Google Offers Rumored To Take On Groupon With Daily Deals
If you can't beat 'em, join 'em. And if you can't buy 'em, create some
competition! That's the route that Google is taking these days, with
reports coming out this week that Google is planning to launch a new
Groupon rival called 'Google Offers." The search giant has yet to
confirm or deny the news, but being that it was initially reported by
the Wall Street Journal and Mashable, we doubt it's fabricated.
And it makes sense. Groupon has seen huge success, and Google would obviously love to play a role in taking some of that pie. By launching a daily deals website, Google could capture huge amounts of consumer interest, and being that it has Google.com to market the new site, we suspect that many casual searchers may be lured into finding a deal per day. As we stated, Google hasn't confirmed "Offers," but Nate Tyler, a Google spokesman, did offer this statement: "[Google is] communicating with small businesses to enlist their support and participation in a test of a prepaid offers/vouchers program. This initiative is part of an ongoing effort at Google to make new products … that connect businesses with customers in new ways."
Will Google change the way people shop once more by getting into this market? It's possible. Froogle, now known as Google Shopping, already allows people to quickly and easily comparison shop the major online e-tailers, and shopping will only get more sophisticated as the Web matures. Groupon is basically the only major player in the daily deals market (aside from Aol's WOW.com), leaving plenty of room for another giant to step into the ring. So, are you looking forward to spending more, or saving more? It could be a combination of both.
And it makes sense. Groupon has seen huge success, and Google would obviously love to play a role in taking some of that pie. By launching a daily deals website, Google could capture huge amounts of consumer interest, and being that it has Google.com to market the new site, we suspect that many casual searchers may be lured into finding a deal per day. As we stated, Google hasn't confirmed "Offers," but Nate Tyler, a Google spokesman, did offer this statement: "[Google is] communicating with small businesses to enlist their support and participation in a test of a prepaid offers/vouchers program. This initiative is part of an ongoing effort at Google to make new products … that connect businesses with customers in new ways."
Will Google change the way people shop once more by getting into this market? It's possible. Froogle, now known as Google Shopping, already allows people to quickly and easily comparison shop the major online e-tailers, and shopping will only get more sophisticated as the Web matures. Groupon is basically the only major player in the daily deals market (aside from Aol's WOW.com), leaving plenty of room for another giant to step into the ring. So, are you looking forward to spending more, or saving more? It could be a combination of both.
