The online deals landscape is getting pretty crowded nowadays, especially since industry giants Google and Amazon put their hats in the ring. Now Google Offers is doing what the company does best—aggregate stuff from multiple sites. The search giant is partnering with 14 smaller deal sites, including Dealfind and Gilt City, so you can get all your deals in one place.
Will it be enough to challenge the current king, Groupon? Well, honestly, considering the Chicago company’s recent troubles, including constantly fleeing COOs and disgruntled merchants, it seems odd that others are still trying to catch it. The backlash from businesses, who say customers swarm in and never return, and critics (check out Bloomberg writer Ryan Sutton’s hilarious blog The Bad Deal, documenting how many deals aren’t what they’re cracked up to be) would seem like warning signs for other companies to stay away.
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But, no, they keep on coming, including AmazonLocal and the aforementioned Google Offers. It appears after years of talk, Google is moving aggressively into the local space, with its recent acquisition of staid dining guide Zagat and now its move to bring other deal sites into the fold.
In the end, this move makes sense. Little-known deal sites like ReachDeals and Plum District get exposure, while Google doesn’t have to hire such a massive sales force, unlike, say, Groupon, which, according to Business Insider, employees 4,800 salespeople, the bottom 10% of which will lose their jobs for poor sales numbers.
Google Offers is currently available in 17 cities, including New York, San Francisco and Boston, with plans to expand to 22 more.
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