Two former students, including one Oxford graduate, will launch an app to make nights out in Oxford more affordable to students.
More than 100 establishments in the city, including bars, restaurants and cafes have signed up to the app, which is expected to go live in January.
The app, called The Dealer, gives retailers the ability to constantly monitor levels of demand and be aware of their popularity at different times of the day and week. This will allow them to off er discounts to students during off-peak times.
Ed Alun-Jones, the app’s co-founder and a history graduate from St Edmund Hall, told Cherwell, “We help all manner of venues including restaurants, bars, clubs, theatres even football stadiums. We are now moving in to processing events through The Dealer. Such that any university play, night out etc can push their tickets through us and we can help them with their marketing. The Dealer is also about letting students know exactly what is going on around them and helping them engage with their cities.
“We even take requests. If you are a sports team or a student society looking for a deal on an evening out or an activity, maybe it’s just a birthday party.”
The Dealer has seemed particularly popular with independent businesses in Oxford, who lack the resources to advertise alongside large chains.
Alun-Jones and his business partner, Henry Hayes, raised £40,000 for the app after completing 25 pitches.
A proportion of any profits will be donated to the homeless charity Crisis Skylight Oxford.
