News 8
Saving money with Groupons 
02:17 PM CST on Wednesday, November 4, 2009
The lights are dimmed. The candles lit.
The ambiance is calm at the Hiatus Spa and Retreat.
Two-hundred and twenty-five customers got to experience this for a fraction of the cost thanks to Groupons.
It is a Web site where collective buying power could mean deals up to 80 percent off.
"I've already got Christmas done this year, and I didn't have to go anywhere," said Lisa English. "They are all from Groupon." .
English checks the daily deal online every morning. Groupons range from museums to major spas, gaming groups, wine clubs -- even teeth cleaning.
"What I'm doing is finding new adventures. I'm going places we've never been," English said.
The deals last one day only, so you have to buy fast.
Once the required number of people purchase the item, the deal is on! That means your credit card will be charged.
At Hiatus Spa & Retreat, owner Bill Garrison said the Groupon brought in hundreds of new customers.
"Groupon is targeted to local communities, so you're advertising and reaching out to people in your immediate area," he said. "You're not looking at potential customers -- they are bringing you actual customers."
Groupons takes a small cut off each sale for its service, but for customers like English, it is free.
Plus, once you purchase a deal you can offer it as a gift, and the recipient is none the wiser.
"When you get the coupon it doesn't show the discount, it shows full price, the value of it," English explained.
With more than $26 million saved so far, local businesses and local buyers both win, thanks to power in numbers.
E-mail sslater@wfaa.com
