Groupon Web site offers savings on beauty services, ballgames and more
WEB SITE | Save big on city's beauty services, ballgames, meals, classes and more
A lot of us are in a sad financial state, and as a result we've had to cut way back on our fun. Fewer dinners out on the town, fewer visits to Wrigley or U.S. Cellular Field and definitely less shopping. Some of us (myself included) have even had to stop getting hair highlights and have stuck to an all-over hair color, just to save $60.
The Web site GrouponChicago.com knows this and wants to help us enjoy ourselves -- and save money in the process.
(Scott Stewart/Sun-Times)
Sssshhh! This is a secret. Even those on the groupon mailing list don't know about this yet.
On Friday, Grouponchicago.com is offering sky-diving lessons for $120 (originally $210). And for the first time, the site is offering a "side deal" running Friday and carrying on through the weekend: a resume and cover letter revision by Freshly Baked Communications for just $15 (valued at $50). Enjoy!
The site, started by 28-year-old fun seeker Andrew Mason, offers one megacoupon every day on everything from 70 percent off thermal hair straightening to 50 percent off Cubs-Cardinals tickets.
He calls the coupons "groupons" because the deal is dependent on a certain number of people for the deal to go through. For example, today the site offers teeth whitening at BriteSmile, valued at $600, for $185. But 10 people will have to sign on or no one gets the groupon (your card won't be charged until the 10 groupons are reached, and the site lets you know how many groupons have been purchased so you can keep track all day long). Luckily, a deal has fallen through only one time since the site launched back in November (apparently having live lobster delivered to your door didn't resonate with Chicagoans).
It appears the poor economy is actually driving Mason's business.
"People look at groupons as a way to enjoy luxuries they got used to when the economy was doing really well, at prices they can afford right now," Mason says. "We highlight all the awesome things there are to do and nudge people. Prices are so low, it creates this 'why not' effect."
Past groupons have included beauty and health services such as massages, thermal hair straightening, an in-home personal trainer and a dip into a sensory depravation tank. Entertainment-related groupons have included cooking classes, restaurants and theater tickets. They've also offered self-defense classes for women, bike tuneups and a wedding reception space (sold for $800 and valued at $4,000).
The most popular groupon was probably the rooftop tickets to a Cubs-Cardinals game, plus all you can eat and drink, for $60. The groupons were sold out before lunchtime.
But even Mason, who has a staff of about 16 people now, is surprised by the company's success (he's expanding into New York and San Francisco in the next few months).
"It's caught us by surprise. Every time we make some sort of projection, we always end up embarrassingly underestimating ourselves," Mason says. "What we hear from a lot of customers is that it's defining their social lives. They plan their weekend around using the groupon."
Right now Mason likes the simplicity of offering only one groupon a day, though he said there probably will be more daily offerings soon.
Sign up to be on the groupon list, and you'll receive a deal-of-the-day e-mail around 8 a.m., though the offer actually starts at midnight and runs for 24 hours.