Pok茅mon Go: How to catch all the savings
Businesses are cashing in on the Pok茅mon Go craze by requesting status as a Pok茅Gym and offering discounts to lure in Pok茅mon Go players. See what you could save if you play.
Children play Pok茅mon Go at Park Central Square in Springfield, Mo. The augmented reality game has inspired businesses to offer Pok茅mon Go-related discounts.
Guillermo Hernandez Martinez/The Springfield News-Leader/AP/File
It didn't take long for business to聽. Whether bringing in customers with free in-game extras, or offering special discounts based on the app, stores, restaurants, and attractions are already using Pok茅mon Go in their marketing. And you might be able to benefit.
How Do I Catch 'Em All?
Pok茅mon Go is an "augmented reality" game. It places cartoon Pok茅mon on the map in the real world around you, which you can then catch by tossing Pok茅balls at them. When you download the free app and get started, you'll see your immediate neighborhood mapped out with a decent amount of detail.
The app alerts you when a Pok茅mon is nearby. There are two modes: One that uses your phone's camera to show the Pok茅mon mapped onto the really places in front of you (conspicuous, battery-draining), and another that just shows the creatures on an animated background (inconspicuous, less battery).
Players can restock on supplies, like Pok茅balls, potions, eggs, and other things, by visiting Pok茅Stops, which could be museums, businesses, churches, or things like historical sites. When players reach level 5, they're also able to battle at Pok茅Gyms and claim them for their team, or train at their team's gyms to strengthen it.
Find Deals at Pok茅Stops and Pok茅Gyms
Most players probably know about lure modules, and that dropping one at a Pokestop will draw Pok茅mon to the area for thirty minutes. If a business is lucky enough to already be a Pok茅Stop, it can drop one of these lures for about $1.19 per hour to draw in customers. Others are actually聽聽if you catch specific Pok茅mon nearby.
Little investments like this are paying off in big ways for local businesses. L'inizio Pizza Bar in Long Island City spent $10 in lures over the weekend. As a result, they claim their sales聽聽during that time. Images have been regularly popping up of things like restaurants advertising聽聽that can be reached from their dining rooms or bakeries offering聽. Others are rewarding Pok茅mon trainers for being generous, providing聽聽if they drop a lure nearby. Some restaurants have also been offering discounts based on trainers' levels, amounting to聽聽in some cases.
Even if some aren't hosting sales, they're still聽.
Since the three different teams in Pok茅mon Go 鈥� Valor, Mystic, and Instinct 鈥� can battle for control of Pok茅Gyms, many businesses with a gym stationed at or nearby are crafting deals like discounts given to whatever team currently holds the gym.
Of course, the game is also driving more traffic to locations like museums. Some are taking advantage of the attention and are offering聽聽for admission to anyone who shows the app.
Users can now even聽聽(as well as reporting some that might not be appropriate) which can lead to businesses being able to add their shops to the map. Be on the lookout for new locations!
T-Mobile Cashing in Too
Even some national retailers are recognizing this as a worthwhile trend. For instance,聽聽recently announced that starting next Tuesday, it will thank its customers in a number of ways related to the popular game. The most notable perk will be聽.
In addition, T-Mobile is also offering some perks that are good only for next Tuesday. These include free Lyft rides up to $15 to get to a new Pok茅Stop or Gym, a free Wendy's Frosty, and 50% off select accessories, including portable power banks and chargers at T-Mobile stores.
T-Mobile is also giving away $100 in Pok茅Coins to 250 people, and hosting a contest where five winners will receive a Pok茅mon Go hunting trip anywhere in the U.S. for themselves plus a guest.
This article first appeared at .