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Tag: Deals

  • Cyber Monday Sales: Best Deals On Video Games

    Cyber Monday is like the rushed sequel to Black Friday. That doesn’t make it any worse than America’s annual celebration of cheap TVs and trampling old people though. In fact, it might even be the superior holiday since you don’t have to brave the elements or that jerk down the block to score cheap goods.

    We’ve already previewed a few of the Cyber Monday deals coming from major retailers, but the video game fans out there are going to want to pay attention to this year’s Cyber Monday. For starters, Amazon is hosting a week of Cyber Monday sales starting today. One of the standout deals is half-off Middle-earth: Shadow of Mordor for Xbox One and PS4. For only $30, you too can explore the vastness of Mordor while making enemies out of every orc you let live. Other notable deals on Amazon include Injustice: Gods Among Us Ultimate Edition on PS4 for $18 or the recently released Lords of the Fallen for $40.

    For more deals, be sure to check out Amazon’s landing page for Cyber Monday. There will be new sales all week as the world’s largest online retailer attempts to siphon money out of gamers across the country.

    What about GameStop? Does the nation’s largest games specialty retailer have any good Cyber Monday sales in mind? While the retailer has yet to send out its annual Cyber Monday ad, it has already lowered the prices on the games that will be seeing discounts come December 1. Of particular note is recently released The Evil Within – the $60 PS4/Xbox One title has seen its price slashed in half for Cyber Monday.

    If you’re in the market for some last gen consoles, GameStop has you covered with some rather generous bundles. For starters is the Wii Holiday Blast from the Past bundle that throws in a Nintendo Wii and five games – New Super Mario Bros. Wii, Donkey Kong Country Returns, Wii Sports, LEGO Star Wars: The Complete Saga and Just Dance 2. The bundle retails for only $90 on Monday.

    If the Wii is a little too underpowered for you, GameStop is also offering a first gen Xbox 360 with a 60GB hard drive for $99. To make the deal even sweeter, the bundle throws in a free copy of last year’s excellent Tomb Raider reboot.

    Best Buy’s Cyber Monday sales are a little more disappointing. The best deal available is the Destiny White PS4 bundle for $419. It’s safe to assume that most of those bundles were picked up at better prices on Black Friday so it’s probably not worth the $30 unless you really want Destiny and a PS4.

    Last but not least, PC gamers still have the Steam Exploration Sale that lasts until Tuesday. We won’t know what Cyber Monday deals are in store for us until 9 a.m. PST tomorrow, but there’s likely to be some good deals. In fact, there are already over 5,000 titles on sale right now.

    Like all Cyber Monday deals, we may not be seeing the full picture until the namesake day rolls around at Midnight. Be sure to keep checking back at your favorite online retailer all day on Monday to see if the game you want for Christmas goes on sale.

  • Twitter Tests Card-Linked ‘Offers’ With A Few Brands

    Twitter announced that it’s testing a new offering for advertisers called Twitter Offers, whicn enables them to provide card-linked promotions to users.

    When a Twitter users sees a Twitter Offer in their timeline, they can add it to their credit or debit card, and redeem it in real time using their card at the store that offered the deal.

    “Because the offer is tied to their card, redemption is seamless and easy: there are no coupons to redeem at the point of purchase. After the purchase, the cash back savings appear on their card statement within a few days,” says group product manager Tarun Jain.

    twitter offers

    “With Twitter Offers, advertisers will be able to attribute redemptions directly to their campaigns on Twitter, so that they can effectively measure the ROI from their promotions, even when redemption happens offline,” adds Jain. “Additionally, we make it easy for merchants to get up and running because they can use their existing payment network, there’s no change to the consumer purchase process, no employee training and no new hardware or software to install. By leveraging Twitter’s robust targeting capabilities, advertisers can tailor their promotions and campaigns to the right audience, while optimizing for performance.”

    twitter offers

    Twitter will encrypt and store users’ card information so future offers are easier to take advantage of. The info can also be removed at any time if the user prefers.

    Twitter is only testing the Offers with a few brands for now, and it’s only in the U.S. until further notice.

    This follows Twitter’s previously announced testing of a buy button, which you can currently use from select brands.

    Images via Twitter

  • Amazon Starts Black Friday Deals Early

    Amazon Starts Black Friday Deals Early

    Amazon announced that it’s starting its Black Friday deals early. In fact, they’re starting a week early on November 21.

    The company will be adding new deals every ten minutes for eight straight days, so people are going to be spending a lot of time over the next week checking Amazon.

    They’ll introduce three “coveted” Deals of the Day starting on Thanksgiving at midnight, and then three more on Black Friday itself. This is in addition to thousands of limited-time “Lightning Deals” that will appear on amazon.com/blackfriday.

    “Our customers are redefining Black Friday shopping. They want to stay home with family, enjoy some turkey and football and shop the hottest deals from their phone, tablet or PC,” said Steve Shure, Amazon Vice President Worldwide Marketing. “Starting November 21, we will add new deals as often as every 10 minutes, for eight days, including tech, toys, tools and more.”

    Customers can also give to charity while doing their Black Friday shopping. If you go to smile.amazon.com/blackfriday, you can find the same deals, but with the bonus that Amazon will donate a portion of the purchase to charity.

