The Dollar Lunch Day will take place on July 13. LivingSocial members with Apple and Android devices can log-in to the Instant Deals feature of the mobile app to buy and redeem deals nearby.

“LivingSocial Instant Deals are real-time, mobile offerings available via the LivingSocial iPhone/Android app, mobile Web and online,” said Maire Griffin, communications director at LivingSocial.

“Instant Deals offers solutions to both members and merchants by allowing members to find deals near their location and providing merchants with more control of how many consumers come through their doors at specific time,” she said. “The number of redeemable deals on any given day, and in any given time period, can be closely monitored and managed.

“With Instant, merchants can press the ‘pause button’ at any time and can also switch the deal ‘on’ based on their capacity.”

LivingSocial offers handpicked daily deals that consumers can share with friends. Members enjoy at least 50 percent off on the coolest, local experiences.

$1 lunch anyone?
Merchants throughout San Francisco will offer up $1 lunch items on July 13 through Instant Deals for one day only in celebration of the launch.

Each Instant Deals merchant will be armed with a tablet device to make the redemption process easier for consumers.

Local merchants can use Instant Deals to optimize traffic through their doors with these spontaneous offers.

Additionally, unlike LivingSocial Daily Deals, which are live for 24 hours, Instant Deals are live for a shorter period of time.

“With the great success of LivingSocial Instant Deals in both Washington D.C. and New York City, bringing Instant Deals to the west coast was a priority,” Ms. Griffin said. “As a hub for technology, food and culture, San Francisco was the perfect choice. 

“As well, with LivingSocial’s abundance of great relationships with the best merchants in SF and the desire of locals to uncover the best gems in their neighborhoods, we knew LivingSocial Instant would help bring the two together in a meaningful way,” she said.   

“We’ve seen great surprise and delight from members in both Washington D.C. and New York during their respective Dollar Lunch Days. In D.C., we sold 27,000 vouchers in 14 square miles, and in New York we sold 15,000 in four square miles.” 

Mobile deals
In addition to launching its mobile application back in 2009, LivingSocial recently introduced Instant Deals in Washington.

The company saw that the Washington, DC Instant Deals program was so successful that it decided to roll it out in New York.

For its New York initiative, LivingSocial let consumers find immediate deals at restaurants and attractions within a half-mile radius.

The mobile initiative begins on June 8 and users can download the LivingSocial app to partake in the instant deals (see story). http://www.mobilecommercedaily.com/2011/06/08/livingsocial-takes-a-bite-out-of-mobile-via-new-lbs-deals-initiative

“Bay area diners can get their $1 lunch through the Instant Deals feature of the LivingSocial iPhone or Android app as well as on Instant Deals section of LivingSocial.com or the mobile Web,” Ms. Griffin said. “When they open the app, members can view and purchase from the list of Instant Deals within a half mile of their location.

“Terms and restrictions will vary by merchant as will hours of operation, so we encourage members to read these details carefully before purchasing,” she said. To help share the news about the great deal, we suggest people in San Francisco keep their eyes to the sky on Wednesday.

“LivingSocial is looking forward to launching Instant Deals in our domestic markets and internationally. We are poised to introduce Instant Deals in roughly 30 new markets by the end of 2011.”