GoPlaySave

What GoPlaySave does

GoPlaySave, legally Armstrong Marketing Inc, is a private coupon and mobile deals platform founded in 2004 by Ryan and Holly Armstrong and headquartered in the Raleigh-Durham-Chapel Hill ('Triangle') region of North Carolina. The company operates two core products: an annual physical coupon book containing tear-out discount certificates from local merchants, and a smartphone app (iOS and Android) launched in 2013 that mirrors the book digitally with location-based 'Near Me' merchant discovery, push notifications for new merchant additions, and multi-format redemption via show-to-redeem, barcode scan, QR code, or unique coupon code. The platform is architected around account sharing and multi-book management for households, with a backend supporting both consumer self-service purchases and a separate merchant/fundraiser admin portal.

The business is structured as a three-sided local marketplace. GoPlaySave serves three customer segments: (1) individual consumers and families seeking discounts on local dining, entertainment, and services; (2) schools, PTAs, sports teams, and non-profit organizations that resell coupon books as high-margin fundraising products through the company's direct-to-fundraiser distribution channel; and (3) local merchants (200+ participating businesses including national chains such as McDonald's, Zaxby's, Cinnabon, and Tropical Smoothie Cafe alongside local establishments) who pay for advertising placements, with reported 90% year-over-year merchant renewal and 100%-trackable advertising as the value proposition.

GoPlaySave monetizes primarily through one-time physical book sales via direct e-commerce and fundraiser wholesale channels, recurring annual mobile subscription sales (with bundle pricing available), and merchant advertising fees. Distribution is hybrid: direct-to-consumer via its website and mobile app stores, channel/reseller via the fundraiser partner network, and physical pickup at merchant locations. The company is family-owned (Armstrong family) with 1-10 employees, has no external institutional funding, no acquisitions, and no expansion beyond the Triangle market. Sponsorship relationships with brands such as Moe's Southwest Grill, Culver's, and Urban Air Adventure Park provide additional co-marketing reach.

Name

GoPlaySave

Legal name

Armstrong Marketing Inc

Website

https://goplaysavetriangle.com

Company type

Private

Founded year

2004

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

1–10 employees

Short description

GoPlaySave is a Triangle-area North Carolina company that publishes an annual physical coupon book and a mobile deals app, serving local consumers, school/non-profit fundraisers, and 200+ local merchants via merchant advertising and book/reseller sales.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Local coupon books and mobile savings

NAICS

Sporting Goods, Hobby, Musical Instrument, Book, and Miscellaneous Retailers (459)

SIC

Services-Amusement & Recreation Services (7900)

akta.pro primary industry

Toy Rentals & Subscription Boxes (CRALAFAK)

Keywords

• Local coupon books
• Mobile coupon app
• Fundraising programs
• Merchant advertising
• Community savings

Headquarters

HQ city

Apex

HQ country

United States

HQ region

North America

Offices1 record

Markets served

GTM type

B2B and B2C

Offering type

Services

Cost components

Operations, Marketing or Sales, Personnel, Technology or R&D, Infrastructure

Revenue model

1. Coupon Book Sales: Sale of physical and digital (mobile) coupon books to consumers; books contain discount certificates from local merchants; sold directly via website store and through fundraising partner networks
2. Fundraising Program: Non-profit and school groups sell coupon books as fundraising products with high profit margins; GoPlaySave provides books at wholesale prices for groups to resell
3. Merchant Advertising: Local businesses pay to advertise in the coupon book and mobile app; offers trackable customer acquisition; 90% of merchants return year-over-year

Pricing tiers

Go-to-market motion3 records

Distribution channels4 records

Marketing channels6 records

Core offering

GoPlaySave sells annual physical coupon books and a companion mobile app (iOS/Android) that give consumers access to discount offers from 200+ local and national-chain merchants in the North Carolina Triangle area. The company also operates a fundraising program enabling schools and nonprofits to resell coupon books as high-profit fundraisers, and sells trackable advertising placements to local merchants.

Product overview

GoPlaySave is a local coupon book and savings platform operated by Armstrong Marketing Inc, founded in 2004. The company offers two primary products: a physical coupon book (distributed annually) and a mobile app (launched in 2013) providing digital access to local merchant deals. The portfolio includes a fundraising program for non-profit organizations and a merchant advertising platform for local businesses. The Triangle 2026 edition represents the current physical book version.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Products and services

• GoPlaySave Physical Coupon Book Annual paper-based coupon book containing tear-out discount certificates and deals from 200+ local Triangle-area merchants; sold to individual consumers via the website store and distributed through school/nonprofit fundraising partners.

