Pepper.com (Pepper) and Global Savings Group (GSG) have announced their partnership, combining the world's largest shopping community with Europe's leading shopping recommendation and rewards company. This transaction marks the biggest deal in the industry in 2022 and creates a European Champion with a global presence. The companies will work together to form a multinational tech company, empowering shoppers in over 20 markets to make more confident shopping decisions. Together, GSG and Pepper will operate the world's largest shopping community, recommendation and rewards platform, connecting consumers with brands and retailers across more than 2 billion purchase journeys each year.
Pepper and Global Savings Group are joining forces
Munich, Germany/Berlin: Global Savings Group (GSG) and Pepper.com (Pepper) have signed a deal to join forces, combining the world’s largest shopping community with Europe’s leading shopping recommendation and rewards company.
The transaction marks the biggest deal in the industry in 2022 and creates a European Champion with a global footprint. Together, GSG and Pepper will form a multinational tech company empowering shoppers in more than 20 markets to make more confident shopping decisions. GSG and Pepper will jointly operate the world’s largest shopping community, recommendation and rewards platform connecting brands and retailers with consumers across more than 2bn purchase journeys annually.
“We are incredibly excited about this industry-disrupting deal that reinforces our leading position in Europe. Together with Pepper, we will significantly enhance our ability to empower consumers and play an even more meaningful role in their daily lives which will open a wide field of development opportunities to shape the future of our industry together. Jointly, we will create a unique, impactful and even more comprehensive portfolio of shopping solutions with huge benefits for consumers, brands, retailers and publishers alike at a scale that's just not possible anywhere else. Together, we will increase our transformative impact and boost GSG’s growth”, states Dr. Gerhard Trautmann, CEO of GSG.
“Our primary focus has always been to offer the best and broadest of money saving solutions to our communities. Our collaboration with GSG will speed up this process significantly as it empowers us to branch out more. Combined, we have more than 20 years of experience in helping people to make smarter decisions and together we will provide even better and more rewarding shopping experiences. Our loyal customers and many more to come will benefit from our combined contents and technologies”, comments Fabian Spielberger, CEO of Pepper.
GSG and Pepper are both market leaders in their fields and have expanded their solutions and services through strategic acquisitions and organic growth. After the 2018 takeover of the UK loyalty specialist Pouch, GSG acquired iGraal and Shoop, the leading French and German cashback brands in 2020 and 2021 respectively, and just recently the US-based consumer brand and domain Coupons.com. Pepper has always shared GSG’s ambition to consolidate the fast-growing market in the sector and has expanded internationally since 2014. Today, Pepper operates market-leading social commerce platforms such as Dealabs, hotukdeals and mydealz. Together, GSG and Pepper will continue to develop and leverage technology to build the leading platform of shopping solutions and services to constantly drive future growth in current and new markets and verticals.
About GSG
GSG is Europe’s largest shopping rewards company with an international footprint across more than 20 markets. The company’s goal is to empower consumers to get more out of life by providing them access to best savings, cashback, deals, product inspiration, reviews and other digital shopping services. Founded in 2012 and headquartered in Munich, GSG employs more than 700 employees in 12 offices across the globe.
About Pepper
Pepper.com is the world's largest shopping community. From its headquarter in Berlin and offices in Guadalajara, London, Lyon and Winnipeg, the Pepper Media Holding operates market-leading social commerce platforms such as Dealabs, hotukdeals and mydealz.de which are used by 25 million consumers per month and influences 12,000 purchase decisions per minute. The company was founded in 2014 by Fabian Spielberger and Paul Nikkel.
Press contact
Peter Meyenburg, PR Director
+49 171 52 55 757
Advisors GSG
UBS, Taylor Wessing, Vogel Heerma Waitz aka V14, KMPG Law, KPMG Tax, KPMG Finance, Hogan Lovells, McDermott, CoInvest Corporate Finance
Advisors Pepper
YPOG, ROCAN, PWWL, Viguie Schmidt & Associes, Flichy, Fladgate, EY
Financing Partners
UniCredit Bank AG (as Mandated Lead Arranger, Original Lender, Bookrunner, Agent and Security Agent); Commerzbank Aktiengesellschaft, Citibank Europe Plc. Germany Branch and KfW (all as Mandated Lead Arrangers and Original Lenders)
]]>Across the UK, savvy shoppers are taking advantage of non-essential shops opening following the lift in restrictions this week with retailers pushing promotions to get Brits back in store.
Bargain Hunting Brits Get Ready for Post Lockdown Discounts
Across the UK, savvy shoppers are taking advantage of non-essential shops opening following the lift in restrictions this week with retailers pushing promotions to get Brits back in store.
Data from hotukdeals, the UK’s biggest deal-sharing app, found that discounts have risen by 24% on day one of the shops reopening, and by 17% over the last 12 months, predicting a huge increase in offers throughout April.
Queues were seen outside stores including Primark, TK Maxx and JD Sports early on Monday morning as shoppers visited after months of closure.
However, consumer savings expert at hotukdeals, Dan Plant, warns that as retailers fight for shoppers' cash over the next few months, the huge amount of deals on offer means it's hard to tell which are worth parting with your cash for. He comments: “Since the pandemic hit, we have seen sales across the high street and online like never before. With a summer of celebration around the corner, retailers are offering shoppers discounts to get them spending, but it’s vital to fact check whether the deal is really worth it.”
