Google buys Groupon for $6 billion...

anyone else hear about this? thoughts?

here's one opinion: http://blogs.reuters.com/felix-salmon/2 ... kes-sense/

Last I read, Groupon rejected the offer. http://www.pcworld.com/article/212500/g ... hanks.html

[Robin Garr]

Marybeth has the latest news. I'm just sitting here thinking, whoa, "Give you $6B for your company!" "Yo, thanks but no thanks." The Groupon guys must have a very, very large business plan.

Marybeth has the latest news. I'm just sitting here thinking, whoa, "Give you $6B for your company!" "Yo, thanks but no thanks." The Groupon guys must have a very, very large ego.

Fixed it for you.

NPR thought it was a ridiculously good deal (read: completely foolish of Google) for Groupon when it was only estimated at 4 billion. With all the online competitors out there (living social, restaurant.com, et al.) they must have some brass balls to think that they're gonna keep matching the numbers they've been making. They should have taken the money and run.

It's the email lists plus the buying habits of those people that are valuable.

It's the email lists plus the buying habits of those people that are valuable.

Indeed, but you'd think by now Google would have my info/habits.

Facebook turned down a $1 billion dollar offer from Yahoo "years" ago. And that turned out okay.

Is it a good deal for Google - I think so. Groupon has 300 markets w/ someone on the ground in each market. Participants have to agree to let them sell up to 2000 certs (more for national chains, i.e. GAP), so if they average selling 1000 per day at $30 (average - I've seen from $10 to $100+ here), they keep 50%, that's $15,000 x 300 markets...4.5 million/day gross or 1.6 billion (+ change) per year ---and that's probably pretty conservative.

As long as they can get businesses to sign on, and they seem to have no problem, they'll make mega-bucks.

I just don't get it - they advertise that "it cost you nothing" and they give you 1/2 the sales. This service has shut down many independent businesses. I thinks it's very good for national chains, but not independents. It's like my daughter's orthodontist said when they contacted him "they said it wouldn't cost me anything, but they wanted me to agree to give hundreds of thousands of $$ of services! - I can't afford that, I have bills to pay and payroll to meet".

http://www.msnbc.msn.com/id/40574999/ns ... s_business

phenomenal growth for Groupon

Is it a good deal for Google - I think so. Groupon has 300 markets w/ someone on the ground in each market. Participants have to agree to let them sell up to 2000 certs (more for national chains, i.e. GAP), so if they average selling 1000 per day at $30 (average - I've seen from $10 to $100+ here), they keep 50%, that's $15,000 x 300 markets...4.5 million/day gross or 1.6 billion (+ change) per year ---and that's probably pretty conservative.

As long as they can get businesses to sign on, and they seem to have no problem, they'll make mega-bucks.

I just don't get it - they advertise that "it cost you nothing" and they give you 1/2 the sales. This service has shut down many independent businesses. I thinks it's very good for national chains, but not independents. It's like my daughter's orthodontist said when they contacted him "they said it wouldn't cost me anything, but they wanted me to agree to give hundreds of thousands of $$ of services! - I can't afford that, I have bills to pay and payroll to meet".

I've read a few of the horror story blogs people have setup to tell of their demise via Groupon/Living Social. In most every instance I read it came down to, 1. The business not having a clue what they were doing and 2. Set no limit on the number of coupon sales.

I have purchased a few from each, but mainly for services or entertainment. I bought a Mike Best Groupon and talked with a manager when I redeemed it. They had done their research and apparently liked how it worked out for them as they have had a second sale since.

Gigi's Cupcakes apparently had good success with their Groupon the first time around -- they are running a second one today, and this time you can buy 4 instead of just 2. Shalimar just ran their 2nd one a few days ago. Obviously it DOES work. You just have to not offer a deal you can't keep up with or a deal that's going to put you out of business if you sell thousands of Groupons and every single one gets redeemed.

And I think they turned down Google's offer...