    For today only, Amazon Appstore is offering SpinArt for free. Starting on Thanksgiving, it will offer a free app of the day bundle, featuring over $115 in paid apps and games.

    Image via Amazon

  • Groupon Earnings Released, Revenue Up 27%

    Groupon just released its earnings for the third quarter with revenue up 27% year-over-year at $757.1 million, GAAP loss per share of $0.03, and non-GAAP earnings per share of $0.03.

    The company beat Wall Street expectations.

    “We had another record quarter, with worldwide billings increasing 39 percent and reaching their highest level ever,” said CEO Eric Lefkofsky. “We also made significant progress in our strategy to become the leading mobile commerce destination, with double-digit growth in our North American Local business, double-digit gross margins in North American Goods and positive Adjusted EBITDA in every segment for the first time in over a year.”

    Gross billings totaled $1.86 billion for the quarter. At the end of the quarter, active deals were 300,000 globally, compared to 240,000 at the end of the second quarter. Active customers grew 24% year-over-year.

    Here’s the release in its entirety:

    CHICAGO–(BUSINESS WIRE)– Groupon, Inc. (NASDAQ: GRPN) today announced financial results for the quarter ended September 30, 2014.

    “We had another record quarter, with worldwide billings increasing 39 percent and reaching their highest level ever,” said Eric Lefkofsky, CEO of Groupon. “We also made significant progress in our strategy to become the leading mobile commerce destination, with double-digit growth in our North American Local business, double-digit gross margins in North American Goods and positive Adjusted EBITDA in every segment for the first time in over a year.”

    Third Quarter 2014 Summary

    • Gross billings, which reflect the total dollar value of customer purchases of goods and services, excluding applicable taxes and net of estimated refunds, increased 39% globally to $1.86 billion in the third quarter 2014, compared with $1.34 billion in the third quarter 2013. North America billings increased 16%, EMEA increased 10% and Rest of World increased 155%, driven by the first-quarter acquisition of Ticket Monster.
    • Revenue increased 27%, to $757.1 million in the third quarter 2014, compared with $595.1 million in the third quarter 2013.North America revenue increased 16%, EMEA increased 56% and Rest of World increased 26%.
    • Gross profit was $380.1 million in the third quarter 2014, compared with $359.6 million in the third quarter 2013.
    • Adjusted EBITDA, a non-GAAP financial measure, was $67.0 million in the third quarter 2014, compared with $62.3 million in the third quarter 2013, reflecting SG&A expense related to the Ticket Monster and ideel acquisitions, as well as an increase in overall marketing expense.
    • Third quarter 2014 net loss attributable to common stockholders was $21.2 million, or $0.03 per share. Earnings per share excluding stock compensation, amortization of acquired intangible assets, and acquisition-related costs of $46.1 million (or$38.7 million net of tax), a non-GAAP financial measure, was $0.03 per share.
    • Third quarter results included $18.6 million of pre-tax non-operating foreign currency losses and a $7.7 million decrease in liabilities for uncertain tax positions.
    • Operating cash flow for the trailing twelve months ended September 30, 2014 was $180.3 million. Free cash flow, a non-GAAP financial measure, was $25.4 million in the third quarter 2014, bringing free cash flow for the trailing twelve months endedSeptember 30, 2014 to $92.9 million.
    • At the end of the quarter, Groupon had $855.2 million in cash and cash equivalents.

    Definitions and reconciliations of all non-GAAP financial measures are included below in the section titled ”Non-GAAP Financial Measures” and in the accompanying tables.

    Highlights

    • Units: Global units, defined as vouchers and products sold before cancellations and refunds, increased 92% year-over-year to 88 million in the third quarter 2014. North America units increased 11%, EMEA units increased 30% and Rest of World units increased 316%.
    • Active deals: At the end of the third quarter 2014, on average, active deals were approximately 300,000 globally, compared with more than 240,000 at the end of the second quarter 2014. North American active deals increased to over 120,000.
    • Active customers: Active customers, or customers that have purchased a voucher or product within the last twelve months, grew 24% year-over-year, to 52.7 million as of September 30, 2014, comprising 23.5 million in North America, 14.9 million in EMEA, and 14.3 million in Rest of World.
    • Customer spend: Third quarter 2014 trailing twelve month billings per average active customer was $149, compared with$141 in the second quarter 2014.
    • Mobile: Mobile mix, as measured by transactions completed on mobile devices, remains over half of the business. Over 100 million people have now downloaded Groupon mobile apps worldwide.
    • Marketplace: The rollout of Groupon’s marketplace (“Pull”) continued to gain traction. In the third quarter 2014, approximately 10% of total traffic in North America searched, with customers who searched spending significantly more than those who did not.
    • Rest of World: Rest of World billings grew 155% in the third quarter 2014, driven by Ticket Monster. As a result of the significant growth opportunities that exist for Ticket Monster, as well as for the Asian business more broadly, the company has hired financial advisers to evaluate a range of financing and strategic alternatives for those businesses that would, if pursued, unlock shareholder value.

    Share Repurchase Program

    During the third quarter 2014, Groupon repurchased 1,349,712 shares of its Class A common stock at an average price of $6.16 per share, for an aggregate purchase price of $8.3 million. Under the existing authorization, Groupon has repurchased a total of 26,087,004 shares at an average price of $7.30 per share, for an aggregate purchase price of $190.4 million. Groupon is authorized to repurchase up to an additional $109.6 million of Class A common stock under the August 2013 share repurchase authorization. The program, which is intended to partially offset dilution from employee stock grants, terminates in August 2015.