Philip Graves, a leading experts on consumer behaviour, explains the retail strategies used to attract shoppers and what to look out for:
● ATTENTION SEEKING - Now stores are reopen retailers will be trying everything to get you back through the doors, with big flashy sales and limited offer promotions to get shoppers spending
● THRILLS AND SPILLS - They will build a lot of excitement about the great deals that are available, focusing on a few items that are heavily discounted. It’s easy for people to feel excited when they start looking at what’s available and sometimes, they end up buying because of this general ‘thrill’ not because the specific product they’ve bought is really that great
● FOMO - Retailers will tap into our fear of regretting a decision, this year more than ever before as we are allowed some normality back into our lives. Loss aversion makes shoppers believe that an item may sell out and switches our perspective from worrying about whether we’re getting the best deal, to the fear that if we don’t grab that deal right now then we will miss out altogether
The hotukdeals app saw 235,474 deals and vouchers posted from March 2020 to March 2021, over 600 per day, with more than 250,000 new members signing up for money saving deals. Londoners came out top when looking at who was grabbing the most bargains in lockdown, followed by Birmingham, Glasgow, Manchester and Leeds.
Dan Plant added, “Retailers have been trying everything they can to get customers spending over lockdown and now non-essential shops are open again we expect to see big discounts and sales for shoppers excited to browse the aisles in person and return to the high street.”
About hotukdeals:hotukdeals is the UK’s biggest deal-sharing community where two million members find, rate and share the best deals from on and off the high street every day. Members use the temperature gauge to vote on deals so other users know that the hotter the deal, the stronger the offer.
About Pepper:Pepper.com, the world's largest shopping community, was founded in 2014 by Fabian Spielberger and Paul Nikkel. Through international partnerships and conversations, Pepper.com gives smart shoppers around the world a voice to share deals, tips and ideas, connecting members in eleven countries on four continents. The Pepper.com group is headquartered in Berlin, Germany with offices in Belo Horizonte, Guadalajara, London, Lyon, Mumbai and Winnipeg and consists of market-leading platforms such as Dealabs (France), DesiDime (India), hotukdeals (United Kingdom), mydealz (Germany), Pelando.com.br (Brazil), Pepper.com (The Netherlands), Pepper.pl (Poland), Pepper.ru (Russia), Preisjaeger (Austria) and PromoDescuentos (Mexico). 25 million consumers use these platforms every month to make 12,000 purchasing decisions per minute.
]]>As we come to the end of the second national lockdown, travel deals platform HolidayPirates, in conjunction with hotukdeals.com, surveyed over 5,500 of their customers across Europe to find out how the pandemic has affected our travel, leisure habits and attitudes to work.
Brits Say Travel Is More Important Than Going To The Pub
London - 30 November, 2020. As we come to the end of the second national lockdown, travel deals platform HolidayPirates, in conjunction with hotukdeals.com, surveyed over 5,500 of their customers across Europe to find out how the pandemic has affected our travel, leisure habits and attitudes to work.
MILLENNIALS PREFER HOLIDAYS TO HANGOVERSBeing restricted to our own homes has shown the importance of travel for so many of us. Of the British responders aged 18-35, 65% said they missed travelling, compared to 37% missing being able to eat and drink out.
Phil Salcedo, head of the UK market for HolidayPirates said, “These results give an interesting insight into what we’ve missed most during this enforced period at home. It comes as no surprise that so many of us have been dreaming of travelling again, but for British millennials it’s even more stark than that; the results suggest it’s more important than going to the pub or, maybe more understandably, the gym”.
WHILST BRITS HAVE BEEN DRINKING MORE, THE FRENCH HAVE BEEN EXERCISINGIt seems that Brits have a different attitude to diet and exercise than their European neighbours. Nearly a fifth of those surveyed in France have taken up online gym courses, compared to 6% of Brits but the numbers are reversed when it comes to take up of alcohol deliveries with 13% of Brits and just 3% of French. More French and Germans than Brits said an annoyance was not being able to go to the gym, with 27% and 23% respectively compared to 19%, whereas 30% of Brits also stated that eating too much was a concern but this was only noted by 20% of French and Germans.
Lockdown has seen us all spend longer at home, but the results of the survey show that us Brits have spent our time very differently to our European neighbours. Where Brits have increased their online presence through streaming films, tv and music (58%), this only accounts for 30% of French activity. 20% of the surveyed Brits have taken to downloading podcasts and audiobooks, but it was only 10% of French responders.
Across all three nations, on average 35% have spent their additional free time decorating or renovating and 60% watching more television. Nearly 70% of Brits and Germans have done more online shopping compared to only 42% of French. A third of the Brits surveyed have done their food shopping online, in contrast to only 10% of French and 20% of German responders.
BRITS HOLD ON TO CHOSEN CAREER PATHAs governments around the world urge us all to retrain, 94% of Brits are sticking to what they know and have responded that they are currently happy in their jobs. 65% of us have made no effort to further our careers through online training and webinars.
