One of the main reasons ecommerce is threatening to render physical shopping and services obsolete is because there are so many offers and deals online. If land-based shops and businesses want to compete with online business, they also need to give away freebies and discounts wherever possible.
Many of the 30 million people who visit London every year are now conditioned to expect offers and promotions, thanks to bustling industries online such as casinos where they are abundant. Do London businesses do enough to appeal to these people?
Industries Like the Online Casino Sector Have Conditioned People to Expect Promotions
As online industries have become more saturated over the years, one of the main strategies for attracting customers has been through welcome bonuses. These are most prevalent in the online casino industry where casino offers for new customers range from free spins to deposit matches. Players have come to expect these now, to such an extent that if the site doesn’t have an offer, they will look somewhere else.
In other offshoots of the entertainment industry, there are similar promotions that benefit customers who know where to look. Streaming services like Netflix, Amazon Prime, and HBO Max all offer a free trial period. The same can be said for Spotify. Many games in the App Store allow people to download and start playing for free, and then they have the option to pay more for an enhanced service if they wish. London businesses, therefore, need to be aware that many of their customers expect welcome offers.
Entertainment in London is Often Discounted
Luckily, for people who know where to look, there are plenty of ways to get entertainment in London on the cheap. Time Out Originals performances are often available for around £10. These are live events like A Night At the Opera, and they take place at St Martin-in-the-Fields in Charing Cross.
There are also some 50 per cent discounts on comedy nights. For instance, in May 2022, people in search of a laugh could book tickets to see Ed Byrne and Nina Conti at Union Chapel in Islington for a mere £10. There were also cut-price tickets on offer for the Sony World Photography Award Exhibition and the Tomb Raider: The LIVE Experience.
There are Plenty of Restaurant Deals if You Know Where to Look
For restaurants to survive in big cities like London, they need to have offers that draw in eaters. These normally come in the form of discounts, free sides, or allowing one or two members of a party to eat for free. At the time of writing, you can get 22 per cent off the bottomless brunch at Roka in Aldwych. There’s also a 50 per cent discount on a three-course meal at St Pancras Brasserie & Champagne Bar by Searcys in Kings Cross.
It seems that many businesses in London know they need to have attractive offers and promotions in the modern age. Internet users are conditioned to expect them and, if they can’t take advantage of a freebie, they may look elsewhere.