Online coupon site RetailMeNot introduces iPhone app that allows mobile shoppers to save money when shopping online or in stores

Cindy Allen

June 14, 2012 (PRNewswire) – RetailMeNot.com (www.retailmenot.com), the largest online coupon site in the United States, today announced that it is releasing its first native app for iPhone users interested in saving money when using their mobile phone to shop online or while they are shopping within a brick-and-mortar retail store.

iPhone owners can download the app for free by visiting the App Store. For more information on RetailMeNot's mobile offering, including a brief instructional video, visit: (http://www.retailmenot.com/mobile/iphone).

"With over 17% of our total site traffic coming through handheld devices, our new iPhone app is significant for two reasons: First, it provides consumers with an enhanced savings experience when accessing RetailMeNot through our mobile channel, which continues to grow by 200% every month year-over-year; second, with millions of busy, on-the-go consumers increasingly using their mobile device to make an online or in-store purchase, now is the time to double down on our investment in developing better mobile technology," said Cotter Cunningham, CEO and founder of WhaleShark Media, Inc., the operator of RetailMeNot.com. "This first iPhone app is only our initial offering, and we plan on significant improvements and new features to come to support consumers interested in saving money while using mobile devices to shop online or within retail stores."

Features of the new iPhone app include:

Simple, easy-to-use interface with curated "Hot Deals" from popular stores that are updated daily and access via search to RetailMeNot's best online coupons from thousands of merchants
Patent-pending "drag and drop" functionality enabling consumers to quickly paste coupon codes into the checkout process when using their iPhone to shop at most online stores
More than 1,600 in-store mobile exclusives where consumers need to simply show cashiers the coupons on their iPhone
Ability to save coupons for later use
Predictive store search functionality enabling consumers to find coupons for their favorite retailer in only a few taps

"Our new RetailMeNot iPhone app is one of the best ways merchants can keep highly motivated customers ready to make a purchase within their retail stores as opposed to going online or somewhere else to close a sale," said John Faith, senior vice president, mobile, WhaleShark Media, Inc. "Smart mobile-coupon strategies give brick-and-mortar retailers a fighting chance to combat 'showrooming' by giving consumers a reason to stay in-store and buy."

As a part of today's news, RetailMeNot and Ipsos Research also released the following study on mobile usage, finding that:

More than half of U.S. adults have a smartphone (56%), and the majority of them (62%) currently download mobile apps.
Adults under 35 (71%) are more likely than those aged 35 to 54 (56%) and aged 55 and older (42%) to have smartphones.
Others who tend to be more likely to have smartphones include those with incomes over $50,000 (63%), those with children in the household (67%), those with college degrees (67%), and those working full time (66%).
Among smartphone users, adults under 35 (74%), college graduates (69%), and those with incomes over $50,000 (63%) are most likely to download mobile apps.
Over a third (34%) of adults use or have used a smartphone or tablet to shop or research a product or service they've considered buying, including a majority of adults under 35 (54%).
Parents (43%) and college graduates (41%) are also more likely to say that they've used a mobile device to help them shop.
The same proportion (34%) reports that they would be more inclined to make a purchase shopping in an actual store if they could find a good coupon for an item or service on their mobile device.
This is particularly true among younger adults (54%) and, to a lesser extent, parents (45%).
However, not all have done so, as just one in five respondents (20%) say that they have used a coupon they found online using their mobile phone/tablet when shopping in-store.
About a third (32%) of those aged under 35 say they have done so, compared with 19% of those aged 35 to 54, and one in 10 of those aged 55 and over.
About one in seven (15%) say that they have made an online purchase using their mobile device when in a physical store because they found a better price online.
26% of those aged under 35 say they have done so, compared with 15% of those aged 35 to 54, and just 6% of those aged 55 and over.

Survey Methodology:

These are some of the findings of an Ipsos poll conducted May 14–17, 2012. For the survey, national samples of 1,005 adults aged 18 and older from Ipsos' U.S. online panel were interviewed online. Weighting was then employed to balance demographics and ensure that the sample's composition reflects that of the U.S. adult population according to Census data and to provide results intended to approximate the sample universe. A survey with an unweighted probability sample of 1,005 and a 100% response rate would have an estimated margin of error of +/- 3.1 percentage points. All sample surveys and polls may be subject to other sources of error, including, but not limited to coverage error, and measurement error.

About RetailMeNot.com

RetailMeNot.com (www.retailmenot.com) is the leading consumer destination for collaborative online coupon, deal and promotional code hunting and sharing. Our mission is to help consumers save money and enjoy a hassle-free discount shopping experience. Since November 2006, our users have shared hundreds of thousands of deals and offers from retailers from across the globe. Online coupons are rated and ranked by users, ensuring that quality deals rise to the top and expired coupons drop down the list. RetailMeNot.com is operated by WhaleShark Media, Inc., the world's leading marketplace for online coupons and deals.

Make sure to "like" RetailMeNot.com on Facebook, follow the company via Twitter @retailmenot and add us on Google+.

About WhaleShark Media, Inc.

WhaleShark Media, Inc. (www.whalesharkmedia.com) is the world's leading marketplace for online coupons and deals. The company's websites enable consumers seeking to save money to find hundreds of thousands of offers from retailers across the globe. WhaleShark Media experiences more than 400 million consumer visits to its sites every year. The WhaleShark Media portfolio of coupon and deal websites includes www.RetailMeNot.com, the largest online coupon site in the United States; www.VoucherCodes.co.uk, the largest online coupon site in the United Kingdom; www.Deals.com in Germany; web.Bons-de-Reduction.com and www.Poulpeo.com in France; www.Deals2Buy.com; www.CouponSeven.com; and www.CouponShare.com. WhaleShark Media is a fast-growing, profitable company funded by venture capital firms Austin Ventures, Norwest Venture Partners, Adams Street Partners, Google Ventures, J.P. Morgan Asset Management, and Institutional Venture Partners (IVP).

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