‘Entertainment’ Books Discover GPS

Technophiles can now get their dining and entertainment discounts via GPS. Coupon-book publisher Entertainment Publications has launched SaversGuide, a GPS subscription service offering 45,000 discounts from restaurants, hotels, retailers and entertainment venues. GPS users plug into the geo-coded service to find local deals across the U.S., Canada and Mexico.

Entertainment Publications cut a deal with tech firm Garmin International to make the Garmin SaversGuide available to consumers who own Garmin’s nuvi 350 Personal Travel Assistant (which includes a GPS navigator, MP3 player, language translator and travel guide).

The database includes all offers tendered in Troy, MI-based Entertainment Publications’ 159 local-edition coupon books, which are often sold by non-profit groups as fundraisers or used as employee incentive rewards. Discounts range from 20% to 50%. The company also develops customized discount-based rewards programs for marketers.

Garmin’s software package, sold at retail, includes a pre-programmed SD data card and a membership card that users show to participating merchants to redeem discounts.

“This is the first time we can offer a GPS-enabled version of our exclusive Entertainment merchant database,” said Entertainment Publications Executive VP Terry Clark in a statement. “Nüvi owners now have access to tens of thousands of deep discounts from businesses across North America, and they can navigate turn-by-turn or step-by-step, right to that merchant’s door. That’s a powerful combination.”