Business & Tech

Ronkonkoma Resident Cashing In With HooplaDoopla.com

Web-based company is money saving solution for online shoppers.

With the economy on a downward spiral in 2008, Frank DeBlasi and Tom Cangley crafted the concept for a web-based money saving solution for online shoppers.

By February 2009 HooplaDoopla.com launched and two years later, they are generating $3 million in sales and paid out nearly $100,000 back to their members.

Hoopla Doopla provides coupon codes, discounts, and cash back from over 1,700 online stores, according to DeBlasi. They receive a marketing commission on all purchases made through their site. The service is free to use, and no bank account or credit card is needed on file.

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You can look for items or stores in just about every feasible genre and find discounts on the site. They also provide expert advice on bargain hunting, online shopping safety, budgeting, and more, he said.

“Many deal sites allow their members to post deals on their site for other members,” said DeBlasi, 39, a Ronkonkoma resident. “These deals often don’t work, and remain on the site even after their expiration date. Our deals come directly from the merchant, not from our members. Hoopla Doopla automatically deactivates all expired deals after their expiration date, keeping all deals on the site current.”

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DeBlasi is a veteran web designer and digital media professional. He built the site’s architecture, and designed its user interface. Cangley, a software architect, designed the fundamental algorithms that help the site tick and a powerful database to monitor shopping activity.

What’s next for the entrepreneurs?

“We will continue to work with our top merchants to bring the best money saving opportunities to our members,” DeBlasi said.


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