Business Headlines: Groupon Changes, iRobot Layoffs
BOSTON (CBS) - Groupon has announced a major shakeup because some of the companies offering sales say they're not satisfied with the customers they're getting.
So, Groupon wants to offer its customers better deals and it will do it by replacing the worst ten-percent of its sales staff.
Merchants that deal with Groupon have been complaining that the discounts don't really help it attract repeat customers, as much as one-time customers looking for a bargain.
This could lead to Groupon`s widely anticipated IPO.
IROBOT LAYOFFS
iRobot plans to cut 55 jobs at three facilities, including the one in Bedford.
The company makes robots, and even though sales are soaring, the federal government is expected to cut back on its military research and development spending.
iRobot employs 657 workers in total.
HOLIDAY SPENDING
Holiday shoppers in the Boston area plan to spend $1,141 on holiday shopping.
That`s about $40 better than the national average, according to a new survey by Deloitte.
But, only 14-percent of consumers in the Boston area think their finances are better off than last year.
That's lower than the nationwide average of 21-percent.
Lisa van der Pool reports
Lisa van der Pool of the Boston Business Journal can be seen weekdays at 6 a.m. on WBZ-TV.
