Groupon Launches in Grand Rapids
Chicago-based Groupon Inc., a shopping Web site service that offers a daily deal on local goods, services and cultural events in more than 150 cities around the world, has launched in Grand Rapids.
"Grand Rapids is the type of community where Groupon thrives, offering everything from world-class museums and art to professional sports teams," said Groupon founder Andrew Mason. "We'll offer residents unbeatable deals on their favorite things to do, while providing an influx of new customers to quality local merchants."
Using the principles of collective buying, Groupon negotiates unprecedented deals with top businesses. Groupon subscribers receive free daily emails alerting them to the deal. These deals are only activated if a minimum number of people agree to buy, encouraging subscribers to share the promotion with family and friends via social media tools such as Facebook and Twitter. The system guarantees local merchants a large number of new customers.
So far, this innovative approach to e-commerce has generated millions in revenue for local businesses while saving millions of subscribers in North America more than $300 million.
"Groupon brings buyers and sellers together in a fun and collaborative way," Mason said. "We offer the consumer a great deal they can't get anywhere else and deliver the sales directly to the merchant."
During its first week in Grand Rapids, Groupon's featured deals included sessions at a pilates studio, a Segway tour, and a family membership to a nature museum. Upcoming features include Ethiopian fare and murder mystery theater. Grand Rapids joins Detroit as the second Michigan market served by Groupon.
More at www.groupon.com. To get the Groupon iPhone app, visit http://gr.pn/moblapp. To learn more on how to become a featured business on Groupon, visit www.grouponworks.com.
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