A number of stores have figured out how to reach Millennials and their approach is changing our shopping experience.
When I bought my home at age 24, it showed me the importance of doing something I spent years making fun of my mother for: Couponing.
However, my new cost-saving efforts were short-lived. Cut them out, AND organize by category, AND highlight dates, AND remember to use them? Who has the time for that?
Coupons were quickly ditched, but soon guilt accompanied those bi-weekly trips to the grocery store. That was especially true when other shoppers presented their little cost-savings treasures at the check-out lines.
Finally, I found our generation’s version of “The Coupon.” Suddenly, life was changed.
I once thought internet, email, text and chat were all my phone needed. But there are numerous apps that can save anyone a great deal of money, provide free gift cards and all without clutching coupons from store to store.
These are some of my favorites:
Shopkicks
This app provides the user points just for walking into stores.
Your location settings must be turned on, and the app will let you know every participating store in the area — and we’re talking about stores that you go into daily … Target, Best Buy, Walmart, even the mall.
Shopkicks tells you how many points you’ll receive just for walking into the stores and how many points you can receive for scanning products inside.
All participating stores have a Wifi router, typically above the entry doorway, that you’ve probably never noticed. Have the app open and the moment your phone detects it, anywhere from 30-200 points are immediately sent to the app.
Then you’ll find a list of products to scan once inside the store. Typically these are new products that companies want you to notice.
Did I mention you can redeem these points for gift cards? No strings attached. By now, I’ve probably received close to $150 in gift cards.
Stores want our foot traffic. If you’re already going into the store, it’s just a few extra minutes to scan a few items as you browse.
It beats the amount of time I used to spend coupon clipping!
Ibotta
Ibotta also senses your location and provides a list of participating stores and shows you which items you can get cash back through gift cards just for purchasing standard items like apples and toilet paper.
What I also love is that many items are not brand specific, and sometimes it will just say “Bananas” and you’ll get 25 cents back for the purchase of any brand.
Simply scan the app before your trip to see what’s listed, mark or “unlock” as they call it, the items you may buy. Afterwards, scan your receipt through the app and receive cash back for every item you unlocked and purchased.
Two other apps, Checkout 51 and SavingStar, essentially work the same way, but SavingStar also gives you percentages off different items.
I’m a big Target shopper and their Cartwheel app works similarly by providing discounts on hundreds of items throughout the store.
These discoveries have changed my shopping experience! Convenience, efficiency, simplicity.
My only regret was not buying a bigger cell phone package six months ago… I need more storage!