    2014 Investor and Analyst Day

    Groupon will be hosting its first Investor and Analyst Day on Tuesday, November 11, 2014 in Chicago. A live webcast of the event will be available on the company’s investor relations website at http://investor.groupon.com.

    Outlook

    Significant movement in foreign exchange rates, the Euro in particular, has led to an approximately $7 million negative impact on Groupon’s Adjusted EBITDA estimate since the company last provided full year guidance.

    For the fourth quarter 2014, reflecting current foreign exchange rates, Groupon expects revenue of between $875 million and $925 million, Adjusted EBITDA of between $80 million and $100 million, and non-GAAP earnings per share excluding stock compensation, amortization of acquired intangible assets, and acquisition-related expenses, net of tax, of between $0.02 and $0.04.

    Conference Call

    A conference call will be webcast live today at 4:00 p.m. CT / 5:00 p.m. ET, and will be available on Groupon’s investor relations website at http://investor.groupon.com. This call will contain forward-looking statements and other material information regarding the Company’s financial and operating results.

    Groupon encourages investors to use its investor relations website as a way of easily finding information about the company.Groupon promptly makes available on this website, free of charge, the reports that the company files or furnishes with the SEC, corporate governance information (including Groupon’s Global Code of Conduct), and select press releases and social media postings.

    Non-GAAP Financial Measures

    In addition to financial results reported in accordance with U.S. generally accepted accounting principles (U.S. GAAP), we have provided the following non-GAAP financial measures in this release and the accompanying tables: foreign exchange rate neutral operating results, Adjusted EBITDA, free cash flow and earnings (loss) per share excluding stock-based compensation, amortization of acquired intangible assets, and acquisition-related expense (benefit), net. These non-GAAP financial measures are presented to aid investors in better understanding Groupon’s performance and to facilitate comparisons to many of our peers who present similar measures. However, these measures are not intended to be a substitute for those reported in accordance with U.S. GAAP. These measures may be different from non-GAAP financial measures used by other companies, even when similar terms are used to identify such measures. For reconciliations of these measures to the most applicable financial measures under U.S. GAAP, see ”Non-GAAP Reconciliation Schedules” and ”Supplemental Financial Information and Business Metrics” included in the tables accompanying this release.

    We exclude the following items from one or more of our non-GAAP financial measures:

    Stock-based compensation. We exclude stock-based compensation because it is primarily non-cash in nature and we believe that non-GAAP financial measures excluding this item provide meaningful supplemental information about our operating performance and liquidity.

    Acquisition-related expense (benefit), net. Acquisition-related expense (benefit), net is comprised of the change in the fair value of contingent consideration arrangements and, beginning in the fourth quarter of 2013, also includes external transaction costs related to business combinations, primarily consisting of legal and advisory fees. External transaction costs were not material for periods prior to the fourth quarter of 2013 presented in this release and the accompanying tables. The composition of our contingent consideration arrangements and the impact of those arrangements on our operating results vary over time based on a number of factors, including the terms of our business combinations and the timing of those transactions. We exclude acquisition-related expense (benefit), net because we believe that non-GAAP financial measures excluding this item provide meaningful supplemental information about our operating performance and facilitate comparisons to our historical operating results.

    Depreciation and amortization. We exclude depreciation and amortization expenses because they are non-cash in nature and we believe that non-GAAP financial measures excluding these items provide meaningful supplemental information about our operating performance and liquidity.

    Descriptions of the non-GAAP financial measures included in this release and the accompanying tables are as follows:

    Foreign exchange rate neutral operating results show our current period operating results as if foreign currency exchange rates had remained the same as those in effect in the comparable prior-year period.

    Adjusted EBITDA is a non-GAAP financial measure that we define as net income (loss) excluding income taxes, interest and other non-operating items, depreciation and amortization, stock-based compensation, and acquisition-related expense (benefit), net. Our definition of Adjusted EBITDA may differ from similar measures used by other companies, even when similar terms are used to identify such measures. Adjusted EBITDA is a key measure used by our management and Board of Directors to evaluate operating performance, generate future plans and make strategic decisions regarding the allocation of capital. Accordingly, we believe that Adjusted EBITDA provides useful information to investors and others in understanding and evaluating our operating results in the same manner as our management and Board of Directors.

    Earnings (loss) per share excluding stock-based compensation, amortization of acquired intangible assets, and acquisition-related expense (benefit), net is a non-GAAP financial measure that adjusts our earnings (loss) per share to exclude the impact of stock-based compensation expense, amortization of acquired intangible assets, and acquisition-related expense (benefit), net, and the income tax effect of those items. We believe that this non-GAAP financial measure provides useful supplemental information for evaluating our operating performance.

    We previously changed our non-GAAP earnings (loss) per share measure, effective beginning with the first quarter 2014, to exclude amortization of acquired intangible assets, net of tax, in addition to stock compensation and acquisition-related expenses, which we excluded historically. Due to our significant acquisition activity in January 2014 and potential acquisition activity in the future, we believe that excluding the impact of this item from our non-GAAP earnings (loss) per share measure enables more meaningful comparisons with our historical results.

