Saratoga Springs, New York

It used to be that shopping was considered a chore. Except around Black Friday, when it turned into blood sport. But increasingly, mobile technology has made shopping more of a game. With the smartphone at the intersection between store and shopper, let the games begin! From a shopper's point of view, it's snagging the product in the cheapest, most convenient way possible. On the merchant's side, it's targeting ads, offers and incentives, geolocating, attracting new customers and keeping existing ones. In all of this, both sides are becoming increasingly strategic as they engage in this game.