Local Discovery & Voucher Marketplace
“A great local experience was there. Finding the right deal wasn't.”
Role: Mobile Engineering & System Architecture
Confidentials had built a strong local audience around food, drink, lifestyle, and independent businesses across the North of England. But discovering somewhere worth visiting and actually getting a good deal were two different experiences. We engineered a unified mobile platform connecting editorial discovery directly to a transactional voucher marketplace.
A great local experience was there. Finding the right deal wasn't.
Confidentials had built a strong local audience around food, drink, lifestyle, things to do and independent businesses across the North of England. But discovering somewhere worth visiting and actually getting a good deal were two different experiences.
Customers had to browse through different places, compare offers, figure out what was available nearby, and then make a decision before ever getting to the venue. For businesses, meanwhile, attracting customers through promotions meant relying on advertising and visibility without a simple, direct way to turn that interest into a visit.
The challenge was to bring discovery, offers and redemption into one seamless experience.
Too much choice, not enough discovery
users had plenty of restaurants, bars, spas and experiences to choose from, but finding the right option for their location and interests could be difficult.
Offers were fragmented
promotions, events and special deals existed across different venues and channels. Users needed a simpler way to discover exclusive offers in one place.
Discovery didn't automatically lead to action
seeing a restaurant or an offer is one thing; actually deciding to visit, purchasing the deal and redeeming it needs a much more connected journey.
Location matters
users don't just want good deals. They want deals they can actually use nearby. A Manchester user needs Manchester offers, not an irrelevant list of businesses somewhere else.
Businesses needed measurable value
restaurants and venues needed a way to attract customers through offers while turning promotional campaigns into actual visits and spending.
The opportunity was clear: turn local discovery into something immediately actionable.
A local discovery platform that turns inspiration into real-world experiences.
The Confidentials app brings together local discovery, exclusive offers and voucher redemption in one place.
Instead of simply telling users where to go, the platform helps them decide where to go, what deal to use and how to redeem it.
Users can select their location, discover nearby restaurants, spas, hotels, events and experiences, purchase an offer and receive a digital voucher that can be redeemed at the venue. The app also uses map-based discovery, notifications and sharing to keep users engaged with new offers and experiences.
users can choose their city and explore offers relevant to where they are, with map-based discovery helping them find deals nearby.
users can browse curated restaurant, spa, hotel, entertainment and event offers rather than searching across multiple platforms.
once an offer is purchased, users receive a voucZher/QR code that can be presented at the venue for redemption. Some vouchers can remain valid for an extended period, giving users flexibility over when they visit.
the experience is designed to move users from discovering an offer to purchasing it and using it at the venue with minimal friction.
notifications surface exclusive events and limited-time specials, while sharing and referral features encourage users to bring others into the experience.
offers act as promotional campaigns for venues, allowing businesses to attract customers while Confidentials uses the voucher model as part of its advertising proposition.
The result is more than a deals app.
It connects the entire journey from “Where should I go?” to “I'm here.”
Built around how people actually choose where to go.
Most discount platforms start with the deal.
Confidentials starts with the experience.
The platform combines the editorial credibility and local knowledge of Confidentials with an actionable marketplace where users can discover something interesting and immediately turn that discovery into a visit.
Discovery first, discount second
users aren't simply presented with a list of coupons. They discover restaurants, experiences, events and places worth visiting, with exclusive offers becoming part of that discovery.
Local by design
the experience is centered around cities and nearby venues, making offers relevant to where users actually are.
From content to commerce
Confidentials connects its local food, drink and lifestyle ecosystem with a transactional experience, allowing users to move from discovering a venue to purchasing an offer.
Real-world redemption
the journey doesn't end at checkout. Digital vouchers and QR codes connect the app directly to the physical venue.
Value for both sides of the marketplace
customers get access to exclusive savings, while businesses gain another channel for visibility, customer acquisition and promotional campaigns. Confidentials describes its voucher model as benefiting readers, restaurants and the business itself.
The result is an ecosystem where content creates discovery, offers create intent, and vouchers create action.
Everything needed to discover, buy and redeem.
The platform brings together the core pieces of the local experience journey, from discovering a new venue to using an offer in person.
Core Features
- Local offer discovery: browse restaurants, bars, spas, hotels, events and things to do based on location.
- Map-based exploration: view nearby deals and discover experiences around you rather than searching through an endless list.
- Exclusive vouchers: access limited offers and promotions available through the Confidentials platform.
- Digital QR vouchers: purchase an offer and receive a digital voucher that can be presented at the participating venue.
- Offer details and conditions: understand pricing, validity periods, restrictions and redemption conditions before purchasing.
- Events and special offers: receive notifications about exclusive events, limited-time promotions and one-off specials.
- Hotel and experience booking: selected offer pages allow users to move directly into booking experiences, including hotel stays.
- Sharing and referrals: users can share offers with friends and receive referral-related benefits.
- Venue redemption: the digital voucher bridges the gap between the app and the physical business, allowing the customer to redeem the purchased offer on location.
From discovering what's out there to actually going out.
Confidentials turned local discovery into a more actionable experience — giving users a direct path from finding something interesting to purchasing a deal and visiting the venue.
A simpler discovery experience
users can find relevant restaurants, experiences and offers without searching across multiple platforms.
Higher value from local discovery
content and offers work together, allowing users to discover places they may not otherwise have considered.
A direct path from discovery to purchase
users can move from viewing an offer to purchasing a voucher within the same ecosystem.
Real-world customer conversion
digital vouchers connect online engagement with physical visits to participating venues.
More value for businesses
venues gain promotional exposure while using exclusive offers to attract customers and drive visits.
Ongoing engagement
new offers, events and limited-time promotions give users a reason to return to the platform rather than treating it as a one-time discount app.
Confidentials isn't just helping people save money.
It's helping them decide where to spend it.
From local content to real-world experiences.
Confidentials had already built a trusted local platform around food, drink, lifestyle and things to do. The app extends that experience beyond discovery, giving users a way to find, save, purchase and redeem exclusive offers in the real world.
For customers, that means discovering more of what's happening around them while getting better value.
For businesses, it creates another way to reach local customers and turn promotional campaigns into visits.
The result is a connected ecosystem where local knowledge drives discovery, exclusive offers drive action, and digital vouchers bring the experience offline.
Confidentials doesn't just tell people where to go. It gives them a reason to go.
UP2D8
Home Feed & Local Discovery
Users select their city and immediately see curated offers relevant to where they are — restaurants, bars, spas, hotels, and events surfaced by editorial credibility. Discovery first, discount second.
Search & Nearby Exploration
A location-aware search surfaces active deals near the user. Rather than scrolling an endless flat list, nearby venues appear with distance context — Manchester users see Manchester offers, not irrelevant listings elsewhere.
Digital Voucher & Checkout System
Once an offer is found, users move from discovery to purchase in a single flow. A secure checkout generates a time-bound digital voucher — valid for 90 days — that can be presented at the venue for instant QR-code redemption.
Map-Based Navigation & Venues
After purchasing, users can navigate directly to the venue through native mapping integration. The map view surfaces geo-pinned partner locations so users can explore nearby opportunities spatially rather than through a list.
Key Deliverables & Verified Impact
End-to-end journey from discovery → purchase → real-world venue redemption
Measurable merchant value: promotional campaigns converted to physical foot traffic
Ecosystem monetisation: editorial content and transactional marketplace unified
Ongoing engagement through event notifications, favourites, and referral sharing
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