Dan Plant from hotukdeals says “Surprisingly, only 61% of respondents said their lives have changed during lockdown. But it seems that, whilst the world has been in turmoil over the past year, Brits are comfortable in the safety blanket of their current job and haven’t seen the need to do very much to future-proof themselves.”
-END-
Survey notesOf the 5,561 responders to the survey, 1,101 were from the UK. The survey was also carried out in Germany, France, Italy and Spain.
About: hotukdeals is the UK’s biggest deal-sharing community where two million members find, rate and share the best deals from on and off the high street every day. Members use the temperature gauge to vote on deals so other users know that the hotter the deal, the stronger the offer. hotukdeals is a founding member of Pepper.com, the world’s largest shopping community: Pepper.com was founded in 2014 by Fabian Spielberger (mydealz) and Paul Nikkel (hotukdeals). Through international partnerships and conversations, Pepper.com gives smart shoppers around the world a voice to share deals, tips and ideas, connecting members in twelve countries on four continents. The Pepper.com group is headquartered in Berlin, Germany with offices in Belo Horizonte, Guadalajara, London, Lyon, Mumbai and Winnipeg and consists of market-leading platforms such as Chollometro (Spain), Dealabs(France), DesiDime (India), hotukdeals (United Kingdom), mydealz (Germany), Pelando.com.br (Brazil), Pepper.com (The Netherlands), Pepper.pl (Poland), Pepper.ru (Russia), Preisjaeger (Austria) and PromoDescuentos (Mexico). 25 million consumers use these platforms every month to make 12,000 purchasing decisions per minute.
About: HolidayPirates is a leading travel deals platform and app, which curates and compiles the best travel deals from countless websites and travel partners for cheap flights, hotels, travel packages, vouchers, bus and train deals. The online portal is one of the fastest growing digital travel companies in Europe. Fans and followers stay up to date by setting custom alerts on apps; WhatsApp; following on social media; subscribing to newsletters or simply visiting one of the websites. HolidayPirates has websites in the UK, Austria, France, Germany, Italy, the Netherlands, Poland, Spain, Switzerland and the USA and each travel portal in the group operates fully independently of the operators and partners. The company has offices in nine countries. Igor Simonow founded HolidayPirates in 2011 in Berlin by sharing his knowledge of cheap travel deals on his blog. Today, the German edition Urlaubspiraten.de is among Germany’s largest travel portals. HolidayPirates receives +45 million page impressions a month and has +7 million Facebook fans.
]]>Research has revealed that despite an unprecedented retail environment and continuing economic uncertainty this Black Friday will be the biggest on record, with deals from the top five Black Friday retailers, Amazon, eBay, Argos, Currys and Tesco, already up by 68% this month.
Black Friday Deals Up 68 %, As Shoppers Expect The Best Discounts Yet From Retailers in 2020
London, 23 November 2020. Research has revealed that despite an unprecedented retail environment and continuing economic uncertainty this Black Friday will be the biggest on record, with deals from the top five Black Friday retailers, Amazon, eBay, Argos, Currys and Tesco, already up by 68% this month.
A poll of 2000 Brits also found that shoppers are getting ready for a spending spree with nearly a quarter (21%) buying more Black Friday offers this year, as a third (27%) admit they are expecting better deals in 2020 whilst retailers try to get rid of stock after a tough year.
One in three (29%) will be buying more deals to save on Christmas presents this year with an unprecedented festive period ahead, and a further 20% will be buying more because they have saved money this year.
Data from hotukdeals, the biggest deal sharing community in the UK, compared 2019 and 2020 activity on the website, and found that the amount of deals shared so far this month is already up by 28%.
Deals across the top five categories have seen huge increases, including:
● Entertainment up by 51%
● Sports and Outdoors up by 41%
● Electronics up by 37%
● Gaming up by 35%
● Fashion up by 32%
However, skepticism of Black Friday deals is still high as two thirds (69%) said they didn't trust Black Friday offers because of tactics some retailers use - such as adding extra markup to the ‘standard’ price so the discount looks bigger, or having better deals at other times in the year.
Data from hotukdeals also found that two thirds of Black Friday deals were not what they seem, with more than 11,000 fake deals shared during the shopping event last year. Only 33% of the discounts shared with the 2 million users were voted ‘hot’ meaning those products could have been cheaper elsewhere or at another time in the year, had hidden catches or simply not worthwhile.
Dan Plant, consumer savings expert at hotukdeals, called for shoppers to stay alert and avoid fake deals this week as retailers will be fighting for shoppers’ cash more than ever before.
Dan Plant comments, “Since the pandemic hit, we have seen sales across the high street and online like never before. With Black November extending the discount frenzy across the whole month and lockdown giving people more time to get ahead of the Christmas season rush, shoppers will be feeling anxious they get the best deals - but the truth is not many reductions and sales are what they first appear. It’s vital to fact-check whether a deal is real or not, before diving in.”
Philip Graves, one of the world's leading experts on consumer behaviour, including the psychology behind Black Friday shopping and how we interpret deals, adds:
“Lockdown has changed our shopping behaviour in two significant ways - firstly pushing shoppers away from the high street and seeing less tech savvy shoppers now buying online. In turn, now that millions more are shopping online they will be receiving more marketing emails pushing them to make another purchase and presenting deals in a way designed to make them appear compelling.”
