By Ivy Velazquez

Shopping for the perfect gift for friends or yourself has been made simple and cheap with Wish. The Wish app provides a cheap way of shopping, with products ranging from fandom merchandise to kitchen supplies. With over fifty million downloads on the GooglePlay store, the Wish app continues to grow in popularity. 

Upon downloading the app, the user is required to make an account in order to help the app better personalize their browsing. When browsing, users can “favorite” any items that they’re interested in. Shoppers can even make separate folders for their items. So if you find something that you think would be a good gift, you can save it under the person’s name to serve as a reminder for later.

The items sold on the Wish store are those that weren’t sold in brick-and-mortar stores like Marshalls, Ross and TJ Maxx and were sent back to warehouses. The Wish store can therefore sells these items at a much a cheaper price. For example, a ukulele that was originally priced at $275 was sold for $33 on the app, still in good condition. A Doctor Who backpack that was $94 was sold for $16. Pictures are provided for all items sold on the app. And shipping isn’t bad either, usually ranging between one and two dollars, though the price can go higher depending on the item. The only catch is that items generally take at least one month to arrive, since most of the warehouses are located overseas. But the low price makes it well worth the wait; just be sure to order well ahead of time if you’re ordering a gift for a special someone.

The Wish app also often provides frequent discounts on their already cheaper prices. Usually lasting about 24 hours, the store will give you a certain discount off the original offered price. The app also lets users know if a particular item is about to sell out so they can buy the item they’re interested in as soon as possible.

With an average rating of 4.5 stars, the Wish app has been praised by users, with customers calling it “addictive” and complementing its “diverse selection” and “decent quality.” It is free to download in both the Apple store and the Google Play store.

Ivy Velazquez can be reached at ivelisse.velazquez@spartans.ut.edu.