Cutting Coupons??? Click on them Instead!!!!

When I first arrived to this country, my mom told me how the Americans cut coupons for everything. I was amazed (scared really) watching ladies flip through pages and pages of coupons to get only $1.00 - $5.00 off.  I still see many people flipping through cut out coupons at the registers of many supermarkets. As mentioned in last week's post, we ARE in the future. There is no more cutting, storing, looking for coupons any more.  I literally get them on my inbox EVERY DAY!

Have I ever bought any????  NO! But  I keep getting them because one day I will see the one that I really can't let go. But like me, there are tons of people who do not use those coupon services or who are always waiting for the next best deal.

Groupon, LivingSocial, Dealfind are some of the websites that offer these offers. But how long will they be on business? We all know the business plan is very simple and cheap when you really think of it.  All they do is connect A (merchants) with B (consumers) and they keep a percentage of the profit.  Merchants have found these sites as a double sided sword. They get the cash flow fast but then it becomes a drug that if they don't offer a deal; they don't get the customer... and how long can they survive by selling their product at a discount?
As a consumer, I rather save some money than show my "loyalty" to a business that at the end is taking my money. Also, some businesses don't like the reputation that offering deals bring to their business. One business owner said; "It created a lot of buzz..." but... "You don't want to cheapen your reputation".

I think Groupon should count its blessings while they have them, the e-commerce keeps evolving and who knows, tomorrow somebody may come up with a better strategy to capture sales without sacrificing merchant's profits.

 http://www.boston.com/business/personalfinance/articles/2011/04/03/coupon_services_aim_to_change_shopping_habits/?page=full

http://www.businessinsider.com/blackboard/groupon