By Rachel (guest post from Skimlinks).

The pursuit for the perfect gift, either for yourself or for someone else, can be an extraordinarily taxing event. Looking at a range of interesting products can take hours if you go in person, and finding items perfectly tailored to your needs is often impossible. Thank goodness for the internet! But even then you may not have time to scroll through websites and prefer to do your shopping on the go. That is why different retail websites have come up with seamlessly integrated apps, and brilliant app-developers have created real-world solutions to common shopping problems. In working with our merchants, we have discovered some of these amazing and intuitive apps. We wanted to share these discoveries that bring the store to you, wherever you are, and whatever you need.

If you have any shopping apps that you have fallen in love with, just leave it in the comment section below. We’re always on the lookout for interesting and innovative ways to shop!

For Handmade Goods: Etsy

The lead app for homemade but quality items is undoubtedly from Etsy. Etsy is one of the best platforms for people with extraordinary talents in art, fashion, jewelry, etc., to make some extra money on the side. There are some amazing and talented small-scale artists that use Etsy as a place for supplementary income, and the app for iPhone is seamlessly integrated with the shop. This gives any iPhone user the capability to access thousands and thousands of phenomenal unique items and crafts on the go!

For Secondhand: Threadflip

Why spend hours hopping from vintage shop to vintage shop searching for the perfect vintage clutch to go with your brand new dress when you find it on your iPhone with little effort? The founders behind Threadflip must have been asking themselves that exact question as they came up with the app for their store. With an easy display to navigate, you can scroll through thousands of vintage and secondhand shoes, bags, accessories, jewelry and clothing. For all of those that enjoy the feeling of shopping for hours and hours to find that one perfect hobobag, this site might not be for you, but if you like finding all of the perfect pieces for your wardrobe immediately, check out this app!

For Designer: Gilt Groupe

While some of us may have a taste for luxury goods, we may not necessarily be able to afford them. Thank goodness for Gilt Groupe, an online store that has daily flash sales of everything luxe, ranging from gift baskets and boutique hotels to famous denim brands and acclaimed bridal designers. While it may be time consuming to constantly check on the sales online, they have a perfectly suited mobile app that lets you know when there’s a sale on Maui bungalows or Cosabella Swimwear. A lot of the clothing, jewelry, accessories and shoes are lower than half the retail price.

For Catalogue Shoppers:  CoffeeTable

There are some things in life that had an anxious anticipation in childhood that have carried on to adult life. While I used to run out to my mailbox every day to see if my new American Girl Doll’s catalog had arrived, I now try to “casually” check if my Urban Outfitters lookbook is in my mailbox. But now, with an iPad or an Android tablet, you can enjoy the anticipatory anxiety of a new catalog in a whole new scope. CoffeeTable is an app with hundreds of catalogs that you can browse on- or offline, and make purchases seamlessly.

For Loyal Shoppers: Keyringapp

I can’t imagine the amount of money I have lost simply by not having my CVS, Safeway, or Bodyshop card with me. Perhaps that is the exact thought that the creator of Keyringapp had. By taking a scanning and saving a picture of the loyalty card with your phone, you have easy access to all the savings offered by different stores. This way, you can empty out your purse, declutter your keyring, and never miss a sale.

For Coupon Clippers: Coupon Sherpa

The weekly penny-saver has now gone mobile! Instead of painstakingly cutting out coupons to save money on big-ticket purchases, use Coupon Sherpa. Coupon Sherpa has a perfect mobile app with hundreds of coupons that range from interior decorating to food. Clip away!

*The views expressed in this article are those of the author and do not necessarily represent the views of, and should not be attributed to SF Fashion+Tech (SFFT). This post is original content from Skimlinks and is not an advertisement. For more information on the SFFT + Skimlinks partnership, please click here.