    Free cash flow is a non-GAAP financial measure that comprises net cash provided by (used in) operating activities less purchases of property and equipment and capitalized software. We use free cash flow, and ratios based on it, to conduct and evaluate our business because, although it is similar to cash flow from operations, we believe that it typically represents a more useful measure of cash flows because purchases of fixed assets, software developed for internal use and website development costs are necessary components of our ongoing operations. Free cash flow is not intended to represent the total increase or decrease in Groupon’s cash balance for the applicable period.

    Note on Forward-Looking Statements

    The statements contained in this release that refer to plans and expectations for the next quarter, the full year or the future are forward-looking statements that involve a number of risks and uncertainties, and actual results could differ materially from those discussed. The risks and uncertainties that could cause our results to differ materially from those included in the forward-looking statements include, but are not limited to, volatility in our revenue and operating results; risks related to our business strategy; including our marketing strategy and spend; responding to changes in the market; effectively dealing with challenges arising from our international operations; retaining existing customers and adding new customers; retaining and adding new and high quality merchants; cyber security breaches; incurring expenses as we expand our business; competing against smaller competitors and competitors with more financial resources than us; maintaining favorable terms with our business partners; maintaining a strong brand; managing inventory and order fulfillment risks; integrating our technology platforms; managing refund risks; retaining our executive team; litigation; regulations, including the CARD Act and regulation of the Internet; tax liabilities; tax legislation; maintaining our information technology infrastructure; protecting our intellectual property; handling acquisitions, joint ventures and strategic investments effectively; seasonality; payment-related risks; customer and merchant fraud; global economic uncertainty; compliance with rules and regulations associated with being a public company; and our ability to raise capital if necessary. We urge you to refer to the factors included under the headings ”Risk Factors” and ”Management’s Discussion and Analysis of Financial Condition and Results of Operations” in the company’s Annual Report on Form 10-K and subsequent Quarterly Reports on Form 10-Q, copies of which may be obtained by visiting the company’s Investor Relations web site at http://investor.groupon.com or the SEC’sweb site at www.sec.gov. Groupon’s actual results could differ materially from those predicted or implied and reported results should not be considered an indication of future performance.

    You should not rely upon forward-looking statements as predictions of future events. Although Groupon believes that the expectations reflected in the forward-looking statements are reasonable, it cannot guarantee that the future results, levels of activity, performance or events and circumstances reflected in the forward-looking statements will be achieved or occur. Moreover, neither the company nor any other person assumes responsibility for the accuracy and completeness of the forward-looking statements. The forward-looking statements reflect Groupon’s expectations as of October 30, 2014. Groupon undertakes no obligation to update publicly any forward-looking statements for any reason after the date of this release to conform these statements to actual results or to changes in its expectations.

    About Groupon

    Groupon (NASDAQ: GRPN) is a global leader of local commerce and the place you start when you want to buy just about anything, anytime, anywhere. By leveraging the company’s global relationships and scale, Groupon offers consumers a vast marketplace of unbeatable deals all over the world. Shoppers discover the best a city has to offer on the web or on mobile with Groupon Local, enjoy vacations with Groupon Getaways, and find a curated selection of electronics, fashion, home furnishings and more with Groupon Goods.

    Groupon is redefining how traditional small businesses attract, retain and interact with customers by providing merchants with a suite of products and services, including customizable deal campaigns, credit card payment processing capabilities, and point-of-sale solutions that help businesses grow and operate more effectively. To search for great deals or subscribe to Groupon emails, visitwww.Groupon.com. To download Groupon’s five-star mobile apps, visit www.groupon.com/mobile. To learn more about the company’s merchant solutions and how to work with Groupon, visit www.GrouponWorks.com.

