Because telling them will encourage increased footfall, as more shoppers pay a visit to see what you have to offer.
The problem for small, independent retailers is that they often don't have the marketing power to reach customers outside of their premises.
Some might put adverts in the local newspaper or fliers through letterboxes, but for many the best way of drawing in passing trade is through shop front signage.
Now there's a new way for local shops to advertise special deals to customers, reaching them through their mobile phones.
MyVoucherCodes have launched a local, mobile service that lets shoppers see what special deals are available in the shops around them. The shopper simply looks at their phone and it displays the discounts to be had nearby. Using GPS it gives them an indication of how many minutes it could take to walk to a specific shop.
Set up in 2006, MyVoucherCodes is now used by over 11 million people every month and they claim to have driven over £480 million of sales in 2009.
To use the new MyVoucherCodes local on their phone shoppers download an application which they can check when they're out shopping. In 2009 they saved £52 million by using vouchers and codes from the website and the hope is that they'll save even more now that they can access savings while in the high street or shopping mall.
The MyVoucherCodes website says businesses can register for a free listing. They can also pay for services which give them more visibility to shoppers.
This new service is aimed at local, independent retailers. Mark Pearson, Chairman of MyVoucherCodes, said: "We have a proven track record of saving money for consumers at more national, well known retailers and businesses." He now wants to emulate this success at a local level.
Currently the MyVoucherCodes Local application works on the iPhone, iPad and iPod Touch. An Android version is under development.
