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Smartphone apps dealing stores a hard hand

Phone apps let bargain-hunting shoppers compare prices instantly - then often take their business online

By Michael B. Farrell

 |  Globe Staff  

  December 17, 2011

Armed with an iPhone and an appetite for bargains, Kim Grenon is at the edge of a shopping revolution that is beginning to rattle many traditional brick-and-mortar stores. With the rise of smartphones and dozens of shopping apps, consumers can instantly find out which stores have the best price on everything from designer shoes to flatscreen TVs. And if they don’t like the price in the store where they’re standing in, they can buy it cheaper online with a few taps on their smartphone.

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