    Groupon, Inc.
    Summary Consolidated and Segment Results
    (in thousands, except share and per share amounts)
    (unaudited)
    Three Months Ended Y/Y % Nine Months Ended Y/Y %
    September 30, Growth September 30, Growth
    Y/Y % excluding Y/Y % excluding
    2014 2013 Growth FX Effect (2) FX (2) 2014 2013 Growth FX Effect (2) FX (2)
    Gross Billings (1):
    North America $ 774,286 $ 664,999 16.4 % $ (484 ) 16.5 % $ 2,354,900 $ 2,058,523 14.4 % $ (1,995 ) 14.5 %
    EMEA 489,423 443,318 10.4 % 2,156 9.9 % 1,486,266 1,417,886 4.8 % 38,788 2.1 %
    Rest of World 597,026 234,331 154.8 % 18,080 147.1 % 1,655,826 687,814 140.7 % 1,949 140.5 %
    Consolidated gross billings $ 1,860,735 $ 1,342,648 38.6 % $ 19,752 37.1 % $ 5,496,992 $ 4,164,223 32.0 % $ 38,742 31.1 %
    Revenue:
    North America $ 418,494 $ 360,838 16.0 % $ (109 ) 16.0 % $ 1,273,487 $ 1,077,574 18.2 % $ (601 ) 18.2 %
    EMEA 230,072 147,950 55.5 % 881 54.9 % 688,655 491,710 40.1 % 18,079 36.4 %
    Rest of World 108,488 86,271 25.8 % (430 ) 26.3 % 304,125 235,924 28.9 % (12,854 ) 34.4 %
    Consolidated revenue $ 757,054 $ 595,059 27.2 % $ 342 27.2 % $ 2,266,267 $ 1,805,208 25.5 % $ 4,624 25.3 %
    (Loss) income from operations $ (5,429 ) $ 13,812 (139.3 ) % $ (159 ) (138.2 ) % $ (33,236 ) $ 62,402 (153.3 ) % $ 2,325 (157.0 ) %
    Net loss attributable to Groupon, Inc. $ (21,208 ) $ (2,580 ) $ (81,878 ) $ (14,146 )
    Net loss per share
    Basic $ (0.03 ) $ (0.00 ) $ (0.12 ) $ (0.02 )
    Diluted $ (0.03 ) $ (0.00 ) $ (0.12 ) $ (0.02 )
    Weighted average number of shares outstanding
    Basic 669,526,524 666,432,848 675,814,535 662,531,567
    Diluted 669,526,524 666,432,848 675,814,535 662,531,567
    (1) Represents the total dollar value of customer purchases of goods and services, excluding applicable taxes and net of estimated refunds.
    (2) Represents the change in financial measures that would have resulted had average exchange rates in the reporting periods been the same as those in effect during the three and nine months ended September 30, 2013.
    Groupon, Inc.
    Condensed Consolidated Statements of Cash Flows
    (in thousands)
    (unaudited)
    Three Months Ended Nine Months Ended
    September 30, September 30,
    2014 2013 2014 2013
    Operating activities
    Net loss $ (19,018 ) $ (1,292 ) $ (75,303 ) $ (10,085 )
    Adjustments to reconcile net loss to net cash provided by (used in) operating activities:
    Depreciation and amortization of property, equipment and software 26,317 17,816 71,476 49,186
    Amortization of acquired intangible assets 11,829 5,333 36,068 16,131
    Stock-based compensation 34,574 26,870 89,958 89,223
    Deferred income taxes (2,472 ) (659 ) (1,956 ) (1,225 )
    Excess tax benefits on stock-based compensation (2,641 ) (8,348 ) (12,573 ) (12,116 )
    Loss on equity method investments 91 25 459 58
    Net gain from changes in fair value of contingent consideration (1,020 ) (1,529 ) (1,059 ) (2,276 )
    Impairment of investments 1,448 – 2,036 –
    Change in assets and liabilities, net of acquisitions:
    Restricted cash 6,040 (3,348 ) 6,961 (81 )
    Accounts receivable (2,002 ) 11,940 (29,267 ) 8,999
    Prepaid expenses and other current assets (26,499 ) (2,846 ) (32,397 ) 13,146
    Accounts payable (3,811 ) (3,036 ) (8,964 ) (25,867 )
    Accrued merchant and supplier payables (19,274 ) (34,315 ) (61,219 ) (72,290 )
    Accrued expenses and other current liabilities 9,790 (20,553 ) (27,091 ) (27,790 )
    Other, net 32,114 2,037 44,873 15,144
    Net cash provided by (used in) operating activities 45,466 (11,905 ) 2,002 40,157
    Net cash used in investing activities (20,461 ) (26,444 ) (193,567 ) (72,985 )
    Net cash used in financing activities (16,823 ) (8,970 ) (173,068 ) (26,253 )
    Effect of exchange rate changes on cash and cash equivalents (21,102 ) 5,165 (20,671 ) (10,351 )
    Net decrease in cash and cash equivalents (12,920 ) (42,154 ) (385,304 ) (69,432 )
    Cash and cash equivalents, beginning of period 868,088 1,182,011 1,240,472 1,209,289
    Cash and cash equivalents, end of period $ 855,168 $ 1,139,857 $ 855,168 $ 1,139,857
    Groupon, Inc.
    Condensed Consolidated Statements of Operations
    (in thousands, except share and per share amounts)
    (unaudited)
    Three Months Ended September 30, Nine Months Ended September 30,
    2014 2013 2014 2013
    Revenue:
    Third party and other $ 399,803 $ 394,987 $ 1,232,173 $ 1,252,966
    Direct 357,251 200,072 1,034,094 552,242
    Total revenue 757,054 595,059 2,266,267 1,805,208
    Cost of revenue:
    Third party and other 61,497 54,001 182,226 179,524
    Direct 315,413 181,436 928,314 502,359
    Total cost of revenue 376,910 235,437 1,110,540 681,883
