Shopping applications for your BlackBerry

We’ve seen many advances in mobile services over the past five years. We can now access almost any website, from any place in the world with little more than a few clicks. One development we haven’t yet seen come full circle, though is mobile shopping. It seems that security issues have people a bit leery of entering their credit card numbers and other personal information into mobile websites and applications. This will surely change soon, and I’m sure we’ll have a robust mobile shopping marketplace within the next few years. Until then you might find the pickings slim. We’ll go over a few BlackBerry applications that let you buy stuff right from your device.

App World and MobiHand App Store

These are the two most accessible outlets for BlackBerry applications and accessories. Both feature catalogs of thousands of free and paid applications that you can purchase with just a few clicks. Search and browse for applications that fit your BlackBerry needs and then check out using their secure platforms. Both platforms also include themes and games, and the new BBGeeks Superstore also contains BlackBerry accessories. Pick, click, and MobiHand will ship it right to your front door.

While App World comes pre-loaded on many BlackBerry models, you might find it’s not on yours. For instance, when I upgraded my Verizon Tour to OS 5.0, I somehow lost App World. You can download it here if that’ the case. You can get the BBGeeks Superstore here.

Amazon.com

It feels like Amazon.com has been around since the internet’s inception. Once a place to buy books you couldn’t find on store shelves, Amazon has turned into one of the world’s largest retailers. It completely dominates the online space, which is a turn-off for some. For others it’s a shopping panacea, featuring merchandise from thousands of retailers. They still have books, usually cheaper than retail outlets, but it’s so much more now. In fact, it’s difficult to find a product that they don’t sell on Amazon.

In addition to indulging your every shopping impulse, the Amazon.com application can also serve as an excellent price comparison tool. If you’re at a store and see something you want, just fire up the Amazon app and see what it’s selling for there. Then you can decide if the shipping cost (if there is any) and delivery time makes the product worth the wait. If it is, you can order it right there. If not, you can pluck it from the store shelf and have a nice, smiling human being ring it up for you.

You can get the Amazon.com BlackBerry app at Amazon.com.

ToysRUs and BabiesRUs

My parents always tell a story from when I was probably three or four. As adults are wont to do, my relatives and family friends would routinely ask me what I wanted to be when I grew up. Instead of answering in typical fashion, astronaut or fireman, I started singing the ToysRUs song. “I don’t wanna grow up, ’cause if I did I wouldn’t be a ToysRUs kid.” A strange apple I was. Now that I’ve grown up I really only shop at ToysRUs for video games, and even then it’s an outlet of last resort. And even though I have three younger siblings I never set foot inside a BabiesRUs.

Both of those outlets now have a BlackBerry application, powered by digby. In fact, Digby powers most of the rest of this list. Check them out at digby.com. They’re making strides with mobile shopping apps, setting up mobile storefronts for many retailers. The ToysRUs and BabiesRUs applications allow you to browse the stores’ entire online catalogs, including sales and deals.

You can get the ToysRUs application here, and the BabiesRUs application here.

1-800-Flowers

There’s nothing that says “I’m sorry for being an idiot” better than a bouquet of flowers. The ladies love them, and they’re not afraid to admit it. Sure, if you screw up once a week then the flower trick will get old. But if you only periodically suffer from foot-in-mouth syndrome, then a fresh cut vase full of flowers might be just what your relationship needs to get back on the right track. It worked for me just about a month ago. Thankfully, I’ve been good since then and haven’t had to reach back into that bag of tricks.

Many retailers made a successful transition to the online world, and 1-800-Flowers ranks among the best. They even have same-day delivery, perfect if you wake up on the morning of some special occasion — say, Valentine’s Day — and realize you forgot to do something nice. With their mobile application you can do that on the fly, so you can compensate for your mistakes no matter where you are.

You can get the 1-800-Flowers app at App World. Alternatively, you can check out Canadiana Flowers.

Godiva Chocolatier

Mmmmm…Chocolate. I warn you, if you have a sweet tooth you might want to stay away from the Godiva Chocolatier application. It not only lets you buy your favorite chocolates with a few clicks of the trackball, but it also lets you browse them with full-color images. How can a chocolate lover resist? I don’t know, and I don’t care to know. If you want to take the plunge, be my guest. But you’ve been warned. The temptation will be great, and only the strongest willed person can avoid buying box after box of delicious chocolate.

You can get the Godiva Chocolatier application here.

Drugstore and Beauty

Oftentimes, you’ll want to go to the corner pharmacy to get medicine. Other times, when you’re just stocking your medicine cabinet, you can afford to shop around for the best deal. You might still find it at the corner store, but there are plenty of online outlets that can offer a better deal. Drugstore.com is one of the largest online pharmacies, and now they have a BlackBerry application that contains a catalog of over 40,000 items.

The same situation from above could be applied to beauty products. Sometimes you need that tube of lipstick to match…something. I don’t know, but I do know that women are sometimes particular about their makeup matching…their dresses, their accessories, something. But sometimes it’s nice to just stock up. Thankfully, the drugstore.com application also comes with the beauty.com application. Two in one.

You can get the Drugstore and Beauty application at App World. Though I have to note, it’s received pretty poor reviews so far.

mygofer2go

Why applications bear names like this I’ll never know. I guess it’s some sort of brand thing. In any case, mygofer2go isn’t exactly a shop online application, in that the items won’t be shipped to your door. Instead, after you complete the purchase you drive down to your local Kmart store and pick it up. It saves the trouble of browsing through aisles, where you’ll inevitably have a question about where something is, but won’t find an employee within eyeshot. With the application you can just browse the catalog, pick what you need, and pick it up. All you need is your ID handy, and you’ll walk out with a cartful of stuff.