Happy New Year to one and all….
We are back from some time off and ready for a rather productive year ahead.
The Deals & Coupons sector in Canada in 2013 had a good year, an active year. The sector continues to grow, especially within the digital couponing, mobile and grocery couponing space. We will be publishing a year in review article shortly. Please look out for that one. It will cover everything from Teambuy and Dealfind’s merger to the entry of Retailmenot in Canada to the acquisition of the coupon redemption business of D+H by the Gores Group to other interesting tidbits about the industry.
The upcoming year will be a very busy year for the industry and for us at the association. Here are some of the initiatives that we will be working on. Hopefully we can achieve all of them this year. We will publish further details in the upcoming weeks. If you would like more information or would like to participate in any of these initiatives, please get in touch with us as soon as you can. Priority of participation goes to those who are proactive.
Some of the initiatives we are working on include:
- Industry Conference: We are in the midst of final evaluations as to whether we will produce the first ever Canadian Deals & Coupons Summit later this year. This is a big undertaking and requires support from the industry. If you are interested in participating in some way, be it as a sponsor, volunteer, marketing partner, exhibitor or attendee, then please let us know immediately. Just use the comments sections to respond or contact us directly.
- Industry Report: Publishing of the first Deals & coupons Industry Report for Canada. The who, what, when, where and why of the industry, including areas of growth, data, etc. Please visit the Report page for further details.
- Industry Report: Publishing of a report titled “The Who’s Who of the Canadian Deals & Coupons Industry”. Referencing and describing all the top people who impact and lead this industry in Canada.
- Industry Awareness: We are trying to create what we will call “The National Canadian Deals & Coupon Month”. We will be speaking with some of the top Deal & Coupon providers in the country in order to launch this initiative as a way of promoting even more shopping opportunities for Canadian consumers. Our expectation is that the National Deals & Coupon Month in Canada will be another huge shopping season within a few years and will be on the calendar of all major retailers just as Valentine’s day, Easter, Mother’s Day, Father’s Day, Back To School, Black Friday, Christmas holiday and Boxing day are. If you are interested in being involved, let us know please.
- Industry Credentials: Launching what we call the “Certified Provider” program as an extension of the association’s membership program. The entire purpose is to highlight and showcase those deal & coupon providers in Canada that stand above and beyond others in terms of leaders in the industry, in customer service and in quality. We intend on highlighting those providers that are not only serious about the quality of their business but also serious about building a strong Canadian service.
- The Biggest Deal: We are working on an initiative called “The Biggest Deal in Canadian Retail History”. The initiative will highlight one large National Retailer at a time, perhaps 2-3 times per year, and be promoted throughout ALL Deal & Coupon providers all at the SAME time. Therefore reaching over 20% of the Canadian consumer population and driving millions of dollars in sales and huge amounts of media attention. The results of this ongoing initiative will make it “The Biggest Deal in Canadian Retail History”. Exciting stuff. Please contact us if you are a retailer or etailer wanting further information.
- Canadian Savings Guide: Publishing of the ultimate guide to all the best places to find deals, savings, coupons and offers for Canadians. This guide will be distributed to and reach hundreds of thousands of consumers across the country. The guide will also be adapted to a consumer facing web site.
Not only is the association a resource for the industry and those working within it, but we are continuing to evolve as a go to resource for Consumers and Retailers across the country. Many of our initiatives will reach consumers and retailers in 2014 and we look forward to being able to refer these consumers and retailers to the quality deal & coupon providers established in Canada.
The upcoming year will be a big year for this industry. Lot’s of work to do.
Happy new year to all and do get a hold of us right away if you’d like to participate in any of the above initiatives.
The Canadian Deals & Coupons Team
