Stores
Alternative Apparel Coupons
Feb 15th
Alternative Apparel
Alternative Apparel, like the name suggests, is an alternative to American Apparel. It makes apparel basics for for urban dwellers and anyone else interested in the latest trends.
What I like about Alternative Apparel is its approach of being a bit more sophisticated than American Apparel. The advertising isn’t blatantly as sexual (never thought I’d say that was a bad thing) and you feel like you’re getting something a bit more refined. I totally love my button-up shirts and baseball tees from them. They’re super soft and give you an opportunity to get creative by either screen-printing at home or sewing on a patch.
Alternative Apparel is currently honoring a couple deals redeemable at their online store. I’ve listed what I can find below:
15% off dresses and skirts through 2/20: Enter “KISSES” at checkout.
Free shipping on any order through 2/27: No coupon code needed.
Independent Supermarkets Embrace Digital Couponing
Feb 15th
Independent grocers are catching up with digital coupons
M-Dot Network, a retail technology provider and Alliance Marketing have struck a deal to allow Alliance Marketing’s independent grocer clients access to M-Dot Network. M-Dot technology provides a retail system for stores to create, manage and track digital coupons for their customers. It’s an enterprise software platform for point of sale digital coupons where no additional hardware or infrastructure is needed.
Once a grocer integrates with M-Dot, shoppers can browse coupons on the store’s website or via browser-ready phones. Shoppers redeem coupons at checkout by swiping their club card or providing their telephone number to the cashier. The available coupons and offers are then matched against purchases to automatically deduct the savings from the bill.
While this doesn’t sound very different in comparison to what larger grocery stores and drugstores have done for years, it’s a big step for small independent grocers that don’t have the resources to create a system on their own. Many are already customers of Alliance Marketing and this is Alliance’s latest offering to provide more value to their clients. M-Dot Network and Alliance hope to have the system in place for 180 clients by the close of 2011.
Peet’s Coffee & Tea Coupon
Feb 14th
Peet
Peet’s Coffee & Tea is offering an online printable coupon that allows a customer to buy one beverage and receive another beverage of equal or lesser value for free (BOGO).
Those interested need only print the Peet’s Share the Love coupon and redeem at a participating location. Most Peet’s locations accept the coupon with the exception of airport or supermarket stores. The offer does not include kid’s drinks, juice or other bottled drinks and is valid through Sunday, February 20th.
Independent Businesses Kickstart Shopping With Coupons
Dec 27th
Cedar Lane in Teaneck, NJ
Faced with competition from big-box retail stores, independent business owners on Teaneck, NJ’s Cedar Lane shopping district were hurting. They didn’t have the supplier discounts and large cost savings to pass down to their customers. But they had to do something…and soon.
So the unique blend of 11 friendly merchants got together to see what could be done. And after much deliberation they decided to offer what the larger stores couldn’t – a sense of community and connection with the local residents. The business owners decided to create handcrafted shopping bags adorned with merchant names and logos and then stuffed them with valuable coupons. They created fliers highlighting the importance and advantages of shopping locally.
The promotional bags were assembled by merchants, students and volunteers and eventually delivered to local residents. As it turns out, residents embraced the initiative and the results were even better than expected with all stores reporting a spike in shopping activity. It just goes to show what a little creativity coupled with coupons can do for independent businesses trying to survive.
