Guest Post By Justyna Wilson

This year the fashion and retail industries swiftly saw the rise of mobile commerce and location-based marketing. The mobile retail app offering is becoming more diverse as online retailers begin to understand the importance of mobility, shopping on the go and the future of mobile streams of revenue.

If fact, eBay mobile just announced that their mobile sales doubled this holiday season compared to last year’s numbers, which shows that buyers are adapting to the technology pretty well.

I wonder what other consumers enjoy about shopping on the go.  For me, it’s the fact that my days are usually pretty hectic and it’s just more convenient to browse through items whether I am on the train on the way to work, in bed right before I fall asleep or on the couch watching TV.

Shopping apps are accommodating because you can take your shopping with you everywhere you go and it fits in busy schedules.  And as a bonus this year, the iPad has changed the ways we surf the web and shop — making it easier and more rewarding than ever! So here are my favorite retail shopping apps that rocked my world in 2010.

The Best Mobile Retail Apps Of 2010

1. ShopStyle

The ShopStyle app is available for both the iPhone and the iPad.  This app allows you to browse hundreds of stores and thousands of brands in a selective manner. The ShopStyle app is divided into four categories: men’s and women’s fashion, home & living, and kids & baby. The app allows you to easily refine your searches in detail by brand or specific category.  You can also apply price filters and search by sale items on the latest fashions by brand. Simply tell ShopStyle what you like and the app will tell you when the items go on sale by using sale alerts based on your preference profile. The application is extremely user-friendly with beautiful images, zoom options, favorite options and comprehensive item descriptions.

Things I Love: The Facebook and Twitter “Share” button.  Sharing via e-mail.  Detailed search by brand, type of item, sale item and price.

Things I Don’t Like: Non-seamless transition from ShopStyle app to vendors’ websites to make purchases.

2. NET-A-PORTER App

Available for both the iPhone and iPad, the NET-A-PORTER application is fairly simple to operate and it does its job quite well. It lets you choose from numerous categories and scroll through items easily.

The  NET-A-PORTER app does not provide you with detailed search functionality, but the categories do an adequate job for you.  All items can be added to your shopping bag for purchase or to your wish list. Descriptions of items, adding the right size to your shopping bag and the purchasing process itself is simple.  You do have to own a registered NET-A-PORTER account to complete the checkout process.

Things I Love: Sharing items via e-mail.  Ability to share items to iPhone. Image zoom and other options.

Things I Don’t Like: No Facebook and Twitter “Share” buttons. Can’t browse based on price, size or sale. Browsing is not refined.

3. Gilt Groupe App

The Gilt Groupe application is available for iPhone, Android and Blackberry smart phones, as well as the iPad.  Since Gilt is a members-only luxury online store, you have to be a registered member to access and purchase their merchandise. Gilt offers new sales every single day and they all translate to the Gilt mobile app.

This application is extensive and elaborate in functionality just like Gilt’s e-commerce site. It opens up with Active Sales by the designer or brand. It covers Women’s and Men’s Fashion, Home and Children’s categories. Each item description includes image, sizes, colors and even estimated delivery time, along with Gilt’s return policy.  The big yellow button will add your items to the shopping cart in seconds. You can browse through the preview of Gilt’s upcoming sales, too.  Gilt’s marketing efforts are focused on word-of-mouth, but this app allows you to easily invite your friends to join the Gilt family via e-mail, SMS, Facebook and Twitter (and you receive shopping credit incentives to do so).

Things I Love: Previews of sales.  Easy navigation.

Things I Don’t Like: Inability to share individual items on Facebook and Twitter. Inability to save images to iPhone photo library.

4. YOOX App

Available for the iPhone and iPad, the YOOX app is superb, especially taking into consideration that the app has been translated into 6 languages and is available in 67 countries around the world. This shopping application is well-categorized into Women, Men, Vintage Fashion and Design, Books and New Arrivals.

Each category can be refined by designer, color, size and item type. Refining your search is accurate and can get as meticulous as you want it to be. You can easily add items to your cart or to your favorites in your Dream Box. The YOOX application also offers a unique and engaging Gift Guide section called Playland.

Things I Love: Can email items. Precise search.

Things I Don’t Like: No Facebook and Twitter “Share” buttons.

5. Marie Claire ‘Shop The Shoot’ App

This is a wonderful application for Marie Claire readers and fans. Do you flip through fashion magazines and wonder where you could buy all the latest fashions featured in a given issue? I do that often, but I never pay attention to the magazine index and lists of stores where you can find the pieces. It tends to be a cumbersome task.

This app thoroughly walks you through all shopping ideas from the latest Marie Claire issue, and you can buy them by tapping your way through the screen.  The Marie Claire ‘Shop The Shoot’ app suggests certain categories like Beauty Finds, Shop The Trend, Shop by Item and by Price.

Things I Love: Being able to easily find your favorite items from a current magazine.  Social share buttons.

Things I Don’t Like: The app does an excellent job in locating the items online or in physical stores, but it doesn’t take you straight to the cart for purchase. You still have to go on various websites to make a purchase.

What are you favorite retail applications?

About the Author: Justyna Wilson is the founder and editor of Moda Epidemic, a blog which features the latest trends in fashion, beauty, fashion photography, emerging independent fashion and jewelry designers.