The Best Tools for Smart Online Shopping
While some of the sites mentioned here offer referral rewards, this is not a sponsored post. These are the apps that I like and use; I think they're the best shopping apps out there!
Century Girl Vintage, my favorite shop in New Orleans.
How to Shop Smart Online
Shopping online is almost nothing like shopping in an actual store. An in-store visit has all the perks of friendly staff, yummy-feeling fabrics, and trying things on for size right then and there. It’s certainly fun, and sometimes a matter of necessity when you need something this afternoon rather than 3-5 business days from now. But there are also pesky details to contend with, like business hours and parking lots and staff that aren’t as friendly as you’d hope.
Online shopping has its own drawbacks - just ask anyone that’s ever mailed a return - but overall, I find it more convenient. Shop from your sofa or during a subway ride, and you can usually find a much wider selection of options than your local mall can offer. Even when I’m planning an in-store trip, I often peruse some options online to get an idea of what’s available in advance.
Over the past few years, I've cultivated an online shopping technique to help me find the best deals on the things I want with a minimal investment of time. The first step is to know, at least generally, what you're looking for. From there, these four tools will help you find what you’re looking for, know as soon as they go on sale, and get the best price (with cash back!) when you’re ready to buy.
The Best Shopping Apps & Websites
No. 1: SHOPSTYLE
for browsing, sale alerts, and cash back
If there’s one app or site you start using from this list, choose this one. It’s been my favorite online shopping app for years!
First and foremost, ShopStyle is an online shopping aggregator that lets you browse pretty much all the clothes on the Internet in one place. Filters let you narrow your search by category, brands, stores, colors, price, keywords, etc. Once you find what you’re looking for, save it to your favorites list to be notified as soon as it goes on sale. I like to ‘heart’ the same item across multiple retailers so I can see if one spot is offering a better deal.
Most recently, ShopStyle has partnered with Rakuten (formerly eBates) to offer cash back on purchases you make when clicking through a ShopStyle link. For one app that does pretty much everything, this is your best bet!
No. 2: Honey
for effortless discount codes
Honey has both a browser extension and a mobile app that make using online discount codes and promotions practically effortless. It’s so easy and comprehensive, it’s truly not worth googling around for codes or subscribing to retailers' emails for promos. They have it all, including some exclusive codes.
My favorite part of Honey is the browser extension. After the initial installation - it only takes a minute! - it works automatically to find any applicable discount codes for your online orders. Just click the extension icon or the ‘Try Codes’ button at checkout and sit back while it tests all the options and gives you the best one.
Bonus points: you can also earn cash back (aka ‘Honey gold’) on most purchases, even if there isn’t a discount code available to use.
No. 3: Rent the Runway
For exclusive finds and discounts
While I was a longtime member of Rent the Runway Unlimited (before I cancelled my subscription), I purchased a few of the rentals that I loved the most. They’re some of my favorite clothes and accessories to date! I’m now using RTR occasionally for travel, and there are a few past pieces that I’d still consider renting again just to buy them.
They also have seasonal sales where merchandise they’re clearing out is sold at deep discount. Only buy what you’ve previously rented; sales are final and some things can be over-worn or strangely sized.
Buying clothes from Rent the Runway is definitely one of the unsung perks of having a membership - even if only for a couple months! Read all about my RTR experience and why I cancelled. For a limited time, you can get $100 off your first month of Unlimited when you click this link.
No. 4: Poshmark & The Real Real
For The Best Online Resale
I know some people can be unnerved by vintage or secondhand things; I’m not one of them. As long as whatever-it-is is authentic, in good condition, and can be cleaned, I’m on board. You can often even find things that are new - unworn, with tags!
For designer clothes and accessories, The Real Real is my first stop. Their in-store experience is lovely, but so is their website and their mobile app. Generally, their collection is made up of pieces from recent collections (about the past five years), but they also curate a selection of vintage pieces. More details in this post.
While using Poshmark to clean out my own closet, I’ve found some great buys along the way. I go here when I’m looking for something pretty specific, because there are so many options for filtering - category, color, size, brand, new with tags - and when you find what you want, you can use the Make an Offer button to negotiate a lower price. More details right this way.
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