retail

I love shopping, I love my iPhone, and I love any application that makes it easier for me to shop on my iPhone. Tommy Hilfiger just released an iPhone app making it unbelievably easy to shop for men, women, and children's clothes, right from your phone.

My favorite part is how closely you can zoom into an item to check it out. One tap adds selected items to your cart and another brings you directly to the check out. The app also allows you to create an account and stores your credit card and shipping info.

Use the app to search by price, category (including sale items!), or size, and browse through top-selling items. And, since there's nothing worse than finding out an item you must have is out of stock, the app allows you to register to receive a push notification when you're able to purchase it. That's one notification I'd be delighted to receive!

And if you can't get enough mobile shopping, check out more great shopping apps: ShopStyle Mobile, Gap's StyleMixer, even Ikea!

Why do you need another free app from a retailer?

Because Gap's Style Mixer app for the iPhone does more than just let you peruse and mix Gap pieces — the cool feature is that when you open the app near a Gap store, you unlock a special discount.

So, sure, you can mix and match styles and then add them to Facebook, but what you really want is the discount, right?

And if you can't find a Gap store? There's an app for that.

Have you been following the Impossible Project as closely as I have? The project, which consists of former Polaroid employees, is attempting to invent new instant film in the vein of the beloved camera.

Their latest coup is an amazing one: the Impossible Project acquired the last of Polaroid's instant film and camera kits and is going to sell them via Urban Outfitters, starting today. Of course, it's deadstock and very limited edition, and you'll have to go to one of the physical stores to get the film or kits.

To see the stores and dates that will have the Polaroid camera kits, just read more

Ikea shopping is an experience unto itself; there's the imagining of oneself in the room setups; those amazing meatballs; and of course, tracking your projected purchases via a list and golf pencil.

As Ikea as penciling in the word Malm with its aisle and bin location is, there's a new iPhone app that replaces the old technique. SwedeShop is a virtual shopping list custom built for Ikea, and does a lot for the 99 cents it costs. Record the item you want to buy at the end and its location, then at the end, the app sorts the warehouse locations so you can map out an easy route to your goods.

Also, if you're tempted to spend more than you meant to (those pretty napkins and Scandinavian kitchen gadgets add up), SwedeShop also offers a budgeting feature, and will let you know if the stuff you've recorded has tipped over your set budget.

First Ikea Mobile, now this? Nice geeky work, Sweden!

The trendy and hip sunglasses company Ray-Ban is attempting to make the sunglasses shopping experience a bit easier with their new Ray-Ban Virtual Mirror download. Using 3D technology, this cool tool is similar to the IBM Virtual Mirror since it allows you to try on the goods without needing to be in the store. Now there's no guarantee how accurate this new service is, but at least it will let you know if those black Audrey Hepburn glasses are going to look chic or just cover half your face.

I'm a super saver. Not only do I check out Retail Me Not before any big purchase, but I also have my eyes peeled for new coupon websites. Ebates, anyone? So naturally, I was stoked to find FatWallet, which can be added to your list of money-saving meccas online.

FatWallet can save you money not only by giving you access to thousands of coupons and codes, but it also has a cash-back program. Shop at a participating retailer (which shouldn't be hard since Bloomingdale's, Blue Nile, and eBay are on the list), and get a percentage of your purchase back every time you shop. Can't go wrong there, folks.

Those in the market for a Kindle 2 but hesitating until the price dropped juuust a little are in luck: Amazon has dropped the price on the second-generation Kindle to $299 — 60 bucks off its initial price tag.

If I was going to go for a Kindle (and I really want to), this would be the one I got — the Kindle DX is great, but its size and price tag are prohibitively large for me.

Still, $300 is still pretty prohibitively expensive itself — but will some of you be taking the plunge on the Kindle 2 now?

Sears may be a bit late to the game of providing greater purchasing security, but the company has announced a buyer protection program for those worried about losing their jobs. Starting Monday and until Aug. 1, the free program will cover home appliance purchases of more than $399. Here's the bigger catch: the coverage only applies to purchases made on a Sears card.

If you're employed and in the market for a new backyard grill, I could see how the Sears offer might be appealing. As long as the customer/cardholder was employed full-time for at least 60 days before buying the appliance, the program will credit 1/12th of the purchase price every month the person is unemployed. Still no luck finding a job after a year of searching? That's OK, Sears will take care of the remaining balance.

Sears is trying to look like the good guy helping out worried consumers who need new washing machines, but the fact that a store card must be part of the picture complicates the company's intentions. What's your opinion about the buyers program?