A report on Re/code claims Groupon is testing a new business initiative, partnering with independently owned retail shops in Chicago to help the stores sell extra inventory.
According to the report, Groupon’s pilot program would work as a “liquidation service” for stores, notifying Groupon customers when a local business was offering discounted products.
In the article, Re/code reporter Jason Del Rey references “two people” who were given information on how the new Groupon initiative would work:
Under the new business, Groupon customers would order a product from a local store through Groupon.com or through a mobile app and then pick it up at the retail location, the sources said. There’s also the potential for a same-day delivery option in some instances, according to one of these people.
Del Rey goes on to claim, “Groupon CEO Eric Lefkofksy is said to be a big fan of the new business idea.”
No specific details were given on the stores involved or the planned expansion of the program. A Groupon spokesperson told Re/code, “It’s at best in pilot stage.”
When Marketing Land reached out to Groupon for a comment, a spokesperson for the company sent an email saying, “Groupon is always running trials of new products and services that make life easier for consumers and merchants. It’s an early test, and we have nothing new to announce at this time.”
While Groupon is known for its service-type daily deals, it does have a Groupon Goods business line that distributes offers on a variety of products. Re/code says the Groupon Goods division represents about 40 percent of the site’s revenue. “If Groupon turns this new test into a full-fleged business, it would give the deals company a potentially new huge category of small businesses to work with,” writes Del Rey.
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