With the current economic crisis still in full swing despite President Obama’s induciton and promoise of a stimulus package for the US economy, people around the US (and around the world) are continuing to tighten their belts fiscally.

Despite their reluctance to spend, consumers are still increasingly turning online to find the best possible “bargain” or “hot” deals. One advantage of the online/digital space is that consumers are easily able to shop around and compare prices. This has let to a whole new industry of websites that focus on delivering the best possible deals as often as possible. Initially the wave was started by price comparison websites, and while they’re still the core traffic drivers, there is now a raft of websites which themselves promote exclusive or “time limited” deal offerings. Consumers, in their hunger to grab the best possible price, are signing up en-masse to these sites, often just to wait for the “once in a blue moon” deal that they can’t resist.

For traditional stores this is an increasing threat to their market share, as they are simply not able to compete with this “on-demand” model, where consumers do not leave their desks to get a great price.