow location services on the app,” explained Mahon.
Mahon gave the example of someone who wanted to purchase a TV before the Super Bowl. “Super Bowl was a very busy time for us,” said Mahon. He explained that a lot of people wanted to buy TV’s before the Super Bowl and used ShopAdvisor to help get the best prices.
By tracking price swings, ShopAdvisor showed shoppers the price history of TV’s to gauge when they would find the best sale prices. ShopAdvisor also alerted users when TV’s went on sale.
The service isn’t just for major purchases, ShopAdvisor can also help people with smaller purchases. “I don’t think many people research a $5 item,” said Mahon, “but the app can help them remember that they wanted to buy it.”
The most popular items people shop for, according to Mahon, are women’s shoes, electronics, men’s shoes, then home decor.
Using ShopAdvisor
To get started with ShopAdvisor, download the app or go to the ShopAdvisor website and sign up for a free account.
Search for a product to find out the price history and to judge if and when a product might go on sale.
You can also comparison shop at ShopAdvisor and see the most popular searches and biggest price drops in the past 24 hours. ShopAdvisor can also show you the lowest prices online and locally for an item. If you don’t want to wait, you can buy the item immediately using a ShopAdvisor link.
Deal Alerts
You can save an item to your ShopAdvisor watch list and set up an alert via email or text message to be notified when the price drops. You can also set an alert for a future date to remember to buy an item on your watch list.
When ShopAdvisor sends an alert, 92% of users open that alert and nearly 20% visit the online store, according to Mahon.
ShopAdvisor + Zinio
ShopAdvisor has recently partnered with Zinio so you can use ShopAdvisor as you’re reading your favorite magazines using Zinio on your iPad.
If you’re someone who likes to rip pages out of magazines or fold over corners to remember to buy an item you see in a magazine, ShopAdvisor can make that process even easier for you when you read digital magazines on your iPad.
No need to remember which items you liked as you peruse a periodical. You can save items you like straight to your ShopAdvisor watch list to buy later and/or get alerts about price drops. If you’re ready to buy immediately, you can do that through ShopAdvisor and then get right back to reading the magazine.
These are some Zinio magazines that work with the ShopAdvisor iPad app:
- Cosmopolitan
- Marie Claire
- Elle
- Elle Decor
- Esquire
- Parenting
- Golf Magazine
- Wine Enthusiast
- HD Video Pro
- Digital Photo Pro
- Digital Photo
ShopAdvisor also works on Golf magazine outside of Zinio and has plans to expand to other digital publications soon.
Shopping Lists
ShopAdvisor can help you keep track of your intended purchases by creating a shopping list of your saved items. You can search for items on the website and app or by using the bar code scanner in the app.
Product Reviews
If you need to educated yourself before you buy, ShopAdvisor can help. You can check out reviews of products as well as product guides directly from the app.
ShopAdvisor + Evernote
You can create a shopping list in Evernote and import it into ShopAdvisor.
My Test
I tested the app on the website, iPhone, iPad and Android and found it easy and intuitive to use. The instructions are clear and the app flows smoothly without lagging. The iPad app is especially elegant with pages turning similar to a high-end ebook.
I received my first price drop alert within 24 hours of saving the product to my watch list, before I would have thought to re-check the price manually. The price drop was significant and I probably would have missed the deal except for ShopAdvisor’s alert.
Availability
ShopAdvisor is no longer available.
Bottom Line
Using ShopAdvisor can save you time and money by helping you find the best deals, do comparison shopping, research products and get alerts about price drops. Check out ShopAdvisor to get the most out of shopping while spending the least amount of time and money.
Do you check prices to see when an item goes on sale? Have you ever missed a sale price when you were looking to make a purchase? Do you fold pages in magazines so you can remember items to purchase later? Have you ever accidentally folded the corner of your iPad instead? Let us know in the Comments section below!
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Hi Carolyn,
This sounds interesting and something anyone would love doing 🙂
I wish we had it in our country too, but yes, there are other kind of similar sites, that let you know about the price drop whenever it occurs, though they are mainly limited to within our country, just as in the case of ShopAdvisor too.
To be able to be save money and time by being alerted on your apps or their site is a great feature, and you can easily choose the things you had included in your list and even compare them with other sites you follow to know the latest, or choose the option you’d to go in for.
Speaking of myself, I don’t shop online all that much unless I’m very sure of the site or the product I want to purchase. Perhaps I’m the kind who’s rather content and happy with less and not the really shopper! But yes, whenever we do, its fun as a family to do so.
Thanks for sharing this with us. Have a nice day ahead 🙂
Hi Harleena, Yes, I wish ShopAdvisor was available worldwide. They have done a marvelous job of examining how people shop and then tailoring their service to shoppers’ needs. Their expansion plans seem to be targeted to adding more features rather than expanding geographically.
The US consumer market is massive so I can understand how a tech company would not feel the need to expand immediately. But perhaps an entrepreneur outside the US may be inspired to develop a similar service in other markets.
Thanks so much for taking the time to share your thoughts here today, Harleena!
I’d love this too in the UK, Carolyn.
It would have come in handy, particularly on larger purchases. I wonder if there’s something similar in the UK?
Better not search for it right now, I’m supposed to be commenting!
Thanks for sharing.
Hi Tim, Yes, a service such as ShopAdvisor would be great in the UK. Many appliances don’t have a long life cycle there because the water is so hard. I was really surprised at this when I moved there, we don’t replace our appliances nearly as often in the US!
I researched to see if there were any UK equivalents to ShopAdvisor for you but couldn’t discover any. Perhaps some enterprising developer would take a shot at the UK market.
Oh wow Carolyn, I love this too.
