Wish

Wish may seem like just another shopping app in a marketplace that's overloaded with them, but it manages to provide a sleek design and offer some unique wrinkles on the formula that make it stand apart in its own right. Wish's mission statement is essentially the same as Amazon at its core. By cutting out the costs of retail employers and brick and mortar shops, Wish can offer an extensive selection of products at prices well below what you'd expect to find them for elsewhere. And while Wish doesn't have the power or capital to dominate the market in the same way Amazon has, they still offer a respectable selection of goods at great rates. Since Wish is something of an "online bazaar", sourcing goods directly from the manufacturers rather than using a retail middleman, the selection is extensive and affordable. But that also means that buyers should carefully source their products before they place a purchase through this online Chinese retailer.

Users are required to register with Wish before they can even begin browsing, and while that can be a bit of a hassle, the actual sign up process is overall rather simple. You simply need to enter your name, birthday, and password and verify your account via email. The whole process can be completed in a matter of minutes, but you'll want to enter a little more information if you want to take advantage of Wish's algorithms. The company uses these to help tailor your search results to your specifications. While you start by simply entering your age and gender, this app will use your shopping history to gradually compile your habits and guide you towards the products you're most likely to be interested in. That may be disconcerting to some customers, but the algorithms do a pretty impressive job of serving as a personal shopper.

In terms of the items you'll find on Wish, the quality here is significantly more inconsistent than with more established retailers like Amazon. Since Wish sources their products from manufacturers, a big portion of the available choices are knock off products rather than legitimate brands, and the site isn't without its scammers. Careless customers run the risk of receiving the wrong item or products that are in the incorrect size or style. Fortunately, Wish has implemented a review system that customers can use, and it's practically a necessity if you want to avoid wasting your money. Carefully evaluating the volume and quality of the reviews for any given seller is a prerequisite for savvy shoppers, but those who are willing to invest the time and energy into it will find better deals than they'll get anywhere else.

Pros:

• Offers some of the cheapest pricing from any online retailers
• Algorithms are very smart and can direct you right where you want to be
• A huge selection of products in a variety of different categories

Cons:

• Based out of China, so shipping can be a slow process
• Requires consumes to be diligent about what retailers they do business with

New features and improvements