Dan Plant continues, “We want the hotukdeals community to be the best place for consumers to share their knowledge, learn from other experts, and make the right decisions this Black Friday. Our community is here for shoppers all year round - guiding shoppers through lockdown, 2020 and beyond.”
To find the best deals this Black Friday, with tips and advices from over 2 million savvy shoppers check out https://www.hotukdeals.com/black-friday.
***
Notes to Editors:
Data compiled by hotukdeals from Friday 22 November to Monday 1 December 2019.
Research compiled by Censuswide with 2000 UK residents in November 2020.
About hotukdeals:
hotukdeals is the UK’s biggest deal-sharing community where two million members find, rate and share the best deals from on and off the high street every day. Members use the temperature gauge to vote on deals so other users know that the hotter the deal, the stronger the offer. hotukdeals is a founding member of Pepper.com, the world’s largest shopping community:
Pepper.com was founded in 2014 by Fabian Spielberger (mydealz) and Paul Nikkel (hotukdeals). Through international partnerships and conversations, Pepper.com gives smart shoppers around the world a voice to share deals, tips and ideas, connecting members in twelve countries on four continents. The Pepper.com group is headquartered in Berlin, Germany with offices in Belo Horizonte, Guadalajara, London, Lyon, Mumbai and Winnipeg and consists of market-leading platforms such as Chollometro (Spain), Dealabs(France), DesiDime (India), hotukdeals (United Kingdom), mydealz (Germany), Pelando.com.br (Brazil), Pepper.com (The Netherlands), Pepper.pl (Poland), Pepper.ru (Russia), Preisjaeger (Austria) and PromoDescuentos (Mexico). 25 million consumers use these platforms every month to make 12,000 purchasing decisions per minute.
]]>hotukdeals has announced a new partnership with impartial price and product comparison service, PriceSpy, which will run as an integrated tool within the hotukdeals platform, further enabling UK consumers to compare and find the best prices.
hotukdeals announces PriceSpy partnership to help UK consumers shop smarter
hotukdeals, the UK’s largest deal-sharing community, with over two million registered members, has announced a new partnership with impartial price and product comparison service, PriceSpy.
PriceSpy will run as an integrated tool within the hotukdeals platform, further enabling UK consumers to compare and find the best prices. Shoppers searching for deals on specific items on the hotukdeals website can view the latest offers and comments shared by members of the community, alongside real-time price comparisons and stock availability through the PriceSpy tool.
hotukdeals and PriceSpy are both popular platforms for helping shoppers make smart purchasing decisions. The hotukdeals community share and discuss hundreds of deals every day and vote them hot or cold based on factors such as price, product quality and the retailer selling the item.
Founded in 2014, hotukdeals is part of Pepper.com, the world's largest shopping community that connects over 9 million registered members in 12 countries, across four continents and gives shoppers a platform to share deals, tips and ideas.
PriceSpy is an impartial price and product comparison service used by millions of consumers every month to find, discover, research and compare products. PriceSpy has 5,520,000 indexed prices alongside product and shop ratings. As well as providing a resource for consumers, PriceSpy offers retailers unique insights and real-time data on the UK retail industry.
Commenting on the partnership, Fabian Spielberger, CEO of Pepper.com, said: “Content is key when helping consumers shop smartly. The more tools and information our users have in one place, the easier it is to identify the best deals. We’re pleased to partner with a leading UK price comparison site in PriceSpy, to bring this tool to the hotukdeals community. The new comparison capability complements our existing deals, tips, comments and voucher codes, so we continue to be the best place for consumers to share their knowledge, learn from other experts and make the right purchasing decisions."
PriceSpy UK managing director, Olof Karp, comments: “We’re extremely proud to be announced as a partner to hotukdeals. The new price comparison feature allows the platform to go even further for shoppers. By integrating our rich pricing data, consumers will be even more empowered to get the best deal possible. This partnership will help Brits shop smarter and keep more of their hard-earned cash.”
ENDS
Media enquiries
Chloe Reeve / 07810884003 / hotukdeals_pr@pepper.com
About hotukdeals
hotukdeals is the UK’s biggest deal-sharing community where over two million registered members find, rate and share the best deals from on and off the high street every day. Members use the temperature gauge to vote on deals so other users know that the hotter the deal, the stronger the offer. hotukdeals is a founding member of Pepper.com, the world’s largest shopping community.
Pepper.com was founded in 2014 by Fabian Spielberger (mydealz) and Paul Nikkel (hotukdeals). Through international partnerships and conversations, Pepper.com gives smart shoppers around the world a voice to share deals, tips and ideas, connecting members in twelve countries on four continents. The Pepper.com group is headquartered in Berlin, Germany with offices in Belo Horizonte, Guadalajara, London, Lyon, Mumbai and Winnipeg and consists of market-leading platforms such as Chollometro (Spain), Dealabs (France), DesiDime (India), hotukdeals (United Kingdom), mydealz (Germany), Pelando.com.br (Brazil), Pepper.com (The Netherlands), Pepper.pl (Poland), Pepper.ru (Russia), Preisjaeger (Austria) and PromoDescuentos (Mexico). 25 million consumers use these platforms every month to make 12,000 purchasing decisions per minute.
About PriceSpy
PriceSpy is a comprehensive price and product comparison service used by millions of consumers every month. It helps consumers find, discover, research and compare products.
