Online Coupon Sites

Remember when coupons came in the Sunday paper and you would never contemplate clipping one. How about 60% off, Free meals, Free Lessons and 2x 1 on services you are already shelling our cash for?
In case you haven’t heard there is a recession and both online and social networks have influenced how consumers interact with merchants. Here is a round up of some interesting trends in online coupons and deal promotions that benefit both the local merchant + consumer.

GroupOn -They call it "collective buying power!" A city guide promoting deals and targeting avid consumers of social media. Groupon features a daily deal on the best stuff to do, eat, and buy in a variety of cities. The key to snagging the deal is getting a certain of number of people to also opt in for it – great tool to nudge your friends and spread the word ( viral). By promising businesses a minimum number of customers, Groupon get discounts you won't find anywhere else. They promote their website ( display ads) which is good as they are getting the word out to consumers. Definitely worth checking out! No monetary upfront cost for businesses.

Retailmenot- national online promotional codes for major retailer websites. I always go to Retailmenot before I buy anything online. They also offer an integrated search for local coupons by zipcode.

Living Social promotes themselves as connecting customers to cool places and things. They offer deeply discounted deals to the best places in your city! This is another major metro -city deal website – but they run deals in smaller markets like Austin, Raleigh in addition to the NYC, Chicago. Living Social offers one fantastic deal every day with step discounts at local restaurants, bars, spas, theaters, and more. Sign up for their Daily Deal Email- Purchase a deal- and use a widget to Share a Deal with a friend. A minimum number of consumers need to opt in for the deal within a given time frame or the deal is lost. Businesses benefit from the partnership and there is no upfront advertising cost for the merchant.
KGB Deals USA and EU footprint labels themselves as Shopping 3.0: Save 50-90% on all the things you love to do, eat, wear and enjoy your city. Similar to Groupon a minimum number of consumers need to opt in to secure the special deal. Consumers can sign up to receive a KGB email alerts . An example of deal on their website: $29 for $70 worth of dog grooming, boarding and daycare services- sweet!
More sites:
Yipit .com aggregates and recommends local daily deals from some of the sites mentioned above.
Valpak.com
Merchant Circle (free to upload coupon, after creating a merchant profile)
Citysearch (with a paid upgrade)

Many local merchants are now using Twitter and Facebook, and they use this free social media tool to offer discounts. If you have a favorite retailer chec out their page for special deals.

Links
http://www.groupon.com/
http://printable.retailmenot.com/
http://www.kgbdeals.com/
http://livingsocial.com/

Restaurant Marketing Online Coupons to read  review