In a Tough Economy, Can Smarter Spending also Support Small Businesses? Enter Steppr and Alternatives
Recent years have seen growing consumer interest in local, ethical, and independent businesses – but price still gets in the way. Even with good intentions, shoppers often default to cheaper, larger retailers. Meanwhile, small businesses face mounting marketing costs and increasing pressure from online giants.
With inflation continuing to squeeze household budgets, many people are looking for ways to save. This has fuelled the popularity of discount-driven platforms – offering variations of vouchers, coupons, cashback offers, and promo codes.
While legacy services like Vouchercloud, Wowcher, and Groupon dominate the space, they often focus on big-name brands and typically take a large cut of each sale. This older model can leave smaller businesses behind.
A Different Approach
New alternatives are emerging, including Steppr, launched in 2022, which took a different route – combining affordability for consumers with a zero-commission model for independents. It focuses on consumers buying vouchers for others as gifts, and uses a progressive loyalty mechanism where repeat purchases unlock bigger savings, such as:
- 1st voucher: 20% off
- 2nd voucher: 40% off
- 3rd voucher: 60% off
Most importantly, payments go straight to the businesses – Steppr takes no cut.
A Tool, Not Just a Marketplace
Steppr isn’t a traditional deals site or e-commerce platform. It functions more like a complete sales and marketing channel for smaller brands, offering promotion, loyalty incentives, and operational support – without setup fees or subscription charges.
That zero-commission structure matters. For small businesses with tight margins, keeping the full value of a sale can be the difference between growth and stagnation.
Steppr has already partnered with over 250 independent businesses and currently showcases around 50 campaigns – including vineyards like Chapel Down and Gusbourne through the Wine Garden of England – whose vouchers were featured in The Guardian’s 2024 gift guide - The best Christmas travel gifts.
Beyond Convenience
There’s a broader shift underway in how consumers and businesses think about value. Platforms like Steppr show that digital tools don’t have to prioritise scale or margin over impact. While it won’t solve every challenge small businesses face, it does offer a more equitable model – one that lets consumers save while helping independents thrive.
