Yet another group-buying site enters the arena today, with the launch of media company Avusa's Zappon.co.za.
Capitalising on the worldwide trend that has been gaining local momentum, Zappon.co.za will compete against the likes of UbuntuDeal, Dealio, Skoop, Wicount, Dealson and the newly launched South African version of group-buying giant, Groupon, in the form of MyCityDeal.
Zappon has been released under the Avusa Media LIVE banner, in the hope of capitalising on the loyalty of its audiences for established Avusa brands such as The Times, Sunday Times and the Sowetan.
“We know that we are entering into an incredibly competitive market at the moment, but feel this is perfect timing for the launch of Zappon.co.za,” says Zappon creator and GM of Avusa Media LIVE Elan Lohmann.
Lohmann says Zappon will advertise a new deal each day via various channels, all targeted at different cities. Deals will range from 40% to 90% off, but would typically be about 50% off.
“From an advertising perspective, we definitely have a competitive advantage,” says Lohmann. "At the moment, we are offering clients massive media exposure to roughly two million readers a day, via print, direct mail, Web site and social media channels - all at no charge.
“The local daily deal market is hotting up and our goal is to ensure that Avusa is the first big media player in SA to make a real impact.”
The group-buying concept relies entirely on enough customers purchasing featured deals. If enough people sign up to the deal within a given time period, the deal is activated. If there are not enough customers, the deal is cancelled and no cost is incurred.
Zappon deals will be available for Johannesburg, Cape Town, Pietermaritzburg, Pretoria, East London, Port Elizabeth and Bloemfontein.
Share