602 - Bargaining Community share their top tips on summer holiday deals

**SPEAKER_1** (0:01)
Welcome to Modern Mindset, the show that picks the brains of the world's leading minds to help you unlock yours. Decoding the beliefs and strategies of global experts to give you an updated mindset to make the most of modern life.

**Rory McGowan** (0:20)
This is Modern Mindset, the show that picks the brains of the world's leading minds to help you unlock yours.
My name is Rory McGowan, and today I'm sitting down with a representative from the UK's largest community-based deal sharing platform to talk about how you manage a community of bargain hunters and to share some of his best tips for finding summer holiday deals if you have not got your summer holidays planned already. I'm joined by Ben Smye, the head of marketing at Hot UK Deals. Ben, it's lovely to have you on.

**Ben Smye** (0:52)
Likewise. Thanks, Rory.

**Rory McGowan** (0:54)
So, yeah, a lot of people, if they haven't planned their summer holidays already, you will be kind of scrambling, looking for potential new deals. And you guys have got some new research in terms of what people are looking for and how people are looking for these deals. Can you talk me a little bit through that to kind of set the stage for our conversation?

**Ben Smye** (1:14)
Sure. Well, first of all, we wanted to ask people basically what are their plans and how are they thinking about summer holidays this year? And 20% of people came back and said, they're not even planning a holiday this year due to the rising cost of living. So that was the first sort of flash point, which shows that, you know, Brits are struggling a little bit with the cost of living. And I think this year it's really been impacted, especially by rising oil prices and the conflict in Iran. That's definitely affected things. And people are slightly like less likely to go abroad or, yeah, looking more to stay at home this year. So that's the biggest piece of research we have. Secondly, I'd add to that, like, what we see in our platform, we can basically see what people are searching for, what kind of deals they are interested in. And the evidence does point to the same conclusion that people are looking slightly more for staycation deals this year.
And things like flights and expensive holidays abroad are slightly less popular than they have been in previous years.

**Rory McGowan** (2:11)
Wow, that is depressing that it's now up to about 20% who are saying that the cost of living has pushed them out of affording a holiday like this at all. That's for both staycation and abroad, right? We're not just talking about abroad holidays. That's holidays full stop.

**Ben Smye** (2:28)
Yeah, exactly. That's any holiday. So even going on a camping trip to like one hour from where they live, that is also off the cards for 20% of people.

**Rory McGowan** (2:37)
I mean, when you hear statistics like that, Ben, what's your initial reaction then? As somebody who helps to run a platform of people who are looking for these bargains, how does it make you feel and what's your reaction to learning that so many people, it doesn't matter what the deal is, they've already said, no, we can't afford it.

**Ben Smye** (3:00)
Yeah. I mean, I think it's just a clear reflection on the struggles that people are facing. And basically the economy, although at the surface, it's not looking that bad right now. Obviously, when it comes to day to day and the average person, they are still struggling. Like I say, it is sad in a way. Of course, everyone, I think, should have the opportunity to be able to go on holiday and take some time off. I mean, day to day life is tough, and yeah, that's a real worry.
But the only, let's say that maybe the one positive, especially this year, is people might start discovering what's on their doorstep a bit more. So, I think a lot of people, when it comes to holiday, they always think, right, where can we fly away? Where can we get abroad, get out of the UK? Whereas, maybe this year, people will be thinking, okay, let's see what's on our doorstep. I think that's something that people don't do enough, is really explore their local areas. And we're always more keen to go and try somewhere new, but why not have a look at what's around your own corners? I mean, I think that's the, let's say, the only upside or benefit from potentially higher prices across the board.

**Rory McGowan** (4:08)
Yes, we have seen staycations kind of pick up in recent years.