All along, skeptics said that the enormous success of daily deals couldn’t be sustained in the long run. And indeed, in recent months, the industry appears to have suffered some setbacks. Roughly one-third of all deal sites disappeared last year, because they were either purchased or closed down. This week, Groupon shares dropped 15% after news broke that it lost $42.7 million in the fourth quarter of 2011. But some parts of the daily deal industry may have brighter futures than others.
Liquor sales rose by 4% last year, and growth was particularly strong in terms of exports of American spirits and sales in the pricey “super premium” category of vodka, indicating that consumers feel good enough about the economy to splurge on upscale beverages.
To broaden their appeal and expand business, each of these big-name chains is trying something new—adding breakfast, alcohol, and special bargain-priced deals, respectively.
The store will also host a boutique where customers can get virtual makeovers and actual hands-on manicures. An “Eyebrow Bar” is available for those seeking professional shaping and grooming services.
Here are five consumer items that will get cheaper and five that will get more expensive as the new year wears on
Bad years don’t necessarily taste bad, and since they’re cheaper than vino produced in “good” years, they can be fantastic values.
If you think you make purchases because you logically and objectively evaluate the options at hand, then decide based strictly on your personal preferences and individual sense of value, think again. Here are four examples of how consumers make purchasing decisions in highly irrational, sometimes completely nonsensical ways.
The next time you consider going out to eat, you may have to contend with temptations in the form of burgers so good that can’t be called fast food, special blink-and-you’ll-miss-them deals, drinks poured out of unusual dispensers, and lots and lots of cleavage.
Forget about grapes, varietals, regions, “good years,” and such. Forget about the input of so-called “wine experts” as well. You know you’re going to pick a wine based mostly on the label. And is that such a bad thing?
Americans not only drank more wine last year, they were also spending a bit more per bottle — after briefly venturing into the cheapo $6-a-pop territory.