PriceSpy has 5,520,000 indexed prices, 829,000 products, 6,910,000 product properties, along with hundreds of thousands of product and shop ratings. Providing a fully impartial comparison service for consumers and a deep depository of price data for retailers.
Prisjakt launched in the year 2000 and is Sweden's largest price comparison service. The service is known in Sweden and Norway as Prisjakt, and in the UK and New Zealand as PriceSpy.
]]>Whilst many are entering the seventh week of lockdown, shopping habits and retail data is helping us understand what people are doing at home, and what shopping will look like after restrictions have been lifted. hotukdeals looks at the deals being posted on its platform and Dan Plant discusses what deals we might see when restrictions change, as well as some advice on shopping now.
hotukdeals reveal what deals Brits are finding during lockdown, and what discounts we’ll see post-lockdown
Whilst many across the UK are entering the seventh week of lockdown, shopping habits and retail data is helping us understand what people are doing at home, and what shopping will look like after restrictions have been lifted.
Deal-sharing community, hotukdeals, studied data from the whole of April to see what deals their 2 million members were posting and found a 15% increase in the number of deals on the platform, compared to the same period last year. As UK consumers are looking to save money during lockdown, on everything from essential items to ways to stay entertained, they are using their extra time to search for the best prices and discounts during this time.
Some of the biggest changes in number of deals, compared to the same period last year are:
Freebies - up 152%
Culture and leisure - up 107%
Fashion - up 72%
Gaming - up 45%
Since launching in 2004, members of hotukdeals have shared over 2.2 million deals and voted them as hot (good) or cold (bad) based on factors such as price, quality of the product and experiences with the retailer selling the item.
The data shows a massive increase in deals posted to the freebies section and culture and leisure category, up 152% and 107% respectively compared to April 2019. These included free media streaming, game downloads and online courses; free items and services for key workers to give back to those looking after us, as well as deals on e-books, DVDs and Blu-Rays, e-cookbooks, and free virtual plays, tours and concerts.
Fashion deals have gone up by 72% during lockdown, as workout gear and comfy clothing is on the wishlist for people staying home, and with some retailers offering free delivery helping to justify lower priced impulse buys, it’s no surprise that shoppers are purchasing these items.
Gaming has seen a 45% increase in the number of deals posted, and some shoppers are so keen to get their hands on coveted items to stay entertained during lockdown, they are buying popular products including the Nintendo Switch and Oculus VR even at RRP.
Dan Plant, consumer savings expert at hotukdeals, commented: “The hotukdeals community has been working hard to find and share the best offers out there during this time - especially on essential items like groceries and toiletries such as hand wash and toilet roll, where there were initially some shortages and ensuing price hikes.
We are also seeing lots of people clicking out to potentially buy items even if the prices are higher than usual, as demand is so high, especially in areas such as gardening and DIY as people look to purchase items to keep themselves busy during lockdown. A note of caution though - we are expecting to see lots of great deals from retailers post lockdown, and it might be worth holding out for these sales if you can. If you do need to purchase items now, shop around to find the best prices available at the moment, so you can still save money.”
Retailers have started to talk about how they can open stores and follow safety and social distancing guidelines once the government has lifted certain restrictions, with stores such as Next talking about their plans for when this happens and hinting at sales when they do. As some popular stores, like Primark, lack online sales space, and consumers have been following guidelines to only buy what they need during lockdown, hotukdeals predicts seeing plenty of fashion deals when retailers re-open to a fuller capacity. Some merchants will need to clear excess stock, especially those such as Next and River Island who took the decision to reduce, or even halt, online orders due to temporary warehouse closures.
Dan Plant continues, “I think it’s safe to say that we will see plenty of fashion deals with big discounts after lockdown as merchants look to clear stock ready for new season arrivals. It’s possible we’ll also see deals and discounts on furniture as these retailers look to make way for new stock and boost their sales. Electronics remains a popular deal category on hotukdeals during lockdown, as consumers look for items for entertainment, but like furniture and fashion there will inevitably be stock to clear, and therefore discounts being offered, as technology companies look to remain on track with their release cycles.
If lockdown style restrictions continue through the summer, retailers will be planning for big retail sales events later in the year such as Black Friday, when some could be hoping to catch up on any lost sales.
Dan Plant shared his predictions,“If we’re through the worst of the coronavirus and we’re not expecting to see further waves and periods of lockdown, 2020 could see one of the biggest Black Fridays on record as retailers look to clear excess stock. However if we’re still seeing some restrictions then I think it could go the other way, with people potentially having more on their minds.”