I’m thinking of buying a new TV and no, I have yet to get a flat screen. My other TV works just fine but the volume function isn’t quite up to par anymore. I priced them but want to be sure I get one that has all the connections so that I can view my computer on my TV and of course watch Hulu… 😉
Thanks so sharing this and I’m definitely going to check this one out just for that reason. That’s the only thing right now that is on my wish list. I’m sure I’ll have more though.
~Adrienne
Hi Adrienne, I’m so glad this is helpful to you. ShopAdvisor also provides resources such as product guides so you can learn what to look for and which models get the best reviews.
One thing you might consider…if you’re going to sign up for Hulu Plus and you’re concerned about volume…the Roku 3. You could hook that up to your current TV to get Hulu Plus. The Roku 3 has a head phone jack in remote so you can plug your headphones into the remote and listen to the TV.
Here is the ShopAdvisor page for the Roku 3. It’s only $99, much cheaper than buying a new TV! https://www.shopadvisor.com/product/id/5c7ec556975b8d9746556610c369308cafbaee12
ShopAdvisor looks very interesting Carolyn. This is the first time I’ve heard of it. On the other hand, I don’t shop much. I especially like the integration with Evernote, probably because I use Evernote a lot more now than I used and it’s a fantastic tool.
Hi Jens, Yes, ShopAdvisor becomes extremely versatile as it integrates with other services such as Evernote and Zinio. If you’re making a purchase such as a new iPad, TV, refrigerator, etc. ShopAdvisor could save you time, hassle and money by finding the best prices and alerting you to sales.
I wish it were available for you in Norway, Jens!
Hi Carolyn
Shop Advisor looks to be a useful application. Not used yet but will be a great solution of it the service covers other than U.S. oriented retailers. Great features and great social integration too.
Hi Suhas, Yes, I wish that ShopAdvisor were available outside the US too. I lived outside the US for 3 1/2 years recently and know the frustration of tech being available either US only or US first.
Perhaps ShopAdvisor will inspire an industrious developer to create a similar service outside the US!
Hi Carolyn,
This sounds like a very good tool. I like the way it steps away from plain price comparison by differentiates as an alert service.
It has every mark of a service that will go pro soon, and justifiably so!
Thanks for keeping us in the loop…
Hi Yeremi, I’m glad you like ShopAdvisor. Yes, the developers have done a fantastic job of creating a quality service and expanding its features, all over a very short time period.
I don’t think that they have plans to go Pro, if by that you mean charge users for the service. They seem to be seeking revenue streams from different areas. Users save money with ShopAdvisor so charging money for the service might make the service less appealing to price-sensitive users who are their target audience.
Thanks for stopping by and sharing your thoughts with us, Yeremi!
Thanks for valuable advise on shopping assistant ,now a day lots of scam is happening in online shopping they are delivering damage products to customers ,if they inquire about product they say with in 15 day they told that we will replace it ,again they won’t take any actions,as a result loss of customer,in my opinion online shopping is little bit risk compare to face to face shopping.
Hi Mohammed, Welcome to The Wonder of Tech! You’re absolutely correct, it’s important to be able to trust online merchants when they shop. You’re taking a risk with both the retailer and the product, but that’s where reviews come in handy. Yes, reviews aren’t 100% accurate, but they can certainly help guide you to the best online stores and the best products.
Thanks so much for stopping by and sharing your comment, Mohammed!
Hi Carolyn,
Awesome! I just did try their website to look up deals for Intel processors without even signing up. Before I buy my new PC, I’ve been researching about prices and found some deals online. But ShopAdviser just pointed me the best deals rather than what I’ve found through my research. It’s really helpful and faster too.
I’ve seen some popular shops, but couldn’t see Amazon or eBay though. Need to sign up to show deals from ’em?
You have a wonderful week ahead Carolyn 🙂
Cheers…
Hi Mayura, I’m so glad ShopAdvisor was helpful to you! That’s exactly how it should work, showing you the best deals without you having to do all the work. If you set up an account you can get alerts when the price drops below the price you set.
ShopAdvisor does include Amazon, though I’m not sure about eBay. That’s a moving target so I have to find out whether it’s included as well. I will check with the company and get back to you.
You have a wonderful week too, Mayura! 🙂
Hi Carolyn, Shopadvisor is simply awesome. I mean not all of us can afford a personal assistant, though we all need one. I think Shopadvisor will help you shop better while saving you a lot of money at the same time. Wow, what an app, thanks for the info.
Hi Steve, Yes, a personal assistant would be great but I don’t know if even a personal assistant could keep track of price drops as well as ShopAdvisor does.
I’m so glad you enjoyed this article, Steve!
Carolyn – Shopadvisor does sound to be very interesting and will definitely save us some time to look out for the best bargains around. The deals feature is also good, thus narrowing down our search and also to make us aware of any good steals.
Shopping online is the trend now, and many such services and apps are coming up every day to make our online experience even more friendly and easy.
Just have to make sure they are secure and our information is safe when shared 🙂
Thanks for the info.
Hi Praveen, You’re exactly right! Shipping online is becoming big but it’s important to shop only with reputable merchants. No price is so low that you should take a chance with a shady retailer.
Carolyn,
Shop Advisor Sounds interesting tool to me. Online is the current world. I like the filter criteria and deal catch options and looks interesting and may be useful when we search for real need. 🙂
Since online becoming famous every day, I think these kind of tools will surely enhance our life style and make our shopping experience easy.
Thanks for sharing the tool info Carolyn. 🙂
Hi Vijay, Yes shopping online is becoming huge, but trying to find the best deals can be challenging and overwhelming. You could spend hours shopping online and still not find the best deal. I also like that ShopAdvisor helps you sort through the deals and alerts you when prices drop.
Thanks for dropping by and sharing your comment here, Vijay!