8coupons
Encyclopedia
8coupons is a New York
-based deal aggregator website that distributes deal updates and digital coupons to consumers based on weekly top deals, customized online feeds, or the user's current location.
Originally the website focused on the local New York City metro, until in 2009 the company announced a series of content partnerships and new features for user-submitted deals that armed the website with 200,000 coupons across the country. Content partners include Valpak and Money Mailer and local bloggers across the country. In Feb, 2010, the company also began to aggregate from collective buying
websites including Groupon
, LivingSocial
, Plum district
, Adility Deal, Town Hog Half off Depot and about 178 others.
8coupon’s promotions, which are redeemed at the merchant using your cell-phone, are considered substantially more “cool” and appealing to younger generations ages 18–35 in comparison to traditional paper coupons.
The company is themed with the number eight. 8coupons celebrates their anniversary on the 8th day of the 8th month, they have lists of the top eight deals, and their “OCHO LOCO” deals are all themed with the number eight. For example, the website has had 88 cent whiskey drinks, eight-cent falafel
s, and 88 cent burgers on the eight day of every month.
The company was founded with $30,000 from Landy Ung’s mom’s fried chicken restaurant and relied on word of mouth
to generate interest in the website. In 2007 and 2008, the company was run from the couple’s 500 square feet (46.5 m²) studio apartment. Wan was a programmer with a full-time day job and the couple often worked on the website until three in the morning.
Within a year of the website’s August 2007 launch, it had 60,000 unique visitors a month and by late 2008 their traffic was growing 50-100 percent a month. By that time, the founders had quit their full-time jobs to work on 8coupons.com, which charges a monthly fee of $265 to merchants who use the service to promote special offers.
By January, 2009, 8coupons.com’s traffic was growing 25 percent a week and as of late 2009, the company had 415,000 unique visitors a month. By the end of 2009, the company had 770,000 unique visitors a month and had grown 869 percent that year alone. The company attributes their growth – at least partially – to a weak economy bringing greater demand for special deals. This was also when the company expanded the coupons on the website from Manhattan, to the all across the United States. In early 2010, TechCrunch reported 8coupons had reached over one million unique visitors a month. In 2011 8coupons developed an iPhone
app with an augmented reality
view and relaunched the website with new filtering and personalization features.
apps. Users can receive alerts regarding nearby deals based on the categories they select or switch to an augmented reality view on an iPhone
. Users logon to view deals/coupons and can opt in to receive coupon alerts via text message from merchants in categories they select or based on deals near their current location.
Coupons are communicated to users based on their preferences set on the website or mobile app and are redeemable at the merchant by showing them the coupon message on the phone. Coupons include local restaurants, retail
, entertainment
, and beauty & spa among others.
The website has a database of coupons and sales that are generated both through sponsored posts from companies looking to promote their deals and from user submissions. The website uses user IP addresses to determine their location and display a map of local deals. As of early 2010, the website included approximately 100,000 user submitted deals, 50,000 coupons from content partners, and at least 20,000 from 8coupons.com small business customers. In early 2010 the website had 150,000 users, and by 2011 it had 2.5 million monthly unique visitors.
New York
New York is a state in the Northeastern region of the United States. It is the nation's third most populous state. New York is bordered by New Jersey and Pennsylvania to the south, and by Connecticut, Massachusetts and Vermont to the east...
-based deal aggregator website that distributes deal updates and digital coupons to consumers based on weekly top deals, customized online feeds, or the user's current location.
Originally the website focused on the local New York City metro, until in 2009 the company announced a series of content partnerships and new features for user-submitted deals that armed the website with 200,000 coupons across the country. Content partners include Valpak and Money Mailer and local bloggers across the country. In Feb, 2010, the company also began to aggregate from collective buying
Collective buying power
Collective buying power is when a group of consumers come together and use the old rule of thumb, there's power in numbers, to leverage the group size in exchange for discounts.- In the marketplace :...
websites including Groupon
Groupon
Groupon is a deal-of-the-day website that features discounted gift certificates usable at local or national companies. Groupon was launched in November 2008, the first market for Groupon was Chicago, followed soon thereafter by Boston, New York City, and Toronto...
, LivingSocial
LivingSocial
-Business model:LivingSocial offers a new deal each day to its members who subscribe via email. Once a deal has been purchased, members are e-mailed their redemption vouchers the following business day, around 5 a.m. local time...
, Plum district
Plum district
Plum District is a group buying website that focuses on mothers and their buying power. The company is headquartered in San Francisco and offers deals in North America as a 'Everywhere Deal' and in local markets including San Francisco, New York, Chicago, Los Angeles, and Seattle.In March 2011, the...