-END-
Notes to Editors:
Data compiled by hotukdeals comparing 1-30th April 2019 vs 1-30th April 2020
About hotukdeals:
hotukdeals is the UK’s biggest deal-sharing community where two million members find, rate and share the best deals from on and off the high street every day. Members use the temperature gauge to vote on deals so other users know that the hotter the deal, the stronger the offer. hotukdeals is a founding member of Pepper.com, the world’s largest shopping community:
Pepper.com was founded in 2014 by Fabian Spielberger (mydealz) and Paul Nikkel (hotukdeals). Through international partnerships and conversations, Pepper.com gives smart shoppers around the world a voice to share deals, tips and ideas, connecting members in twelve countries on four continents. The Pepper.com group is headquartered in Berlin, Germany with offices in Belo Horizonte, Guadalajara, London, Lyon, Mumbai and Winnipeg and consists of market-leading platforms such as Chollometro (Spain), Dealabs (France), DesiDime (India), hotukdeals (United Kingdom), mydealz (Germany), Pelando.com.br (Brazil), Pepper.com (The Netherlands), Pepper.pl (Poland), Pepper.ru (Russia), Preisjaeger (Austria) and PromoDescuentos (Mexico). 25 million consumers use these platforms every month to make 12,000 purchasing decisions per minute.
]]>
hotukdeals celebrates two million registered members and the announcement that Dan Plant has joined the team as head of content and community following senior roles at MoneySavingExpert and MoneySupermarket.
hotukdeals announces new head of content and community, as the deal sharing site celebrates its two million members milestone
The UK’s largest deal sharing community, hotukdeals, has appointed Dan Plant as head of content and community, as it hits a major landmark with two million registered members.
Thanks to an impressive Black Friday period, which saw 3.8 million unique visitors to the hotukdeals website over the Black Friday week*, the brand is continuing to build momentum as the biggest online deal-sharing community.
Following senior positions at MoneySavingExpert and MoneySupermarket focussed on helping consumers make the most of their money, Plant has joined hotukdeals to focus on the growth of its community – both in size and happiness. As content and community lead across the brand’s website and app platforms he will work to ensure the hotukdeals community has access to a wide range of market leading offers and tips posted by its members and editorial team, helping even more consumers shop smarter in 2020 and beyond.
Before joining hotukdeals, Plant supervised the content strategy for Barclaycard and brings experience in helping users cut through complicated terms & conditions and confusing sales tactics to understand what the best course of action for them may be. He is an experienced spokesperson and commentator who champions consumers and their rights, and previously served on the independent Consumer Panel within the Financial Conduct Authority, set up to advise and challenge the FCA to help UK consumers.
Dan Plant commented, “I’m excited to join hotukdeals and Pepper at this crucial time in its story. I’ve been a fan of the site since being at MoneySavingExpert when we looked to hotukdeals as a brilliant example of giving users a platform to share mindblowing deals that they hunt out, as well as unvarnished, honest reviews and expert advice.”“I’m looking forward to helping the fantastic team of deal editors, community managers, partnership managers and marketing experts build on the huge success so far; uncovering market leading offers across new categories, becoming known and used by even more of the UK public and hosting a welcoming, knowledgeable community to help people make great purchasing decisions.”
hotukdeals is a founding member of the Pepper.com Group, the world's largest shopping community which operates in Germany, Brazil, France, India, Mexico, the Netherlands, Austria, Poland, Russia and Spain. Each month 25 million consumers use the twelve Pepper platforms to discuss current offers and make 12,000 purchase decisions per minute. Since 2008, hotukdeals members have increased by over ten fold.
Fabian Spielberger, founder and CEO of Pepper.com, said: “As the hotukdeals community continues to grow we wanted to bring in Dan, who has experience of putting consumers first when analysing offers and creating content, to ensure our now two million strong forum of deal hunters continue to have the tools they need to make smart purchasing decisions and share their knowledge in a way that's informative, open and entertaining.”
“All of our Pepper.com communities, including hotukdeals, are the foundation of what we do and we all have them in mind when undertaking our daily tasks - whether it’s the community managers ensuring that our members are happy and that our sites are a safe place or the partnership teams working with retailers and brands on market leading deals.”
Plant is based at the hotukdeals headquarters in London and is available for comment on his appointment and the hotukdeals community, as well as a wide range of topics including pricing trends, consumer rights and money saving.
-ENDS-
Editor’s notes:
*Seven day active user stat from Google Analytics from 25.11.19 to 02.12.19.
Dan Plant headshots available here.
About hotukdeals:
hotukdeals is the UK’s biggest deal-sharing community where two million members find, rate and share the best deals from on and off the high street every day. Members use the temperature gauge to vote on deals so other users know that the hotter the deal, the stronger the offer.
About Pepper:
Pepper.com, the world's largest shopping community, was founded in 2014 by Fabian Spielberger and Paul Nikkel. Through international partnerships and conversations, Pepper.com gives smart shoppers around the world a voice to share deals, tips and ideas, connecting members in eleven countries on four continents. The Pepper.com group is headquartered in Berlin, Germany with offices in Belo Horizonte, Guadalajara, London, Lyon, Mumbai and Winnipeg and consists of market-leading platforms such as Dealabs (France), DesiDime (India), hotukdeals (United Kingdom), mydealz(Germany), Pelando.com.br (Brazil), Pepper.com (The Netherlands), Pepper.pl (Poland), Pepper.ru (Russia), Preisjaeger (Austria) and PromoDescuentos (Mexico). 25 million consumers use these platforms every month to make 12,000 purchasing decisions per minute.