    Gross profit 380,144 359,622 1,155,727 1,123,325
    Operating expenses:
    Marketing 59,935 53,265 203,134 158,319
    Selling, general and administrative 325,942 294,074 983,751 904,880
    Acquisition-related (benefit) expense, net (304 ) (1,529 ) 2,078 (2,276 )
    Total operating expenses 385,573 345,810 1,188,963 1,060,923
    (Loss) income from operations (5,429 ) 13,812 (33,236 ) 62,402
    Other (expense) income, net (1) (20,023 ) 832 (21,886 ) (9,830 )
    (Loss) income before (benefit) provision for income taxes (25,452 ) 14,644 (55,122 ) 52,572
    (Benefit) provision for income taxes (6,434 ) 15,936 20,181 62,657
    Net loss (19,018 ) (1,292 ) (75,303 ) (10,085 )
    Net income attributable to noncontrolling interests (2,190 ) (1,288 ) (6,575 ) (4,061 )
    Net loss attributable to Groupon, Inc. $ (21,208 ) $ (2,580 ) $ (81,878 ) $ (14,146 )
    Net loss per share
    Basic $ (0.03 ) $ (0.00 ) $ (0.12 ) $ (0.02 )
    Diluted $ (0.03 ) $ (0.00 ) $ (0.12 ) $ (0.02 )
    Weighted average number of shares outstanding
    Basic 669,526,524 666,432,848 675,814,535 662,531,567
    Diluted 669,526,524 666,432,848 675,814,535 662,531,567
    (1) Other (expense) income, net includes foreign currency (losses) gains of ($18,638) and $326 for the three months endedSeptember 30, 2014 and 2013, respectively, and ($20,108) and ($11,156) for the nine months ended September 30, 2014 and 2013, respectively.
    Groupon, Inc.
    Condensed Consolidated Balance Sheets
    (in thousands, except share and per share amounts)
    September 30, 2014 December 31, 2013
    (unaudited)
    Assets
    Current assets:
    Cash and cash equivalents $ 855,168 $ 1,240,472
    Accounts receivable, net 124,598 83,673
    Deferred income taxes 26,564 27,938  
    Prepaid expenses and other current assets 243,750 210,415
    Total current assets 1,250,080 1,562,498
    Property, equipment and software, net 170,534 134,423
    Goodwill 441,290 220,827
    Intangible assets, net 119,810 28,443
    Investments 23,639 20,652
    Deferred income taxes, non-current 44,709 35,941
    Other non-current assets 22,103 39,226
    Total Assets $ 2,072,165 $ 2,042,010  
    Liabilities and Equity
    Current liabilities:
    Accounts payable $ 25,848 $ 27,573
    Accrued merchant and supplier payables 754,628 752,943
    Accrued expenses 223,677 226,986
    Deferred income taxes 44,787 47,558
    Other current liabilities 134,116 132,718
    Total current liabilities 1,183,056 1,187,778
    Deferred income taxes, non-current 9,668 10,853
    Other non-current liabilities 151,486 131,697
    Total Liabilities 1,344,210 1,330,328
    Commitments and contingencies
    Stockholders’ Equity
    Class A common stock, par value $0.0001 per share, 2,000,000,000 shares authorized, 694,272,530 shares issued and 668,185,526 shares outstanding atSeptember 30, 2014 and 670,149,976 shares issued and 665,717,176 shares outstanding at December 31, 2013 70 67
    Class B common stock, par value $0.0001 per share, 10,000,000 shares authorized, 2,399,976 shares issued and outstanding at September 30, 2014 and December 31, 2013 – –
    Common stock, par value $0.0001 per share, 2,010,000,000 shares authorized, no shares issued and outstanding at September 30, 2014 and December 31, 2013 – –
    Additional paid-in capital 1,814,040 1,584,211
    Treasury stock, at cost, 26,087,004 shares at September 30, 2014 and 4,432,800 shares at December 31, 2013 (190,355 ) (46,587 )
    Accumulated deficit (930,748 ) (848,870 )
    Accumulated other comprehensive income 34,948 24,830
    Total Groupon, Inc. Stockholders’ Equity 727,955 713,651
    Noncontrolling interests – (1,969 )
    Total Equity 727,955 711,682
    Total Liabilities and Equity $ 2,072,165 $ 2,042,010
    Groupon, Inc.
    Segment Information
    (in thousands)
    (unaudited)
    Three Months Ended September 30, Nine Months Ended September 30,
    2014 2013 2014 2013
    North America
    Gross billings (1) $ 774,286 $ 664,999 $ 2,354,900 $ 2,058,523
    Revenue $ 418,494 $ 360,838 $ 1,273,487 $ 1,077,574
    Segment cost of revenue and operating expenses (2) 405,910 335,670 1,234,973 962,532
    Segment operating income (2) $ 12,584 $ 25,168 $ 38,514 $ 115,042
    Segment operating income as a percent of segment gross billings 1.6 % 3.8 % 1.6 % 5.6 %
    Segment operating income as a percent of segment revenue 3.0 % 7.0 % 3.0 % 10.7 %
    EMEA
    Gross billings (1) $ 489,423 $ 443,318 $ 1,486,266 $ 1,417,886
    Revenue $ 230,072 $ 147,950 $ 688,655 $ 491,710
    Segment cost of revenue and operating expenses (2) 207,643 132,346 619,594 417,222
    Segment operating income (2) $ 22,429 $ 15,604 $ 69,061 $ 74,488
    Segment operating income as a percent of segment gross billings 4.6 % 3.5 % 4.6 % 5.3 %
