For the second year in a row, Groupon’s (NASDAQ: GRPN) Grouponicus Holiday Shop (http://www.groupon.com/grouponicus) empowered Black Friday and Cyber Monday consumers in the U.S. to give unforgettable local experiences. With more than 400 merchants featured over the holiday weekend from sleigh rides to spa experiences, shoppers spurned the pepper spray and wrestling over parking spots to buy local from the comfort of their own homes.
Although the shopping season is barely underway, Groupon customers’ holiday weekend purchases provide interesting insight into this year’s gift trends:
Shopping local is the new black (Friday).
Black Friday isn’t just for national retailers with large ad budgets. The most popular ‘gifted’ local deal was from GT Dream Cars in New Jersey. More than 860 shoppers grabbed the opportunity for a loved one to race an Aston Martin or Lamborghini for just $59. San Franciscans may find a Segway tour of Angel Island under the tree; more than 1,000 people purchased the deal. And in support of Small Business Saturday(R), all Groupon deals on Saturday, November 26 showcased local merchants.
Spoiler alert!
If you know a Groupon subscriber, you’re probably getting something on this list:
- 9,000 people will receive a Coz-e Heated Blanket with Sleeves
- Better check the driveway or behind a large bush...you’re getting a car! (If the 17,000 auto detailing/washing packages purchased are any indication)
- More than 7,000 shoppers are currently looking for awkwardly large boxes to store the sports equipment purchased last weekend
- Over 90,000 fingers and toes will be rubbed, clipped and painted (at least the nails will be painted… the rest is probably optional)
Consumers just want to relax.
Perhaps anticipating the crowd at the mall or dinner with the in-laws, Groupon shoppers stocked up on deals guaranteed to take the edge off:
- 25,000 backs, scalps and souls are getting massages this year
- 8,000 North American aunts purchased facials to prove without a doubt that yes, your face will stay that way
- What’s that rattling in the bottom of your stocking? Most likely one of more than 8,000 packages of vitamins sold in just four days
Online deals connect distant gift givers and recipients.
Photo gifts purveyor Vistaprint was the third most popular deal gifted overall, and electronics giant Sony Store sold more than 5,000* Sony Bloggie Touch Cameras in 18 hours on Cyber Monday, enough for 10,000 hours of home parodies of the Garbage Pail Kids movie franchise (final Bloggie unit count not disclosed.) Wine samplers, cutlery sets and headphones also sold thousands of units each.
“With more than 1.7 million Groupons sold worldwide, including 650,000 Grouponicus deals, a 500% increase over last year’s Grouponicus sales, our holiday season is off to a phenomenal start, reaffirming how much consumers love shopping locally,” said Aaron Cooper, Chief of Gifting, Grouponicus and author of The Gift of Chiefing. “We’re having a blast helping customers find the best gift options online, while showcasing the most relevant and highest quality businesses in shoppers’ backyards.”
The Grouponicus Holiday Shop serves 40 markets with local deals chosen specifically for their ‘giftability’, and offers subscribers nationwide a mixture of specials from online and national retailers including Old Navy and Sony, once-in-a-lifetime Epic Deals and travel getaways. Grouponicus will add new local, national and online deals throughout December. For more information on the history of Grouponicus, visit http://lore.groupon.com.
About Groupon:
Groupon (NASDAQ: GRPN), launched in November 2008 in Chicago, features a daily deal on the best stuff to do, eat, see and buy in 45 countries around the world. Groupon uses collective buying power to offer huge discounts and provide a win-win for business and consumers, delivering more than 1,000 daily deals globally. To subscribe for the best deals in your city, visit http://www.groupon.com. To learn how to become a featured business, visit http://www.grouponworks.com.