Black Friday is just around the proverbial corner (which means Christmas is mere weeks away – you’re welcome), but instead of flinging yourself headfirst into an avalanche of frenzied shoppers, take advantage of these stores’ apps in order to bag the best bargains and even score a few exclusive deals.

Macy’s Black Friday app

Tipped for release tomorrow, Macy’s dedicated Black Friday app will allow customers to view special BF deals, create shareable shopping lists and identify the exact location of particular products within each store, so they don’t have to run around in discount-induced panic. Pretty standard stuff, really. The icing on the cake is the exclusive notifications users will receive whilst they’re in-store, which will grant them access to unadvertised special offers.

Platform and developer: Android, iOS (by Macy’s Inc)

Final word: Macy’s has reportedly been working with eBay to create this app, which boosts its usability credentials. It will be interesting to see how the in-store notifications feature pans out but the promise of unadvertised bargains means it’s worth taking a chance on if you’re in the vicinity.

Sears2Go

Another department store jumping on the in-store notification bandwagon, Sears will be integrating its Black Friday offerings into its regular app (so make sure you update accordingly). It comes with the all requisite bells and whistles (lists, favorites, etc), plus the latest and greatest deals for BF as well as app-only exclusives on everything from electrical appliances to tools.

Platform and developer: Android, iOS

Final word: Scoring a very respectable 92/100 from Mobilewalla, this one looks set to be a BF must-have. Its buy to collect/delivery service takes some of the hassle out of Black Friday, too.

Walmart App

After a Black Friday stampede killed a Walmart worker in 2008, the retail giant has always been very careful to ensure the rush goes off as smoothly as possible. Previous years have seen the company integrating BF deals and titbits into its social networks, but this year the already-decent Walmart app will feature interactive store maps and product info, as well as deals and offers.

Platform and developer: Android, iOS (by Walmart)

Final word: Lacking some of the glitz that other Black Friday apps offer, the Walmart App nonetheless proves a formidable ally in the post-Thanksgiving shopping rush, and will continue to do so throughout the year.