    Segment operating income as a percent of segment revenue 9.7 % 10.5 % 10.0 % 15.1 %
    Rest of World
    Gross billings (1) $ 597,026 $ 234,331 $ 1,655,826 $ 687,814
    Revenue $ 108,488 $ 86,271 $ 304,125 $ 235,924
    Segment cost of revenue and operating expenses (2) 114,660 87,890 352,900 276,105
    Segment operating loss (2) $ (6,172 ) $ (1,619 ) $ (48,775 ) $ (40,181 )
    Segment operating loss as a percent of segment gross billings (1.0 ) % (0.7 ) % (2.9 ) % (5.8 ) %
    Segment operating loss as a percent of segment revenue (5.7 ) % (1.9 ) % (16.0 ) % (17.0 ) %
    (1) Represents the total dollar value of customer purchases of goods and services, excluding applicable taxes and net of estimated refunds.
    (2) Segment cost of revenue and operating expenses and segment operating income (loss) exclude stock-based compensation and acquisition-related (benefit) expense, net.
    Groupon, Inc.
    Non-GAAP Reconciliation Schedules
    (in thousands, except share and per share amounts)
    (unaudited)
    Adjusted EBITDA and earnings per share excluding stock-based compensation, amortization of acquired intangible assets and acquisition-related (benefit) expense, net of tax, are non-GAAP financial measures. The Company reconciles Adjusted EBITDA to the most comparable U.S. GAAP financial measure, ”Net loss,” for the periods presented and the Company reconciles earnings per share excluding stock-based compensation, amortization of acquired intangible assets and acquisition-related (benefit) expense, net to the most comparable U.S. GAAP financial measure, ”Diluted net loss per share,” for the periods presented.
    The following is a quarterly reconciliation of Adjusted EBITDA to the most comparable U.S. GAAP financial measure, ”Net loss.”
    Q3 2013 Q4 2013 Q1 2014 Q2 2014 Q3 2014
    Net loss $ (1,292 ) $ (78,861 ) $ (35,363 ) $ (20,922 ) $ (19,018 )
    Adjustments:
    Stock-based compensation 26,870 32,239 23,729 31,655 34,574
    Acquisition-related (benefit) expense, net (1,529 ) 2,265 1,785 597 (304 )
    Depreciation and amortization 23,149 24,132 34,740 34,658 38,146
    Other (income) expense, net (832 ) 84,833 840 1,023 20,023
    Provision (benefit) for income taxes 15,936 7,380 14,570 12,045 (6,434 )
    Total adjustments 63,594 150,849 75,664 79,978 86,005
    Adjusted EBITDA $ 62,302 $ 71,988 $ 40,301 $ 59,056 $ 66,987
    The following is a reconciliation of diluted net loss per share to diluted earnings per share excluding stock-based compensation, amortization of acquired intangible assets and acquisition-related (benefit) expense, net for the three and nine months endedSeptember 30, 2014:
    Three Months Ended Nine Months Ended
    September 30, 2014 September 30, 2014
    Net loss attributable to common stockholders $ (21,208 ) $ (81,878 )
    Stock-based compensation 34,574 89,958
    Amortization of acquired intangible assets 11,829 36,068
    Acquisition-related (benefit) expense, net (304 ) 2,078
    Income tax effect of adjustments (7,361 ) (31,090 )
    Net earnings attributable to common stockholders excluding stock-based compensation,
    amortization of acquired intangible assets and acquisition-related (benefit) expense, net $ 17,530 $ 15,136
    Diluted shares 669,526,524 675,814,535
    Incremental diluted shares 8,907,050 10,317,632
    Adjusted diluted shares 678,433,574 686,132,167
    Diluted net loss per share $ (0.03 ) $ (0.12 )
    Impact of stock-based compensation, amortization of acquired intangible assets
    and acquisition-related (benefit) expense, net (1) 0.06 0.14
    Diluted earnings per share excluding stock-based compensation, amortization of acquired
    intangible assets and acquisition-related (benefit) expense, net (1) $ 0.03 $ 0.02
    (1) The sum of per share amounts for quarterly periods may not equal year-to-date amounts due to rounding.
    Foreign exchange rate neutral operating results are non-GAAP financial measures. The Company reconciles foreign exchange rate neutral operating results to the most comparable U.S. GAAP financial measures, ”Gross billings,” ”Revenue” and ”(Loss) income from operations,” respectively, for the periods presented. The Company reconciles ”foreign exchange rate neutral Gross billings growth” and ”foreign exchange rate neutral Revenue growth” to year-over-year growth rates for the most comparable U.S. GAAP financial measures, ”Gross billings growth” and ”Revenue growth,” respectively, for the periods presented.
    The effect on the Company’s gross billings, revenue and loss from operations from changes in exchange rates versus the U.S. Dollar for the three months ended September 30, 2014 was as follows:
    Three Months Ended September 30, 2014 Three Months Ended September 30, 2014
    At Avg. Exchange At Avg. Exchange
