Romanians pay 3m euros for discount coupons in just three months

Autor: Anca Barbulescu 17.04.2011

Since the start of 2011, Romanians have spent 3m euros on websites selling discount coupons, reads BUSINESS Magazin in this week's edition.

The arrival in Romania, late last year, of Groupon, the world's biggest company selling discount coupons, further whetted consumers' appetite for such offers.

In brief, the crisis, the falling incomes and people's desire to save for even harsher times led to the emergence of a new market, which boasted speedy growth right from the beginning and gave many small businesses the hope there stand chances of returning to the receipts and clients they once had.

Romanians spent almost 3m euros on such websites that sell discount coupons in the first three months of the year. In March alone, earmarked sums reached 1.13m euros, up 62.9% from the previous month, when they stood at 0.71m euros, according to a survey carried out by Byte Flux, a web and software development agency.

At this pace, the market should end 2011 at a value of at least 12m euros, but an estimate of 15m euros seems more plausible, as Easter and Christmas periods traditionally bring rising turnovers for retailers, and discount coupons are already used as presents.