, Adility Deal, Town Hog Half off Depot and about 178 others.
8coupon’s promotions, which are redeemed at the merchant using your cell-phone, are considered substantially more “cool” and appealing to younger generations ages 18–35 in comparison to traditional paper coupons.
The company is themed with the number eight. 8coupons celebrates their anniversary on the 8th day of the 8th month, they have lists of the top eight deals, and their “OCHO LOCO” deals are all themed with the number eight. For example, the website has had 88 cent whiskey drinks, eight-cent falafel
Falafel
Falafel is a deep-fried ball or patty made from ground chickpeas and/or fava beans. Falafel is usually served in a pita, which acts as a pocket, or wrapped in a flatbread known as lafa. The falafel balls are topped with salads, pickled vegetables, hot sauce, and drizzled with tahini-based sauces...
s, and 88 cent burgers on the eight day of every month.
History
8coupons was founded by Landy Ung, 29, and her boyfriend Wan Hsi Yuan in August 2007.The company was founded with $30,000 from Landy Ung’s mom’s fried chicken restaurant and relied on word of mouth
Word of mouth
Word of mouth, or viva voce, is the passing of information from person to person by oral communication. Storytelling is the oldest form of word-of-mouth communication where one person tells others of something, whether a real event or something made up. Oral tradition is cultural material and...
to generate interest in the website. In 2007 and 2008, the company was run from the couple’s 500 square feet (46.5 m²) studio apartment. Wan was a programmer with a full-time day job and the couple often worked on the website until three in the morning.
Within a year of the website’s August 2007 launch, it had 60,000 unique visitors a month and by late 2008 their traffic was growing 50-100 percent a month. By that time, the founders had quit their full-time jobs to work on 8coupons.com, which charges a monthly fee of $265 to merchants who use the service to promote special offers.
By January, 2009, 8coupons.com’s traffic was growing 25 percent a week and as of late 2009, the company had 415,000 unique visitors a month. By the end of 2009, the company had 770,000 unique visitors a month and had grown 869 percent that year alone. The company attributes their growth – at least partially – to a weak economy bringing greater demand for special deals. This was also when the company expanded the coupons on the website from Manhattan, to the all across the United States. In early 2010, TechCrunch reported 8coupons had reached over one million unique visitors a month. In 2011 8coupons developed an iPhone
IPhone
The iPhone is a line of Internet and multimedia-enabled smartphones marketed by Apple Inc. The first iPhone was unveiled by Steve Jobs, then CEO of Apple, on January 9, 2007, and released on June 29, 2007...
app with an augmented reality
Augmented reality
Augmented reality is a live, direct or indirect, view of a physical, real-world environment whose elements are augmented by computer-generated sensory input such as sound, video, graphics or GPS data. It is related to a more general concept called mediated reality, in which a view of reality is...
view and relaunched the website with new filtering and personalization features.
Items and services
8coupons is in the sole business of developing, hosting, and promoting the website 8coupons.com and related mobile phoneMobile phone
A mobile phone is a device which can make and receive telephone calls over a radio link whilst moving around a wide geographic area. It does so by connecting to a cellular network provided by a mobile network operator...
apps. Users can receive alerts regarding nearby deals based on the categories they select or switch to an augmented reality view on an iPhone
IPhone
The iPhone is a line of Internet and multimedia-enabled smartphones marketed by Apple Inc. The first iPhone was unveiled by Steve Jobs, then CEO of Apple, on January 9, 2007, and released on June 29, 2007...
. Users logon to view deals/coupons and can opt in to receive coupon alerts via text message from merchants in categories they select or based on deals near their current location.
Coupons are communicated to users based on their preferences set on the website or mobile app and are redeemable at the merchant by showing them the coupon message on the phone. Coupons include local restaurants, retail
Retail
Retail consists of the sale of physical goods or merchandise from a fixed location, such as a department store, boutique or kiosk, or by mail, in small or individual lots for direct consumption by the purchaser. Retailing may include subordinated services, such as delivery. Purchasers may be...
, entertainment
Entertainment
Entertainment consists of any activity which provides a diversion or permits people to amuse themselves in their leisure time. Entertainment is generally passive, such as watching opera or a movie. Active forms of amusement, such as sports, are more often considered to be recreation...
, and beauty & spa among others.
The website has a database of coupons and sales that are generated both through sponsored posts from companies looking to promote their deals and from user submissions. The website uses user IP addresses to determine their location and display a map of local deals. As of early 2010, the website included approximately 100,000 user submitted deals, 50,000 coupons from content partners, and at least 20,000 from 8coupons.com small business customers. In early 2010 the website had 150,000 users, and by 2011 it had 2.5 million monthly unique visitors.