Print classified publication The Original PennySaver, a Harte-Hanks subsidiary, launched local daily deal site SaverTime.com on April 18. The site will distribute local email and mobile offers on a daily basis from small businesses to consumers.
Marketers using SaverTime will provide geographically targeted deals to consumers in 20 California regions. Featured deals will include discounts of up to 50% off everyday expenses like dry cleaners, plumbers and home services.
“The number one complaint we hear about other daily deal sites is that consumers are spending more time on gas than they save on the deal,” said Loren Dalton, president of SaverTime and PennySaverUSA.com. “Advertisers are frustrated because they aren’t getting repeat customers.”
He added that the company tries to offset everyday expenses with its deals.
“We’ll end up with some hot balloon rides and massages, but our deals are mostly utilitarian,” he said.
Participating advertisers will also be able to create return offers, or “SaverTime Sequel” deals, for customers who bought the initial daily deal. Advertisers will keep 100% of the margin earned on a return offer.
“If people came in for the deal in the first place, why not give them that deal again?” said Dalton. “With SaverTime Sequel, businesses get to keep the whole margin. The consumer wins and the business wins because they don’t have to split the margin with us.”
Consumers will earn credits that they can put towards future deals for every purchase made by referred friends and friends of referred friends. There is no limit to how many friends can be added to a consumer’s network, and credits can be used indefinitely.
Consumers get a 5% credit for the amount their referred friends spend. Consumers get 3% of what their friends’ contacts buy, and 2% for the purchases of those contacts’ friends.
“If you invite four people, and each invites four people, and each buys one $20 deal, you end up with $39.20, which will allow you to get two $20 deals basically for free,” said Dalton.
The cost of referral discounts will come from SaverTime’s revenue and not from advertisers, said Dalton.
The company plans to expand SaverTime to 29 California regions by May 9, and to launch in Florida by the end of this summer, he added.
PennySaverUSA.com launched a mobile site in February. The Original PennySaver, launched in 1962, reaches more than 11.3 million Americans weekly.
