Top 10 Hyper-Specific Groupon Wannabes

The soon-to-go-public daily deal website, Groupon, has, in just a couple of years, transformed the way we save money on discretionary things from pizza to Pilates.

Following in Groupon’s footsteps—and hoping to snag some of the explosive daily deal market share—similar, but niche websites are cropping up. Like Groupon, they offer exclusive daily deals, but only in specific categories.

Here’s a top 10 list by type of shopper:

Pet-owners: BarkingDeals.com lets pet owners spoil their dogs and cats on the cheap, with deals of up to 90% on pet food and paraphernalia.

Gluten-free dieters: Those who need to stay away from gluten know that food products in this category can be very expensive. Gluten Free Deals offers lots of half off gluten-free snack and meal deals.

High-end furniture collectors: OneKingsLane.com specializes in designer décor, furniture, accessories and gifts for the big spender. Discounted prices still remain in the thousands of dollars but the pieces are very unique and highly-sought after by top interior decorators and furniture collectors.

Budget brides and grooms: Wedobo offers a daily deal from one local wedding vendor each day. So far it’s available for shoppers in about a dozen cities nationwide. The site’s currently being revitalized, so no deals are being shown at the moment. Previous deals include half off tango dance lessons and $39 for $79 stylish invitation templates.

Techies: Best Buy is even trying to get in on the daily deal market with its own website called Cowboom.com that features a new tech deal each day—including discounted iPhones and LCD monitors.

[Article: American Express Taking Daily Deals Upscale]

Wine lovers: Every 24 hours TheWineSpies.com offers a new bottle of fine wine at a lower price. Earlier this week the website was selling limited bottles of 2008 Dry Creek Valley Cabernet Franc for $29, about 24% off.

Small-business owners: BizyDeal.com is the Groupon for millions of small-business owners to purchase a wide array of products and services, travel, insurance and more—at a deep discount.

New parents: Raising a child is hardly inexpensive. BabySteals brings deals on baby and kid clothing and accessories, featuring hot brands like Babylegs, ERGObaby and Ju-Ju-Be.

Charitable givers: Philanthroper shares the story of a new 501(c)3 nonprofit every day and lets visitors donate $1.

The Adventurous: If you’re looking for off-the-beaten path excursions and interesting ways to exercise Zozi.com is a great destination for such deals. Past offers have included 16% off combo wine tasting and tango lessons and 51% off a samba boat cruise.

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