Posted on 09/29/2023 2:25:42 PM PDT by PJ-Comix
Groupon has fallen significantly since its peak over a decade ago. This video attempts to explain why it was once considered so promising, and why it has not lived up to those expectations.
However, I still use GroupOn quite a bit. If you know what you are doing it is a great deal for SOME restaurants, primarily buffets. My favorite restaurants to use GroupOn is a Korean Steakhouse Buffet and a Brazilian Steakhouse Buffet. I look for the normal GroupOn deals PLUS an extra discount. Last year the discount was 50% below the regular discount so the $84 regular price for a Brazilian Steakhouse buffet for two was discounted down to about $38.
I also used GroupOns at a local Italian Meat Market, Gino's in Hollywood (Florida). The GroupOns were sold for $24 for $40 worth of groceries. With the discount I usually could buy it for about $20 and once I got the $40 worth of food for just $16. I used to buy really thick center cut pork chops there which sold for a discounted price if you bought a certain quantity which I always did which lasted me for several days worth of meals. Unfortunately, Gino's closed about 5 years ago. A very sad day for me.
Right now I have a GroupOn that cost me $44 for a full synthetic oil change which I think I will use in a week or two.
Anybody else out there use GroupOns? For eating out it sure saves me money BUT you have to be careful. It is not such a good deal at many restaurants. At buffets it seems to work best.
I used it a lot 5 to 10 years ago, but haven’t used it in probably five years. In fact, I’d completely forgotten about it! Thanks for reminding me. I’ll have to check if any of our local merchants and restaurants offer discounts on it.
I forgot about it too. But used it back in the day. I’m not sure why I stopped. Just did. I think it’s the too many APPS syndrome.
Too bad you weren't looking at it last October when UNBELIEVABLY they had 50% discounts OFF the already discounted restaurant prices. If I see that deal again I will be buying MORE than just the one GroupOn I got for the Brazilian Steakhouse.
I used to use it in Silicon Valley. I just checked for our new place in North Idaho and found almost NOTHING. Within ten miles, I found one oil change place, a hair salon and a facial spa.
Other than that, the offers are in towns 40 to 350 miles away for bowling alleys, pizza joints, a distillery tour, and a “brewery experience”!!
I see lots of products I can readily buy on Amazon.
It has become useless!
“too many APPS syndrome”
Yep, I HATE that. We were in Leavenworth, Washington a couple weeks ago. You have to put an app on your phone to pay for city parking in lots and on the streets!!! It took us 45 minutes to load the app, create an account, and pay for parking. Then, when we were FINALLY able to leave the parking lot, we found a pay station off in the corner that takes credit cards!! I was absolutely FURIOUS. Another stinking app I’ll never use again that gobbled up a big chunk of my time. How much time did it used to take to drop a couple of quarters into the meter?
Later on in Jasper, Alberta, we found their on-street parking did not require you to install a new app. You could simple scan a QR code on the meter and then pay with ApplePay. Or you could pay via their app if you installed it. That was fast and painless and gave you options. The idiots in Leavenworth bought the wrong solution.
/rant (you really wound me up!)
We also have something similar to GroupOn called LocalFlavor.Com. Not just for restaurants but for lots of stuff. I have used it for a Car Wash and vacuum for just $6.50 total. I think they raised the price to about $11 but still a good deal. Another great deal I got with LocalFlavor.Com was a Japanese buffet (sushi and sashimi) INCLUDING two bottles of Asahi beer for just $12. That was in the middle of COVID and the deal is no longer available.
Because of where you now live. For me here in South Florida it is still useful.
You know, they have an app for that....
I just checked our Silicon Valley address (we still have our place there) and I find almost nothing of interest or value there, either. We used to get deals from many of our local town restaurants and I don't see anything now. Except this incredible bargain...
LOL...oh boy! Do you have the name?
Youngest daughter took her CCW class with a Groupon coupon. It was a good deal.
Check LocalFlavor.com. They are all over the country. BTW, I just now checked LocalFlavor.Com and one of our favorite restaurants is now BACK after an absence of about a couple of years. Juana La Cubana. They have $10incredible sandwiches. $10 for $20 worth of food and their prices are reasonable so that certificate covers most of the bill for two. My wife also loves their sandwiches so I think I will be buying that certificate... NOW!
Leavenworth, WA...that’s a cool place. Did they have those HUGE hanging flower baskets out along the streets? A guy out watering the plants said they use a LOT of MiracleGrow to achieve that.
Oh damn and all this time I thought is was a mashup of Grey Poupon.
There must have been tremendous waste within the company, because a large % of the “gift certificates” (not gift cards) purchased in this country are never redeemed (especially those that expire). And that’s what groupons were - basically gift certificates that expire.
Ask any golf professional why “credit” or “gift certificates” in the golf shop expire on January 1st. Because it’s free money.
like the priceline bid for your hotel idea at some point the value to the vendors goes down
Covid did it in?
Increased competition + Market Saturation
I really think they should develop one app that covers everything. Absolutely everything. Then you just have one app on your phone. Maybe they can call it an internet browser.
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