You know the drill: An airline hikes its fees, and within seconds travelers vent their outrage in response. JetBlue shows …
loyalty programs
Former ‘Extreme Couponer’ Admits: It’s a Waste of Time
For obvious reasons, the idea that you can snag hundreds of dollars worth of groceries for next to nothing has become exceptionally popular with today’s debt-ridden, budget-strapped masses. But does the “extreme couponing” …
Bonus Season: Plenty of Freebies Awarded With Fall Hotel Deals
To boost bookings during what’s normally a slow season for travel, major hotel companies routinely roll out special promotions at about the time that kids are heading back to school. This autumn, hotel guests are being wooed with …
Will Customers Love or Hate ‘Personalized’ Grocery Prices?
The concept of “personalized” grocery store deals strikes some consumers as inherently unfair. How would you feel, after all, if you were charged more than the person in front of you at checkout for the same exact item? Few …
Scan This! Target Encourages Shoppers to Scan Items with Smartphones Nationwide
Some shoppers have felt the need to stealthily scan items in stores with their smartphones. They’d rather not be accused of “showrooming,” the practice in which one scopes out merchandise in a brick-and-mortar store, only to …
Groupon’s Reward Program (Appropriately Named ‘Groupon Rewards’) Rolls Out Nationally
Consumers love daily deals for the discounts on restaurants, spas, and other products and services. Merchants, on the other hand, use daily deals in order to draw in new customers—people that the business hopes will turn into …
Hot Fast Food Deals: 50% Off Drink Specials, Loyalty Program Freebies, Limited-Time Menu Items
Major fast food and coffeehouse chains are launching special discounts and promotions aimed to keep customers streaming in during the hot days and months ahead. Who says “happy hour” has to be limited to bars and restaurants that …
What Will Daily Deals Sites Think of Next? Introducing the Branded Credit Card
The daily deal concept itself was once considered an “outside the box” business model, so it seems natural that daily deal sites such as Groupon and LivingSocial have a long history of taking chances and trying unusual things. …
Maybe Pet Spending Isn’t Recession-Proof After All
Throughout the worst of the economic crisis and a post-recession era bogged down by uncertainty and high unemployment, consumer spending on pets remained strong. In surveys, owners said they refused to spending on their dogs …
Why You Shouldn’t Buy Groceries at Drugstores
The weekly ads for drugstore chains like CVS, Rite Aid, and Walgreens are loaded with special deals and discounts. These stores have also expanded the selection of groceries stocked in the aisles, hoping to entice consumers into …
What’s Next for Daily Deals: Rewards Programs and (Perhaps?) Branded Credit Cards
The daily deal market led by Groupon and LivingSocial has undeniably gotten popular over the past few years. Some 23 million consumers bought daily deal vouchers last year, and hundreds of startups have tried to get a piece of …
What’s Great (and What’s Annoying) About the Demise of Paper Receipts
“Would you like the receipt in the bag, or in your email in-box?” Increasingly, this is the question shoppers are being asked at checkout at stores like Sears, Anthropologie, Whole Foods, and Gap.
