Metro Pets

The Deal Is On – Social Buying For Pet Lovers

By Sharon Gomes Thomas

I’m a big fan of Groupon (www.groupon.com), the site that offers huge daily discounts on everything from restaurants to clothes, just as long as there are a bunch of other people who subscribe to the same deals that I am hankering for, and we hit the seller’s target number. Considering the popularity of Groupon, it’s a guarantee that I will get the discount I sign up for. Last week, there was an offer on the NYC site for a doggie daycare/spa that was 50% off. A great deal that I immediately bought!

For pet owners, it’s a no-brainer to sign up for a similar social buying site called BarkingDeals.com (wwwbarkingdeals.com). Working very much like Groupon, this social buying program invites pet lovers to save up to 50% to 90% percent each day on their favorite pet products. And you can also post photos of your dog to share with other pet owners.

At the moment it doesn’t have the multiple products or services of other social buying sites, but it does offer one amazing “Pet Product Deal” each day.

Better than some other social buying sites, you get your deal immediately. There is no wait for a tipping point and Standard Shipping is free! On my last visit to the site, venison dog treats were 50% off. You can link to it through to your Facebook page, so that makes getting info on the deal of the day a breeze.

Another site that just launched and also offering coupon discounts is Drop Down Deals (http://www.dropdowndeals.com).This is a site with a lot of discounts for various products including for pets. When I clicked on the Pet section recently, there was a $10 coupon off for the major chain Petco, as well as a 15% discount for the Only Natural Pet Store.

So why pay full retail, even for Fido, when you can get a deal!