(In collaboration with Discoup) The coupon market is experiencing "double-digit growth worldwide, and Italy is no exception", says Andrea Boffo, founder and CEO of Tikato, which heads Discoup, the web portal specialising in the search and distribution of discount codes and offers online. During the height of the Covid-19 pandemic "the sector recorded a slight drop in margins in the United Kingdom and the United States" but "these markets are also growing again", continues Boffo, recalling that the coupon market "is at its best in the latter part of the year, supported by events such as Black Friday, Cyber Monday or Singles' Day. Among the sectors that are set to register "strong growth", the Tikato CEO identifies "travel, which has seen a great upturn in 2023", but also "online pharmacies, which are growing by 20%, direct single-brand e-commerce, which is growing by 15% a year, or new trends such as long-term rental, which is growing by 150%".
As for Discoup, which grew out of the Vicenza-based startup founded in 2013 by Davide Baù, Boffo and Alberto Reghelin, the CEO recalls that it drives "around 16 million users to online stores and generates 100 million euros in turnover for brand partners". In 2022 Discoup entered the Spanish market and is set to open in the UK and the US "by the end of 2023", assures Boffo. Hot topics for the industry include the impact of digital sales on physical shops. Baù, founder and President of Tikato, says he is convinced "that there is no difference between the digital and the physical customer" and that "users are always digital, because when they want a product they first look it up on their device". "At that point, they can either buy the product on an e-commerce platform or in a physical shop, if they are sure they will find it," he continues. "If the discount we offer on our site can be used both in e-commerce and in the physical shop, it is perhaps more convenient for the user to go to the physical shop," concludes Baù. Boffo points out that "we have already run tests with clothing shops and cinema chains and they have produced a great result". "Turnover in physical shops has increased sixfold compared to online sales," he says. For more information:
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