Shopping online is supposed to be easier and faster than store-hopping IRL. Instead, I often feel like I’ve fallen into a not-at-all organized black hole of never-ending scrolling and clicking.
Scouring 15 pages of sandals to find the wedge I decided to make my shoe of the summer? No, thanks. I’ve got Instagram if I want to waste time looking at (much prettier) photos.
Which is why I’m excited about the many new shopping apps out there that are doing different things to optimize the mobile shopping experience. All curate products—from men’s and women’s fashion to home goods—in a unique way; some even learn and remember what you like as you go (AKA act like a palm-sized personal shopper).
Here are seven shopping apps to consider downloading, whether you’re looking for a simple way to keep your style fresh or just a better Amazon ordering experience.
Image: Solid & Striped
Hit or Miss
Best for: Fashion finds unique to your style
Browsing Hit or Miss is just like using Tinder—you “hit” or “miss” single selections as they pop up. But unlike the dating app, every tap feeds an algorithm so that it starts to get to know your tastes and only shows you the dresses, bags, and bikinis you’re most likely to covet.
Some items are available for purchase directly through the app, while you’ll have to visit brand sites for others, but overall, it makes the shopping experience truly simple and fun. (If only the same could be said for dating via Tinder…)
Image: B&O Play
Lux
Best for: On-trend home decor
Lux curates a selection of chic, of-the-moment products across for the home—across categories like kitchen, bath, and bed— from 200 brands (and counting). It presents them in compelling collections that will give you Pinterest-worthy decor ideas and includes a discovery feed for unique finds. The coolest feature: Many of the listings use short video to show the products in action, so you can see that futuristic potato masher, for instance, in action before you commit.
Image: Everlane
Spring
Best for: Dressing like a fashion blogger
With over 1,000 brands represented, Spring’s style selection is pretty impressive. You can browse by category (including men’s and women’s fashion, beauty, and lifestyle), best-sellers, or the app’s collections (think “little white dresses”), and also create your own “My Brands” feed where you can restrict selections to your go-tos. Brands run the gamut from best-selling to indie, including a larger-than-usual selection of cool activewear labels like Alala and Outdoor Voices.
Image: Fancy
Fancy
Best for: Social shopping
Vogue called Fancy a “hodgepodge,” and I can’t think of a better word; the app sells everything from Hermes bags to cat underwear to a home Ramen noodle press. While the interface can be a little overwhelming, it’s stocked with super unique finds and has a strong social component. If you like shopping off peers, you can follow sellers, see what your friends on Facebook are buying, and tap what’s trending at any given moment.
Image: Amazon
Canopy
Best for: Amazon junkies
Canopy is like someone put a chic filter on Amazon. You may be buying the the same cookbook, clock, and dog toy, but you get to choose them all in a pretty, uncluttered space. You can even like items to save them and see what others are liking by browsing trending and popular products. A featured feed even includes collections that are curated by influencers like artists or for occasions, like Father’s Day. Just don’t forget to prep yourself for the jarring return to mass market internet shopping upon checkout.
Image: Oliver Peoples
Curatum
Best for: Your stylin’ boyfriend, husband or best guy friend
Like Hit or Miss, Curatum—which is only for dudes—uses an advanced algorithm to get to know its users’ preferences. Here’s the difference: it only shows you one cool, editor-curated men’s lifestyle item each day, which is chosen for you based on things like your past purchases and the weather wherever you are (really). You can browse a timeline of past items, too, and single-click buying and Apple-pay integration make purchasing painless.
Image: Keep
Keep
Best for: Pinterest fanatics
Keep is like a super-shoppable sister of Pinterest. As you browse, you can “keep” individual items, which are then curated into a feed on your profile, and you can organize them into collections that look just like Pinterest boards. And, of course, you can follow others whose style you admire so that your feed is populated with picks that work for you. No cart on this one though—you have to make purchases individually on outside sites.
Do you find online shopping overwhelming? Would you benefit from an app that narrows things down? Let me know in the comments.
The post These 7 apps will change how you shop online (in a really good way) appeared first on Carley K.