]]>Money saving tips from hotukdeals to help consumers save money in 2020
Become a money saving expert in 2020 with these quick and easy tips from hotukdeals
Shop around and check reviews:
It’s easy to be a lazy shopper - with just a few clicks an item can be in your hands the same day. But whilst this might save us time, it doesn't necessarily save us money. If you’re looking for a particular item, dedicate time to shop around, price check, and read real reviews and recommendations from other shoppers to find the best price. Dan Plant, head of community at deal-sharing website hotukdeals says, “Use other shoppers’ experiences to help make smart purchasing decisions - nothing beats advice from people who have already purchased a product, or who can even recommend an alternative.”
Plan ahead on gifts:
Whilst you might just be getting over your Christmas shopping, if you can face it now is the time to get stuck into the January sales and grab gifts for the year ahead. Whether it’s for birthdays, weddings or christenings, you’ll be pleased to have ready to go presents at home, meaning you can avoid any last minute purchases that are likely to cost more. Look for products that can work for different friends and family e.g. toiletries, homeware, candles and stationery.
Let others do the hard work for you:
We have apps for everything these days, so why not choose one or two for saving you some cash throughout the year? By using savings apps like Chip, which puts money to one side for you by calculating what you can spare, you can use that pot of cash when searching for a new holiday wardrobe, big purchase items, or even Christmas presents next year. And when you are ready to find a great deal, use the hotukdeals app to set alerts on items you’re interested in and receive alerts when a matching deal appears. That way you can wait for the best deal and buy at the best price.
Check for everyday codes:
Don’t just look for discounts or deals on big purchase items, you can save just as much by looking after the pennies you spend on everyday products. For example, if you’re heading out for dinner during the week check for voucher codes and offers, most high-street restaurants offer a discount to attract more weekday customers. And if you are looking to cut down on your food bills, check for vouchers and promotions featured in supermarkets’ in-store magazines. You can even save money on your morning coffee by investing in a reusable cup. Pret now offer a 50p discount meaning customers can get a filter coffee for just 49p if they use one.
Stack the discounts:
Some of the best deals are found by trial and error, whether stacking codes to make extra savings or seeing if a code for a specific product works on other items from the same retailer. Try this method for working out cheaper holidays during term time for example. Instead of opting for a package deal, try and piece together your own deal purchasing hotels, flights and hire cars separately to see if it works out cheaper.
-ENDS-
About hotukdeals:
hotukdeals is the UK’s biggest deal-sharing community where over 1.9 million users find, rate and share the best deals from on and off the high street every day. Members use the temperature gauge to vote on deals so other users know that the hotter the deal, the stronger the offer. hotukdeals is a founding member of the Pepper.com Group, the world's largest shopping community which operates in Germany, Brazil, France, India, Mexico, the Netherlands, Austria, Poland, Russia and Spain. Each month 25 million consumers use the twelve Pepper platforms to discuss current offers and make 12,000 purchase decisions per minute.
]]>hotukdeals reveals its top tips for helping consumers save money this Christmas.
Five tips to save for Christmas
With just two weeks to go until the big day we have top tips and expert advice from the UK’s biggest deal sharing community, hotukdeals, to help shoppers make the right purchasing decisions and save money this Christmas.
Don’t overbuy
Shoppers should only worry about overeating at Christmas and not overspending. Before the holidays, grocery stores have plenty of deals on food to get ready for the big meal. Along with vouchers, try to only buy food you need - which will also help to reduce waste, and check and compare grocery costs online to see which places have the best deals for what you need. If you’re having a big get together suggest family and friends bring a dish each to share the load.
Avoid hidden fees
Always factor in hidden costs and delivery fees when shopping online and compare the final prices once delivery has been added before buying. Don’t forget to check the returns policy and make sure any products will arrive in time for Christmas to avoid having to purchase extra gifts to make up for late arrivals.
Research 0% credit cards
If you can avoid purchasing gifts on a credit card, that would be the optimal choice. If not, try to use a card that has little to no interest and money back, so you don’t find yourself with a hefty credit card bill in the New Year. Many credit card providers also offer rewards such as vouchers or air miles to save money for other expenses, but be sure you have a plan in place to repay the final bill and never borrow money you may be unable to pay back.
Make a list, check it twice
Make a list and if you see something you like, make a note of it but don’t make a purchase straight away incase it’s cheaper elsewhere. Use the free hotukdeals app, the perfect shopping companion, allowing you to check deals (twice if you fancy) and set alerts to find the best price available for items on your list.
Plan ahead
January is the perfect time to not only start shopping for Christmas decorations and wrapping for the following year, but also for gifts for birthdays and other celebrations throughout the year thanks to sales that happen in January.
-ENDS-
About hotukdeals:
hotukdeals is the UK’s biggest deal-sharing community where over 2 million users find, rate and share the best deals from on and off the high street every day. Members use the temperature gauge to vote on deals so other users know that the hotter the deal, the stronger the offer. hotukdeals is a founding member of the Pepper.com Group, the world's largest shopping community which operates in Germany, Brazil, France, India, Mexico, the Netherlands, Austria, Poland, Russia and Spain. Each month 25 million consumers use the twelve Pepper platforms to discuss current offers and make 12,000 purchase decisions per minute.
]]>Research from hotukdeals reveals areas where consumers are looking to save money and how often they're searching for deals. With a third of Brits (34%) waiting patiently to buy products they have had their eye on in the Black Friday sales hotukdeals highlights trends and tips from its community to help others shop smart during the huge sales event.