Quantifiable outcome

• 90% of merchants return year over year, demonstrating high advertising ROI
• +1 more outcomes

Named customers9 records

Segments3 records

Ideal customer profiles1 record

Technology focussed No

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Feature3 records

Partnerships

Seven partnerships are on record, tiered minor and core.

• Moe's Southwest GrillminorGTM or Marketing PartnerNational restaurant chain serving as a major sponsor of GoPlaySave Triangle; provides promotional support and visibility for the coupon program
• Culver'sminorGTM or Marketing PartnerRegional fast food chain (butter burgers and frozen custard) as a sponsor supporting the GoPlaySave program
• Ruckus Pizza, Pasta & SpiritsminorGTM or Marketing PartnerLocal Raleigh-area restaurant as a sponsor supporting the GoPlaySave coupon program
• Urban Air Adventure ParkminorGTM or Marketing PartnerTrampoline park chain as a sponsor providing promotional support for GoPlaySave Triangle
• Tropical Smoothie CafeminorGTM or Marketing PartnerSmoothie and cafe chain with multiple Triangle locations serving as a sponsor for the GoPlaySave program
• Fundraising Organizations (Schools & Non-profits)coreChannel Partner/ Reseller/ DistributorSchools, PTAs, sports teams, and non-profit organizations that sell coupon books as a fundraising product; critical distribution channel reaching families directly
• Local Merchants (200+ businesses)coreStrategic or Co-development PartnerRestaurants, entertainment venues, and service businesses that provide exclusive deals; 90% return rate indicates strong mutual value; merchants provide content and offers for the platform

Scale indicators4 records

Recent moves6 records

Expansion highlights4 records

Broad incumbents

• Groupon: Groupon is the dominant national deal/discount marketplace connecting local merchants with consumers via vouchers. While its scale and business model differ, it competes directly for merchant advertising dollars and consumer mindshare in local deals across GoPlaySave's categories.
• Living Social: Living Social historically competed with Groupon in daily local deals. While its scale has diminished, it represents the same local-deals-merchant-coupon dynamic and remains an alternative channel for the same merchants GoPlaySave serves.
• RetailMeNot: RetailMeNot is a leading digital coupon and cashback platform aggregating offers from national and local merchants. It competes for both consumer attention on local deals and merchant marketing budgets, though it skews more toward online/retail than dining/entertainment.

Emerging players

• Ibotta: Ibotta is a leading cashback and rewards app that partners with national and regional brands. It represents the digital-first consumer savings model that competes with mobile coupon apps like GoPlaySave for consumer engagement and merchant partnerships.
• Yipit: Yipit aggregates daily deals and local offers across multiple markets. It competes for consumer deal-discovery attention and provides a platform alternative for merchants considering GoPlaySave.
• Cool Savings: Cool Savings is a digital coupon and cashback platform focused on consumer savings across grocery and retail. While it lacks the local merchant book format, it competes for consumer savings attention and online merchant relationships.

Others

• Honey: Honey (PayPal-owned) is a digital coupon/browsing extension that auto-applies online discount codes. While it operates in a different channel (e-commerce), it competes for consumer savings mindshare and represents the broader secular shift toward digital deal discovery.

Direct peers

• Valpak: Valpak is the most direct competitor, operating a local coupon mailer/envelope model with hundreds of regional franchises across the US. Like GoPlaySave, it serves local merchants and consumers, though Valpak's primary format remains direct mail envelopes rather than books or mobile apps.
• Savvy Sluggers: Savvy Sluggers is a sports-themed fundraiser coupon book program used by schools and youth organizations. It mirrors GoPlaySave's fundraising book model with a niche sports focus, making it a direct fundraising-channel competitor.
• CitySavers: CitySavers operates local savings coupon books and mobile apps across multiple US cities. Its multi-market, mobile-first model is the most direct competitive analog to GoPlaySave's regional book-plus-app offering.

Market position

Strengths5 records

Weaknesses5 records

Competitive moat4 records

Key risks6 records

Key highlights6 records

Customer concentration

• Facebookfacebook.com/GoPlaySaveTriangle
• Instagraminstagram.com/goplaysave
• Xx.com/GPSTriangle

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Profiles3 records

Funding overview

Funding rounds

Investors

Funding detail is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

M&A

Investments

M&A and investment is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

Frequently asked questions about GoPlaySave