Go on, grab one of these great deals

Outdoor operators in Rotorua and Taupo are using websites such as GrabOne to grab the attention of savvy out-of-towners.

But locals are not being forgotten either, with many seizing the opportunity to try activities on their own doorstep for a fraction of the normal cost.

GrabOne, founded by Rotorua's Shane Bradley, offers daily deals in a range of categories, often at 50 per cent or more off the normal price. The deals most popular in the Rotorua/Taupo region are mainly tourist focussed such as outdoor activities, cafes and boating. This contrasts with the nationwide statistics, where retail tops the rankings and outdoors and boating don't even make the top five.

GrabOne business development manager Debbie Guptill said the popularity of deals with accommodation and tourism operators were bringing people to the region.

"Out-of-towners see a fantastic accommodation deal so they buy that and then look to make it a GrabOne weekend by buying other deals," she said. "They are only handing over bits of paper when they're here so feel like they had a fantastic weekend away and haven't spent a lot of money."

She said a lot of people from outside the region subscribed to the Rotorua/Taupo updates, which were particularly popular in Auckland, Waikato and Hawke's Bay.

Ms Guptill said it also gave locals the chance to see what the tourism fuss was all about.

"People treat themselves and do things they wouldn't otherwise do. A day out for a family can be quite expensive so it gives them the opportunity to experience different things," she said.

She said last week's deal at aMAZEme in Rotorua was a good example. The half price vouchers were snapped up by 586 people, according to the maze's owner Peer Jensen.

Mr Jensen said it was the third time his company had run a GrabOne deal and all had been successful.

"It gives us fantastic exposure to the greater North Island, we have people come from as far away as Wellington," he said. "It's dragging people into the town."

He said it had been a great way to reach markets that were hard to break into - their current deal had been sent to subscribers throughout Waikato and the Bay of Plenty.

"It means people have seen it, decided it's going to be quite fun to do and they are aware that we exist and that's what we are after."

Another popular deal in Rotorua last year was offered by the Fat Dog Cafe which sold 947 of their "two breakfasts and two coffees for $22" offer.

Cafe spokesman Simon Wright said he thought carefully before offering their first GrabOne deal, but the partnership had worked well and given their company a bit of extra exposure.

"It seems to be the way the world's going, there's a lot of people doing these sites," he said. "It's not just New Zealand but world-wide."

He said GrabOne voucher holders got the same service, same food and same portions as other customers.

"A lot of people seem to think that because it's cheap you get treated like a second class citizen," he said. "That's not the case."

Mr Wright said they would like to offer more deals in the future and were hoping to be involved with GrabOne's second birthday in July.

Ms Guptill said future deals were likely to include accommodation, as hotel owners entered the slower winter season, as well as an increase in deals at hotel restaurants. She said they will also continue to source great deals in retail and beauty.

GrabOne is not the only site offering great daily deals with Groupy, TreatMe, Groupon, 1-Day and Yazoom among the others.