Fisher Communications may have cut the cord on the 300,000 square foot Fisher Plaza office and data center in exchange for $160 million from Houston-based Hines Global, but the company has just cut the red ribbon on virtually unlimited shelf space by opening up a new marketing center online. SeattleNow is the name of new daily deals site that features online shopping discounts from local merchants as well as national retailers and a bevy of travel deals. The special offers can be nabbed on its Website, SeattleNow.com, and via Twitter by following @TheSeattleNow.
Powering the travel section and a portion of merchandise sales is eDeals which compares rate sand fares from numerous travel sites including Hotwire, Expedia.com, travelocity, CheapTickets, Orbitz and Priceline.
Amazon.com, a neighbor in South Lake Union, also appears to be a ground floor tenant for the cyber-offerings. This week’s “Holiday Flurry Deals Week” is the follow up to the most successful Black Friday and CyberMonday in the giant e-tailers history.
Seattle retail technology and marketing company, Mercent, published its quarterly Mercent Retail eCommerce Performance Index(TM) showing online spending was up 29% on Cyber Monday, making it the strongest online spending day to date in 2011. Mercent previously reported U.S. retail e-commerce sales for Black Friday (November 25) spiked 23% relative to the same period in 2010. “We predicted a strong Cyber Monday following industry record high weekend retail sales, and final figures from Mercent’s eCommerce Performance Index came in as forecasted,” stated Eric Best, CEO of retail technology provider Mercent.
Amidst the bullish e-sales outlook, daily discount industry leader Groupon has fallen from its pedestal, while competitors like SeattleNow have multiplied. Groupon shares have slumped by almost 40 per cent from their peak. Since Groupon sold its first deal – a coupon for two-for-one pizzas at the restaurant below its Chicago offices – more than 30 million people have now bought one of its coupons, 16 million more than once.
Zulily, a Seattle-born daily deals site for mothers and babies, has reportedly set its sights on central Ohio for a new distribution outpost. The Columbus Morning Call reports Zulily has been offered a 60 percent Ohio tax credit if the company locates in the state for 14 years. Reports are that Zulily could be bringing 580 jobs to Ohio. [24×7]
