LiveDeal, a restaurant-oriented instant deals engine, is entering into mcommerce by selling household items and other consumer goods, underscoring the ongoing potency of instant deals on mobile.

The internal mcommerce site, which is mobile-optimized, offers customers the ability to scroll and view the latest flash deals for various products, with household items such as cooking utensils consisting of most of the inventory. The platform features rapid checkout capability and a streamlined flow of items to drive revenue for the company, which is still offering its local restaurant deals.

“Many consumers love the ‘thrill of the deal’ and the new LiveDeal ecommerce site will appeal to this demographic,” said David Naumann, director of marketing, Boston Retail Partners, Boston, MA.

“Customizing offers to consumers’ preferences will be key to the success of this deal site. If the instant offers pushed to consumers’ mobile devices are targeted and relevant to individual’s preferences, consumers will respond positively with purchases. However, if too many of the special offers aren’t relevant or appealing, many consumers will opt-out or unsubscribe to the service.”

Value-oriented items
LiveDeal now has two tabs that consumers can flip between. One is the customary restaurant tab, which offers users coupons or deal codes for free menu items or discounts off the final bill.

Each deal comes with expiration.

LiveDeal will also be featuring products that are manufactured in-house to provide a cohesive branded experience. Items will be sorted based on consumer demand, and the site will adjust offerings periodically to reflect data collected from LiveDeal’s proprietary software.

The streamlined checkout process and easy scrolling will augment the consumer shopping process, and also allow for quicker shipping.

As all of the deals on LiveDeal are last-minute with limited usage times, customers can still expect to see deep discounts.

“We believe that the optimal customer experience is created by offering the products your consumer wants in a way that caters to their needs and personality – a streamlined shopping experience that allows easy browsing and checkout, turning one-time buyers into repeat customers,” said Len Stavish, chief operating officer, CARiD.com, Cranbury, NJ.

“LiveDeal has created a platform that is both relevant and personalized to their customers and if they continue in this way, their ecommerce site should succeed.”

Brand marketing
Brands or restaurants that choose to integrate with LiveDeal’s platform may have an optimal way of catching the eye of target demographics. Showcasing products or meals on the site or LiveDeal’s mobile application is also a smart strategy for getting rid of excess inventory or driving restaurant traffic at off-peak times.

“Successful brand marketing is not about getting your product in front of everyone, it’s about getting the attention of people that your product is created for,” Mr. Stavish said. “For us, it’s car enthusiasts; for LiveDeal it’s value and deal seekers.

“The ability to accurately target your intended consumer and show knowledge of what they are looking for is crucial. Because of the services that LiveDeal offers, they have created a unique platform that brand marketers may see as the perfect targeted customer base that will appreciate their products, making the site attractive to brands.”

Ultimately, smaller restaurants or home-cooking brands seeking to ramp up awareness of their items may be well off to consider showcasing these goods on LiveDeal’s app or site.

“The new LiveDeal ecommerce site is a perfect fit for retailers that have excess inventory they want to move at a discounted rate,” Mr. Naumann said.

“The geo-location based mobile marketing feature with ‘instant offers’ to nearby consumers will be a great opportunity for retailers to drive traffic to their store and inspire shoppers to make additional purchases while in their store.”

Final Take
Alex Samuely is an editorial assistant on Mobile Marketer, New York