Groupon Launches in Grand Rapids

Upcoming Features Include Ethiopian Fare and Murder Mystery Theater

GRAND RAPIDS, Mich.--(BUSINESS WIRE)--Groupon (http://www.groupon.com), a shopping website that offers a daily deal on the best local goods, services and cultural events in more than 150 cities around the world, launched in Grand Rapids on July 12, 2010.

“We’ll offer residents unbeatable deals on their favorite things to do, while providing an influx of new customers to quality local merchants.”

“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. By guaranteeing a large number of new customers, Groupon creates a win-win for local merchants. 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,” said Mason. “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 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.

About Groupon

Groupon, launched in November 2008 in Chicago, features a daily deal on the best stuff to do, eat, see and buy in more than 150 cities around the world. Groupon uses collective buying power to offer unbeatable prices and provide a win-win for businesses and consumers. For more information, visit http://www.groupon.com.

To get Groupon’s daily free email for the best in your city, subscribe at http://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 http://www.grouponworks.com.