As deal-crazed hordes descend upon their favorite retail haunts in search of the white whale of shopping deals this Friday, many will be armed for the hunt like never before.

High-tech shopping artillery like Internet shopbots, smartphone apps, online coupon aggregators and social networking sites have for many replaced the traditional consumer weaponry of circulars, advertisements, coupons and surprise “door busters.”

The result, say retail analysts, is a segment of consumers who are far savvier than ever before.

“I think the net is the consumer is better armed and the consumer is really thinking about the shopping experience differently,” said Kasey Lobaugh, multi-channel retail leader at Deloitte. “It’s the consumer trying to engage the retailer in a way that is more convenient for them and it gives them more and better information and makes them a smarter shopper.”

About one in every five shoppers will use some form of technology in their shopping this holiday season, according to a recent study by Deloitte.

“The implication for all of this is the retailer has to rethink how they face off with the consumer,” Lobaugh said.
Among the newest additions to the arsenal are smartphone applications designed to give consumers price comparison power even while standing in a store.

Black Friday Wish List 1.0 and Save Benjis are two such applications designed for Apple’s (AAPL) iPhone. Both allow shoppers to search for the best price on an item in real time, Save Benjis by photographing the items bar code and scanning the Internet for the best price, and Black Friday Wish List by compiling lists of deals at more than 35 major retailers.

Cortis Clark, developer of Save Benjis and chief executive of Solrobot, said his app and an earlier version have been downloaded 220,000 times.

“When you are at a store you don’t have access to the price information on the Internet, and being able to carry that around in your pocket is really invaluable because it gives you piece of mind that you are getting the best prices,” he said.

Clark said though his app returns prices from Internet retailers, customers are using the information to haggle while they stand in the store.

“We think it may actually drive some sales in stores because people will leave to check a price and never return to buy an item,” he said. “This way, they can check the price on the spot.".

Coupon aggregators, while not new, have taken on a greater importance with the stalled economy. With unemployment rising and consumers hurting, shoppers have more incentive than ever to seek out coupons that in some case may save them tens or even hundreds of dollars.

According to Loren Bendele, chief executive of coupon and deal aggregator Savings.com, Internet searches for the word coupon have grown 170% in the past year and online coupon usage has risen more than 300%, making access and availability in one location key.

“There are more people using the Internet to find deals, discounts and coupons than ever before,” he said. “I think they are embracing ways to make habits they already have easier to pursue.”

Bendele’s site has a twist that others don’t, he said. His site embraces a social networking component that he says connects people around saving money. Users rate the deals that show up on his site and comment on ease of use. Bloggers use the site to pen updates on great deals.

Bendele said retailers embrace his site because it drives business their way.

“Consumers are too savvy and too smart, and if you don’t provide them options they are going to find them elsewhere, and you are going to lose the sale,” he said.

Social networking has taken on a new importance in the advertising world, as retailers seek to tap into tech savvy 20-somethings, who as they age will become the retail sector’s biggest spenders. Hoping to tap into the 140-characters-or less- crowd, several retailers, including retail giants Staples (SPLS), Dell (DELL) and Toys ‘R Us have started sending out a Twitter feed, which includes deals, coupons and gift ideas.

Some retailers have used Twitter and Facebook.com to leak their Black Friday deals ahead of the traditional circulars and send out “Twitter-only” coupons designed to reward the company’s hard core followers.

“It’s an opportunity to thank our followers on those two sites who are actively engaged with the Staples brand and a chance to give them a peek into the discounts we're offering for the holiday season,” said Staples spokesman Mark Crowley.

Sears (SHLD) also went the technology route this holiday season, using Facebook to hold a sweepstakes with first prize a chance to shop the Black Friday deals two days early.

“Social networking is sort of an extension of word of mouth advertising,” said Ross Rubin, director of industry analysis at NPD. “There is lots of research done about how consumers trust recommendations from friends.”

Analysts say the advent of technology-driven shopping presents significant challenges to bricks and mortar retailers,  which are often hard pressed to compete with Internet prices. To counter the glut of information available to shoppers, retailers have gotten creative.

“The implication for all of this is when the consumer starts out with this transparency of prices a retailer has to become much more relevant. They must have either the best selection, be the most convenient, or become a destination for a specific products category,” Lobaugh said.

As was the case with Best Buy’s (BBY) Geek Squad, retailers have also stepped up customer service efforts to offer more to the consumer than just price. Finally, some have resorted to private branding to ensure that customers have just one place to find a product.

But no matter the channel analysts say technology is a new frontier for both consumers and retailers and one that all are striving to conquer.

“Too often all of this is viewed as a way consumers can get the cheapest price,” Lobaugh said. “But I think it’s short sighted to think about it purely in those terms. They are not just using it to get the best price they are using the new technologies because it’s convenient. It gives them better information and that’s going to become more important as time goes on.”