About TheSimpleSaver
 

TheSimpleSaver.com was set up by Beverley and Christine, two working mothers in November 2001.  An original exchange of emails telling each other about the latest shopping bargains turned itself into a web site where both they - and their friends - could easily publish and exchange snippets of shopping intelligence.

"What started as a simple idea has turned into a business" says Beverley (pictured on the right).  "We still try to stay true to the original thought for the site - brilliant offers and deals, presented in a simple categorised format."

"It seems incredible that thousands of people log onto the site each day" admits Christine (pictured left).  "And more amazing than that is that the growth shows no signs of slowing."  (Monthly average now 50,000 - 2004)

Both Beverley and Christine still find time to look after their children themselves. "I wouldn't want to run a business that meant I was unable to take the kids to school and get baffled by their homework with them in the evening" says Beverley.

Not a macho dot-com

Christine thinks that some of the success of TheSimpleSaver might come from the female influence. "We do now have one man on the staff full time, but everyone else working on the site is female.  I suspect that our business is a little less macho and more co-operative than some of the 'dot-coms' that set up a couple of years ago". Beverley and Christine make a point of replying personally to every email they receive.  "Sometimes that means staying up a bit later than you'd like, but we think TheSimpleSaver works because we care about it and want to help the people who use it" says Christine.

The site is now being approached by major brands. "Simple Savers are shoppers so compelling and relevant offers will always be effective - it suits our users and it suits the brands.  We now get calls and emails asking us what promotions we think will work for a brand.  That's a buzz" says Beverley.  Recent initiatives have included  Boden, The Cotswold Company and The Great Little Trading Company.

What next?

So what's happening next?  Christine is very clear about the plans for the future. "In 2003 we launched of our new interior design website www.designoffers.co.uk giving information on offers and exciting finds for people who are refurbishing and furnishing their homes.  We have also just completed work on a book about bargain shopping and, of course, TheSimpleSaver is going from strength to strength."

Whatever happened to Fran & Amanda?

These are names Beverley and Christine used when they first started the site in 2001 and had online cartoon characters who 'ran' the site.  Now that the site has evolved they're no longer around although, rest assured, they're enjoying a happy retirement!