The New Coupon Site in Town

By Sean Stillmaker in News on Sep 5, 2010 3:00PM

It’s almost where you need a pry bar to open a wallet during the dog days of the Great Recession. So coupon sites have been sprouting across the country trying to give consumers incentives to do what we now do best in this country.

Print Me Coupon is a South Loop based outlet that specializes in local small businesses. Gwen Bauer started the company about a year ago targeting the 20-30 year old urban dwellers. “People should find businesses in their neighborhood,” Bauer told the Chicago Journal.

The most popular coupon has been Ichiban Sushi on Taylor Street which offered all you can eat sushi for $9.95. Print Me Coupon maintains a competitive advantage because of its affordability. There are four monthly plans based on number of locations. If you have 1-2 locations the business pays $20 a month for the service.

This is in steep contrast to the Chicago-based heavyweight Groupon, which takes in 50 percent of the revenue generated. The site gets so many hits and coupons out that it can be counter productive for some small businesses. Recently the company was responsible for a $65,000 loss for Chicago Bagel Authority, the Tribune reported.