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Mar 13, 2009 9:50 pm US/Central
Locally Run Website Helps Consumers Find Deals
PLANO (CBS 11 / TXA 21) ―
A North Texas company is helping consumers save up to 80 percent on electronics, clothing, jewelry and even travel.
Jennifer Henry is a regular visitor to
DealTaker.com. It's a website, based in Plano, that works with more than 1,600 merchants nationwide to offer exclusive specials.
For Henry, trips to the mall are pretty much out of the question. "Trying to take a 3-year-old to the mall is just a nightmare," she said. So, she does most of her shopping online with the help of
DealTaker.com.
Henry recently saved nearly 50 percent on a Battleship game for her son and another 60 percent on jeans for herself. "Big savings is the biggest things, she said. "Just this week I ordered some reef sandals and it was 70 percent off."
DealTaker.com president Kevin Strawbridge said the website has more than two dozen categories for everything from automotive to travel. "The retailers need to get people into their online stores and the consumers need to find good deals, because everyone in stretching their dollar a little bit further these days," he said.
Strawbridge said that the Nintendo Wii is still hot right now, and the website has several offers. He also said that travel deals are big right now. "What we're seeing right now are a lot of really good offers on cruises," he said. "I saw an offer yesterday, a three day cruise in Mexico for $179. It's a great way to get away."
Vendor coordinator Lacy Webb works with vendors to get the best deals out to website users. "Sears was actually reaching out to us with some great deals. They actually communicate with us, as do a lot of our vendors," she said.
If you register on the website, you can sign up for daily or even hourly updates on the hottest deals. And president Kevin Strawbridge said, you can spread the word to other members. "Not only can you find a great deal and make a purchase, but you can share that with other people that need to find those deals as well," he said. "And then ultimately, people start working together to find the best deals and everybody wins."
There are more than 180,000 members sharing information. Content manager Dylan Biles monitors the feedback. "You can see a lot more activity. A lot more people talking back to us," he said.
Jennifer Henry shared her savings with friends, and now she checks the site every day for what's hot. "With today's economy and times being tough," she said, "I'm always looking for a great deal. My mom told me to never pay full price."
(© MMIX, CBS Broadcasting Inc. All Rights Reserved.)
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