Groupon founder Andrew Mason’s concept of Groupon as “the operating system for local commerce,” had a certain catch to is, but what does it actually mean in practice?
That’s the challenge being addressed by Groupon’s “Breadcrumb” team in Silicon Valley, which has rolled out a suite of services for restaurants and now, other verticals. Groupon …

It was just a matter of “when,” but Groupon has finally relieved Andrew Mason of his CEO duties after a quarter in which Groupon widely missed its mark because of its very high expenses and serious international issues, despite growing 30 percent year over year. Vice Chair Ted Leonsis and Executive Chair Eric Lefkofsky …

Appearing at a time of rumors that Google is in talks to purchase a slumping Groupon on the cheap, Groupon CEO Andrew Mason told The Mobile-Loco conference in San Francisco that the four-year -old, 12,000 employee company remains focused on developing “the first real, local commerce system” for merchants.
The timing of the company’s ascent is …

The opening day of BIA/Kelsey’s SMB Digital Marketing conference provided a stark reminder of the persistent challenges in reaching local businesses. Groupon VP of Global Merchant Marketing Sanjay Gupta offered a different view – a reality check of the assumed reality checks. Call it the “what SMBs think vs. what they do” dynamic. As just one …

“Mobile is a big part of our business,” said Mihir Shah, Groupon’s VP-Mobile, in an interview this afternoon with BIA/Kelsey analyst Peter Krasilovsky at the Mobile Local Media event in San Francisco.
Shah said that 30 percent of Groupon’s transactions in April occurred on mobile devices. That figure was 25 percent last December.
Mobile customers spend 50 …

Groupon Rewards — “the easiest rewards program in the world” — rolled out nationally this week after tests in 36 markets that began in October. The product is Groupon’s answer to the emerging “transaction marketing” space that many believe will be the natural successor to the daily deals business. BIA/Kelsey Marketplaces has counted more than …

Black Friday and Cyber Monday for holiday shopping are bedrocks of the nation’s economy. Where do deals fit in?
As Bloomberg reports, Yipit Data forecasts that U.S. consumers will spend $80 million to $100 million on daily deals gifts between Thanksgiving and Christmas, up from $15 million to $20 million in 2010. A separate poll of …

Image Source: Mashable
Groupon’s greatly reduced IPO is apparently set to take place on Friday, Nov. 4, in an environment much less friendly than originally envisioned last spring.
The bloom has come off for a number of reasons. Groupon has almost no barriers to entry and has had to contend with dozens and dozens of copy cats …

Just when the DMS ’11 audience thought it knew everything there is to know about group buying, Groupon Regional Sales Manager Brett Truka lifted the curtain a little higher. He also noted that the big G itself continues to gather important learnings that shape new, best practices.
Even though it’s a seemingly dead simple and compelling …

For all the recent negative bluster in the deals space, including one report of its imminent demise, BIA/Kelsey has a decidedly different message for the dissenters: “We still like ’em.”
At DMS ’11, Marketplaces Program Director Peter Krasilovsky painted a sunnier picture of the robust and still-rising group buying industry. Among the notable growth signals are …

Groupon has postponed its IPO roadshow and is re-evaluating the timing of its IPO on a “week by week” basis, according to The Wall Street Journal. To us, the delay is not really a surprise. The company has been hit by a rash of questions about its accounting methods, recent sales trends and overall prospects …

In true McLaughlin Group style, Greg Sterling moderated the final session at Deals 3D — “Deals: The Next Stage” — more as a rapid-fire roundtable than a traditional panel. He dished, they debated. So, consistent to the theme, here are samples of how Closely’s Perry Evans, Wantsa’s David Strebinger and Deal Current’s Jimmy Hendricks see …

With Groupon going public, the promotions space is getting tremendously revved up. Hoping to get in on the action are promotional relatives of the deals space, including providers of grocery “cents off” coupons, retail weekly sales (circulars), retail rewards and Buy One Get One Free. While most of these don’t do much with local advertisers, …

Groupon is moving past deal a day with a Quiznos deal on Wednesdays that will issue an eight “signature sandwich” punch card to users for $26 — roughly half off the $51.92 maximum value. Maybe buyers will indulge in some “overage” — a Snapple and chips? — while they are there.
As reported by John …

Dealfind, a Toronto-based daily deal site, has raised $31 million as it strives for rapid growth to reach 100 markets in Canada and the U.S. The site, which has sold 806,199 vouchers since its launch in 2009, is currently operating in 28 Canadian and U.S. markets (17 in Canada, 11 in the U.S.). It is …

Groupon has moved closer to CEO Andrew Mason’s vision of being a “city guide” via “GrouponLive,” a new events source featuring various Live Nation events. “The Live Email,” featuring last minute discounts, is being sent out to Ticketmaster’s regular opt-in list. It is also available to users who go to the site. Live Nation says …

Chicago-based Groupon is pushing hard in Silicon Valley to build a major tech presence on the back of Mobility, a mobile services firm purchased last year. One piece of evidence: a billboard on the 101 touting the company as a place to work.
At Where 2.0 today in Santa Clara, VP and GM Mihir Shah said …

As it turns out, the daily deals landscape is more sophisticated than many first thought. New contours are emerging, each replete with opportunity and threat. Bluntly branding the space as “the next big thing” or a “can’t-miss opportunity” lacks the necessary strategic discernment in an industry replete with competitors and fortressed with high barriers to …

 
Even as preprint circulars continue to account for a hefty chunk of newspaper revenues, the race to migrate these FSIs onto digital platforms that provide compelling shopping experiences and command premium CPMs is revving up. Associated Press will soon release iCircular for mobile devices, Gannett’s PointRoll operates ShopLocal, Local.com has a local option and several deal/offer aggregators …

Groupon’s spectacular growth has now been quantified. According to an internal memo leaked to The Wall Street Journal, Groupon had $475 Million in revenues in 2010, and $760 million worldwide, with a presence in 35 countries. It also had 51 million subscribers, served by 4,150 employees. Groupon expects to follow up with with $2 …