shopping

Black Friday is rapidly approaching and we all know that means people are going to be hitting the stores both online and at brick-and-mortar locations to grab gifts for friends and family. But if you want to find the best deals, you're going to need a little help, and I have just the right apps for the job on iOS devices.

Whether you plan to brave the crowds on Black Friday or stay home and shop online, these apps will get you the best deals and hopefully make your gift shopping a little easier.

Editors' note: For Android shopping … Read more

The holidays are fully under way, which means that shopping is at top of mind for many. In years past, this might have meant thumbing through the weekly circulars and braving the inevitable shopping mall stampedes, but these days, online retailers and deal-hunting mobile apps are changing the game.

For Android users, here are three of our favorite shopping apps, all of which can help you get a heads up on the best deals, not only online, but also in your area. Try them out for yourself, and let us know what you think in the comments below.

Editors' note: … Read more

The quirky e-commerce site Fab is giving its customers free shipping just as the holidays approach.

A fast-growing startup -- the 17-month-old company counted its 9 millionth user earlier this month -- Fab launched the new promotion today. The company will pay for shipping for orders that total $75 or more, but only on certain products.

The free shipping counts toward 98 percent of all of Fab's products, all of which are identified by a truck icon, Fab CEO Jason Goldberg wrote in a note to users.

After transforming from a gay social network into flash sales retail site … Read more

I'll admit that in recent years I've become pretty jaded on the subject of Black Friday. Grinchy, even.

That's because I don't think it's worth standing in long lines and fighting crowds just to save a few bucks. And I literally mean "a few": many stores' "doorbusters" aren't much cheaper than they are during other sales held throughout the year.

Still, as The Cheapskate, I couldn't help but peruse all the store ads that have been conveniently leaked during the past week. And you know what? I've spotted … Read more

The Winklevoss twins, known for their long legal battle with Facebook CEO Mark Zuckerberg, have made another investment as venture capitalists in their post-Facebook lives.

Cameron and Tyler Winklevoss, also known as the "Winklevii," led a $750,000 investment round for Hukkster, an online shopping startup that lets shoppers track online merchandise and receive notifications when prices drop, The New York Times reported today.

New York-based Hukkster was founded by two former retail consultants, Katie Finnegan and Erica Bell, and has more than 10,000 users. Retailers such as J. Crew, Bloomingdale's, and ShopBop pay a referral … Read more

Because I'm The Cheapskate, this is the time of year when people nudge me and say, "Bet you're getting pretty excited about Black Friday, huh?"

You know Black Friday: it's the day after Thanksgiving, the day when stores, both brick-and-mortar and click-and-order, serve up the very best deals of the year, slashing prices so low you'll be willing to freeze your butt off in an overnight line like you were waiting for Stones tickets.

But, frankly, I'm not that excited. In fact, allow me to confess: only once in my life have I … Read more

PayPal is getting competitive for the holidays. The payment service will refund customers up to $1,000 if they find that an item purchased through PayPal is advertised for cheaper elsewhere during the holiday season.

From today through December 31, PayPal will price-match your purchases with a limit of $250 on a single item, according to a blog post from PayPal Shopping Specialist Claudia Lombana.

"If the item you purchase is advertised for lower with any merchant within 30 days of purchase, you can receive a reimbursement for the difference," Lombana writes. "It doesn't matter if … Read more

When there was no choice about shopping, stores did as they pleased.

If they decided that the holiday season began when the clocks went back, then shoppers had to endure it.

Now, however, shoppers don't have to populate malls where the restrooms are clean, but the fountains are dirty.

Now, they have the Web.

It seems, indeed, that this year might represent an even greater rebellion against holiday decorations adorning stores before Thanksgiving.

I am speaking with the assurance of a drunken pollster, because I have before my eyes a survey performed on behalf of a cloud and mobile … Read more

Apple's retail empire is still expanding.

The company today said it plans to open another 30 to 35 retail stores during its 2013 fiscal year, which wraps up next September. About three-quarters of those stores would be located outside the United States, the company said.

The mention came inside the company's annual report, which was filed with the U.S. Securities and Exchange Commission this afternoon. Apple added that it plans to spend about $850 million on the expansion, as well as investment into its current retail infrastructure.

The plans fall in line with Apple's retail store … Read more