Price-matching, product reviews, historical pricing data and automating the coupon process are all superb uses for apps in the desktop browser environment.
This week’s All Things Appy takes a look at the five must-have, free apps that complement online shopping.
About the Platform: Click on the Add-ons link within Tools on the Menu bar in Firefox. Then use the Search text box to look for the add-on or browse for the link and choose it. Click the add-on, let it install and then restart Firefox if you are prompted.
Note that add-ons can be called “extensions” when they have been installed.
No. 1: Amazon Price Tracker
Amazon Price Tracker has 5 stars out of 5 from six user reviews in Firefox’s add-ons library. The add-on has a total of 8,646 users.
You may have noticed that Amazon pricing is always changing. This app will notify you of price drops for products you’re watching.
A graphical overview of recent price drops, price history charts and wish-list imports makes it a must-have to spot trends for any Amazon or Amazon Marketplace power user.
No. 2: Coupons at Checkout
Coupons at Checkout has 5 stars out of 5 from eight user reviews in Firefox’s add-ons library. The add-on has a total of 10,992 users.
Just shop normally online at major sites like Macy’s. Then, when you get to the checkout summary page, look for the Promo Code text box. An unintrusive red border, created by this app, indicates that coupons are available.
Place your cursor within the text box and the coupons appear in a drop-down selection, along with the likelihood of acceptance and date. eBay Sidebar for Firefox
No. 3: eBay Sidebar for Firefox
eBay’s Sidebar has 3 stars out of 5 from 185 user reviews in Firefox’s add-ons library. The add-on has a total of 80,281 users.
This add-on from eBay lets you keep watched or buying and selling items in your browser field of view. The extension creates a narrow panel on the left side of the browser where your items display. Tabs are also available for saved searches and sellers.
Options include in-browser alerts for all of the common eBay functions, like Raised Bid and so on.
No. 4: Ciuvo
Ciuvo has 5 stars out of 5 from 90 user reviews in Firefox’s add-ons library. The add-on has a total of 54,816 users.
This app scans for low prices while you’re viewing a product in your browser. Price-checking toolbars pop-up and are its principal function, but Ciuvo’s Web-sourced reviews and product videos can be displayed from the product page too.
Use this app as part of your price-checking arsenal. We’ve found it to be one of the least intrusive of the price checkers, and it doesn’t pop-up a toolbar when it’s not aware of a deal.
No. 5: Which? Shopping Toolbar
Which? Shopping Toolbar has 5 stars out of 5 from 25 user reviews in Firefox’s add-ons library. The add-on has a total of 705 users.
Which? Magazine is the original consumer advocate. The organization has over 50 years of consumer-rights experience and has built-up a massive pool of reviews relating to consumer products.
his tool-bar app recognizes the product that you’re looking at within Firefox and pops-up reviews plus cheaper prices. You can then subscribe to read the reviews.
It’s oriented towards UK-available model numbers for its reviews, but it will near-match U.S. products. Price-matching is available for the U.S. as well, however.
Want to Suggest an Apps Collection?
Is there a batch of apps you’d like to suggest for review? Remember, they must all be for the same platform, and they must all be geared toward the same general purpose. Please send the names of five or more apps to me, and I’ll consider them for a future All Things Appy column.
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I use a couple of these when I’m shopping online (which I do generally do through FF, although at other times I use the torch browser). They’re good for kinda streamlining the process.