Two thirds of Brits search for bargains every week, as a quarter say Brexit has got us watching the pennies
New research released today reveals that nearly two thirds (61%) of Brits are looking for discounts and deals at least once a week - with one in ten admitting to bargain hunting each and every day, as money gets tighter thanks to Brexit worries.
With Black Friday sales due to start next week, research from hotukdeals, the UK’s biggest deal-sharing community, found that 62% of Brits would be searching for Black Friday offers. And as sales start earlier each year, on average, shoppers are planning to spend from the 26th November, three days before the main event.
But the confusion on Brexit, including the upcoming General Election, has got shoppers nervous to reach for their wallets, with over half of Brits (57%) admitting the worries have affected their spending habits, with the biggest areas for belt- tightening being eating out (39%); furniture (38%); fashion (36%); electronics (35%); beauty (32%).
One in five (20%) also commented that they have noticed products are more expensive whilst 25% are paying more attention to what they’re spending.
It’s no surprise then that a huge 85% of UK shoppers said they look for deals online, with nearly half (41%) spending up to 30 minutes each day searching for discounts both in store and on the web.
And a third of Brits (34%) have been waiting patiently to buy products they have had their eye on in the Black Friday sales, as another 30% admit they have regretted missing out on great Black Friday deals before.
On average shoppers will be spending £158 with nearly half (47%) looking for electronics deals, followed by fashion (31%), toys (24%) and gaming (23%).
However, when asked if they believed that Black Friday deals were as good as they seemed, 85% said that some deals may look better than they actually are, with 20% saying they felt pressured to buying Black Friday items and a quarter of people (25%) admitting to buying an item they didn't need. It's no surprise then that many shoppers seek out expert advice before they buy to make sure they are getting the best deals.
Dan Plant, Head of Content and Community at hotukdeals, commented: “Black Friday can be a tricky time to navigate with thousands of deals and discounts from hundreds of retailers. Shoppers can use hotukdeals to tap into the tips and expert advice from our nearly 2 million strong community to help make the smartest purchasing decisions - whether that is buying or NOT buying - and find the products they love without falling into any Black Friday shopping traps.”
In preparation for Black Friday, hotukdeals has put together top tips for shopping smart from their near 2 million community members who know how to find the best deal:
1. Get the hotukdeals app
With some deals only available for a limited time, the free hotukdeals app enables users to set keyword alerts, such as Xbox, TV, LEGO or fashion, to receive notifications for new items instantly. The app helps users navigate the huge amount of offers available wherever they are, with the community voting hot or cold on deals to show others that the hotter the deal, the stronger the offer.
2. Sign up and save
With deals starting at varying times across Black Friday, hotukdeals members recommend that shoppers sign up to newsletters and emails from their favourite retailers to gain early access to discounts and VIP slots. The trick is to be ready as early as possible to avoid missing out.
3. Do your research
Regardless of whether it’s Black Friday or not always check the item’s value for money. Members of hotukdeals advise doing some research before purchasing and checking the price history of a product. Experienced Black Friday shoppers warn others to beware of exaggerated discounts and check reviews to make sure you’re getting a worthwhile deal on a quality product.
4. Stack discounts
During Black Friday, savvy shoppers on hotukdeals check for discount codes to add alongside a deal to stack for extra savings. They also look for ‘deal extras’ on items that retailers are price matching on. Extended warranty, free delivery or bundled music subscriptions are also extras worth looking out for.
5. Keep payment details updated
With items going out of stock quickly, shoppers can add products they plan on buying to their online basket in advance. To further speed up the check-out process, shoppers should check their saved payment details and delivery address are up to date, in case items sell out.
6. Use multiple devices
Members of hotukdeals recommend using multiple devices on Black Friday in case there is a virtual queue. For consumers with just one device, use multiple tabs to browse, so you’re ready to shop as deals go live at each retailer.
hotukdeals users can vote hot or cold on deals, alerting others that the hotter the deal, the stronger the offer. Hot or cold votes are based on factors such as price, quality of the product and retailer. The hotukdeals app is free to download on iOS and Android.
-ENDS-
Notes to Editors:
Research conducted by Censuswide with 2001 UK residents in November 2019.
Hotukdeals user case studies and comment available upon request.
Dan Plant, Head of Content and Community at hotukdeals, is an experienced spokesperson and commentator who champions real consumers and their rights, including getting the best deal. Following senior positions at MoneySavingExpert, MoneySupermarket and Barclaycard, Dan’s new role at hotukdeals sees him working closely with the community of nearly 2 million consumers who share deals, vouchers and tips to help others shop smarter. Topics Dan can talk on include pricing trends, money saving tips, consumer rights, how to spot shopping scams and the power of shopping communities.
About hotukdeals:
hotukdeals is the UK’s biggest deal-sharing community where over 1.9 million users find, rate and share the best deals from on and off the high street every day. Members use the temperature gauge to vote on deals so other users know that the hotter the deal, the stronger the offer. hotukdeals is a founding member of the Pepper.com Group, the world's largest shopping community which operates in Germany, Brazil, France, India, Mexico, the Netherlands, Austria, Poland, Russia and Spain. Each month 25 million consumers use the twelve Pepper platforms to discuss current offers and make 12,000 purchase decisions per minute.
]]>