[UPDATE: Grabone founder Shane Bradley says the site sold more than 10,000 movie tickets today. Let's hope it wasn't a loss leader.]Deal-of-the-day sites continue to multiply. All offer one (or a small handful) of items for sale each day, usually at a spe
[UPDATE: Grabone founder Shane Bradley says the site sold more than 10,000 movie tickets today. Let's hope it wasn't a loss leader.]
Deal-of-the-day sites continue to multiply.
All offer one (or a small handful) of items for sale each day, usually at a special price that expires in 24 hours.
Sometimes they feature cool stuff; more frequently, oddball, end-of-the-line or stuff that people otherwise won’t buy at the regular price (a "foot pocket", anyone?).
The original deal-of-the-day site was 1day.co.nz, cheerfully acknowledged the variable of its items with the its lucky-dip $20 “bag of crap” offer.
Recently, this quirky retail segment - which has a dedicated following among bored cubicle dwellers - got more serious as TradeMe launched a Daily Deals section.
Depending on your point-of-view, it either legitimises and grows the category, or stands poised to steamroll the smaller players.
Other recent new entrants include CatchoftheDay.co.nz, a local offshoot of CatchoftheDay.com.au that claimed it would employ 40 (although it’s spin doctor later admitted to NBR that figure was based on it taking on as many staff as its Aussie parent).
1000 buy, or no one gets the deal
And, today, the latest contender launches: Grabone.co.nz, which will sell coupons for cheap deals for the likes of movie tickets, and discounts at bars, restaurants and so on.
Today, it’s offering $4 movie tickets - but the catch is that at least 1000 people must buy coupons for the deal to go into effect (presumably to give its owner his own ability to score a deal through bulk buying).
Too complicated by half? No so according to founder Shane Bradley (the founder of sella.co.nz, and an investor in flicks.co.nz and adhub.co.nz), who says 2996 tickets were sold during a trial run.
"We are a little different to 1-day - they are like woot.com and we are like Groupon. Similar concepts, but I really like the minimum activation level," Mr Bradley told NBR this morning.
"It means we can guarantee businesses we work with a certain number of people which helps them give us great deals like 50% off."
Worked this morning
Today's $4 movie ticket deal - albeit aided by a hail of opening-day publicity - was activated by 8.45am today, Mr Bradley said, representing one sale every five seconds.
