Discount Shopping is the Hottest Voluntary Employee Benefit

How do I convince you that discount shopping will be a valued employee benefit? Black Friday 11/25/11 showed a 7% increase in both online and offline consumer shopping even during a recession and unemployment over 9%.

People want deals and to save money. Its called Discount Shopping.

But can an employer “cost justify” offering Discount Shopping as a voluntary employee benefit. Wouldn’t that be distracting and disruptive to employee’s productivity?

To Look at a Disruptive Solution?

A Disruptive force in social innovation might mean that you consider new Employee benefits and productivity enhancers that might at first glance appear to be “counter intuitive”. After all, many employers are currently restricting and limiting the use of Social Media by its’ employees. Many employers feel that Social Media is distracting and a “time waster” for employees.

However, a counter intuitive and disruptive solution might be to let employees use Social Media to be more efficient in time consuming activities so they can spend more time on business. Social Media incorporates the latest technology and communications. Social media might involve emailing, texting, and using Twitter, FaceBook, LinkedIn, and other online communities.

Discount Shopping is what has given www.Groupon.com a market valuation of $17 billion in less than four years. Over 143+ million employees everyday receive a special discount offer from Groupon via email or online. And only 20% of these 143 million employees have ever purchased a Groupon discount offer and only about 10% have purchased multiple discount offers. So there is a lot of room for growth.
Netscape founder Marc Andreessen stated in the in the Wall Street Journal 9/2011, “Companies like Groupon would eat the retail marketing industry…We are in the middle of a dramatic and broad technological and economic shift in which software companies are poised to take over large swathes of the economy."
Besides Groupon, some of the largest sites are www.LivingSocial.com , www.Amazon.com , www.eBay.com , www.FaceBook.com , www.Google.com , etc. are all offering online discounts and deals.
A Disruptive Innovation is needed. According to Michelle Conlin of the Associated Press on Oct. 21, 2011:”The online deal space was getting jammed with competitors, like Living Social, Amazon.com and Google. They are among the many copycats who are attempting to do what Groupon does. Big merchants like Nordstrom and Ann Taylor also are running their own daily deals online.
At the same time competition is building, consumers are questioning the quality of Groupon's offerings. Those who are disgruntled with Groupon often broadcast it on Yelp, the user review website that rates merchants. There's even something called the "Yelp Effect," named for the way angry customers drive down the merchants' Yelp ratings.”
Is there a need for an Employee Benefit for Discount Shopping?

What employer would not want to facilitate and offer its employees a Social Media solution to Discount Shopping? Shopping systems can be provided at no or little cost to the employer. And there is usually no need for payroll deduction, onsite group meetings, one-on-one enrollments, and no need for “selling”.

Don’t believe that a typical employee cannot save tens or even hundreds of dollars each month? www.trilegiant.com has a free online calculator that will let anyone estimate their savings from discount shopping: http://www.greatfunsite.com/content/calculator.html


Where can I find a quality, stable Provider of Discount Shopping?

We know that some of the top consultants and brokers have been quietly offering an Employee Benefit of Discount Shopping. The world’s largest brokerage firm Marsh and their National Practice Leader Rob Shestack has been promoting an online tool for employees of Fortune 100 employers to shop and get heavily discounted deals.

We recommend that an employer contact his consultant or broker and do their own research.

Consulting firms like www.hrconsultinggroup.com have offered solutions on their website for Employers to explore for discounted Shopping. Most of the major benefits providers are using the same merchant networks and systems.

As a result, the major benefits providers like www.newbenefits.com, www.affinion.com, www.ebsbenefits.com, www.wellsfargoinsurance.com , www.trilegiant.com etc. all have over 30 million employees covered with an Employee benefit for Discount Shopping.

Summary- Using a Disruptive solution like Discount Shopping makes sense.

About HRCG-
HRCG is providing help to employers, administrators, and insurance professionals on HR and Benefits issues. Their partners have been in business over 25 years and deliver cost effective solutions for plan design, documents, and software.
Contact: Rob J Thurston, President HRCG
www.hrconsultinggroup.com

(888) 438 9445
hrcg@relia.net

Rob J. Thurston, President of the HR Consulting Group, has been a national speaker and noted author on HR consulting and systems development since 1981. He has implemented and designed some of the largest selling employee benefits software systems nationwide while part of an international brokerage firm, a national administration firm and while as a consultant. Currently, he is working on the development of several advanced technology systems for both HR and for employee benefits.
He has available at no cost or obligation a comprehensive listing of software and consulting firms providing Social Media technology systems for Discount Shopping, communication and administration. Please request this list by contacting Mr. Thurston.