    Q3 2013 Rate As Q2 2014 Rate As
    Rates (1) Effect (2) Reported Rates (3) Effect (2) Reported
    Gross billings $ 1,840,983 $ 19,752 $ 1,860,735 $ 1,877,385 $ (16,650 ) $ 1,860,735
    Revenue $ 756,712 $ 342 $ 757,054 $ 765,015 $ (7,961 ) $ 757,054
    Loss from operations $ (5,270 ) $ (159 ) $ (5,429 ) $ (5,335 ) $ (94 ) $ (5,429 )
    The effect on the Company’s gross billings, revenue and (loss) income from operations from changes in exchange rates versus the U.S. Dollar for the nine months ended September 30, 2014 was as follows:
    Nine Months Ended September 30, 2014 Nine Months Ended September 30, 2014
    At Avg. Exchange At Avg. Exchange
    Q3 2013 YTD Rate As Q4’13 – Q2’14 Rate As
    Rates (1) Effect (2) Reported Rates (3) Effect (2) Reported
    Gross billings $ 5,458,250 $ 38,742 $ 5,496,992 $ 5,503,487 $ (6,495 ) $ 5,496,992
    Revenue $ 2,261,643 $ 4,624 $ 2,266,267 $ 2,273,122 $ (6,855 ) $ 2,266,267
    (Loss) income from operations $ (35,561 ) $ 2,325 $ (33,236 ) $ (33,353 ) $ 117 $ (33,236 )
    (1) Represents the financial statement balances that would have resulted had average exchange rates in the reporting period been the same as those in effect during the three and nine months ended September 30, 2013.
    (2) Represents the increase or decrease in reported amounts resulting from changes in exchange rates from those in effect in the comparable period.
    (3) Represents the financial statement balances that would have resulted had average exchange rates in the reporting periods been the same as those in effect during the three and nine months ended June 30, 2014.
    The following is a quarterly reconciliation of foreign exchange rate neutral Gross billings growth from the comparable quarterly periods of the prior year to reported Gross billings growth from the comparable quarterly periods of the prior year.
    Q3 2013 Q4 2013 Q1 2014 Q2 2014 Q3 2014
    EMEA Gross billings growth, excluding FX 9 % 3 % 1 % (4 ) % 10 %
    FX Effect 3 % 3 % 3 % 4 % – %
    EMEA Gross billings growth 12 % 6 % 4 % – % 10 %
    Rest of World Gross billings growth, excluding FX (4 ) % (2 ) % 133 % 141 % 147 %
    FX Effect (9 ) % (9 ) % (10 ) % 4 % 8 %
    Rest of World Gross billings growth (13 ) % (11 ) % 123 % 145 % 155 %
    Consolidated Gross billings growth, excluding FX 11 % 5 % 30 % 27 % 37 %
    FX Effect (1 ) % – % (1 ) % 2 % 2 %
    Consolidated Gross billings growth 10 % 5 % 29 % 29 % 39 %
    The following is a quarterly reconciliation of foreign exchange rate neutral Revenue growth from the comparable quarterly periods of the prior year to reported Revenue growth from the comparable quarterly periods of the prior year.
    Q3 2013 Q4 2013 Q1 2014 Q2 2014 Q3 2014
    EMEA Revenue growth, excluding FX (23 ) % 38 % 22 % 36 % 55 %
    FX Effect 2 % 5 % 4 % 6 % 1 %
    EMEA Revenue growth (21 ) % 43 % 26 % 42 % 56 %
    Rest of World Revenue growth, excluding FX 7 % (6 ) % 35 % 44 % 26 %
    FX Effect (11 ) % (9 ) % (12 ) % (4 ) % – %
    Rest of World Revenue growth (4 ) % (15 ) % 23 % 40 % 26 %
    Consolidated Revenue growth, excluding FX 6 % 20 % 26 % 22 % 27 %
    FX Effect (1 ) % – % – % 2 % – %
    Consolidated Revenue growth 5 % 20 % 26 % 24 % 27 %
    Groupon, Inc.
    Supplemental Financial Information and Business Metrics (11)
    (financial data in thousands; active customers in millions)
    (unaudited)
    Q3 2013 Q4 2013 Q1 2014 Q2 2014 Q3 2014
    Segments
    North America Segment:
    Gross Billings (1):
    Local (2) Gross Billings $ 405,913 $ 439,131 $ 456,952 $ 461,366 $ 446,573
    Goods Gross Billings 194,565 286,039 242,896 247,618 242,893
    Travel (2) Gross Billings 64,521 63,551 81,921 89,861 84,820
    Total Gross Billings $ 664,999 $ 788,721 $ 781,769 $ 798,845 $ 774,286
    Year-over-year growth 20 % 10 % 15 % 12 % 16 %
    % Third Party and Other 72 % 67 % 70 % 70 % 69 %
    % Direct 28 % 33 % 30 % 30 % 31 %
    Gross Billings Trailing Twelve Months (TTM) $ 2,777,475 $ 2,847,244 $ 2,947,694 $ 3,034,334 $ 3,143,621
    Revenue (3):
    Local Revenue $ 162,346 $ 161,601 $ 177,247 $ 164,500 $ 161,912
    Goods Revenue 185,914 268,281 237,435 241,626 238,955
    Travel Revenue 12,578 13,902 16,380 17,805 17,627
    Total Revenue $ 360,838 $ 443,784 $ 431,062 $ 423,931 $ 418,494
    Year-over-year growth 24 % 18 % 27 % 12 % 16 %
    % Third Party and Other 49 % 41 % 45 % 43 % 43 %
    % Direct 51 % 59 % 55 % 57 % 57 %
    Revenue TTM $ 1,452,925 $ 1,521,358 $ 1,612,866 $ 1,659,615 $ 1,717,271
    Gross Profit (4):
    Local Gross Profit $ 138,890 $ 140,944 $ 152,622 $ 142,674 $ 138,189
    % of North America Total Local Gross Billings 34.2 % 32.1 % 33.4 % 30.9 % 30.9 %
    Goods Gross Profit 21,609 21,030 12,604 22,961 23,953
    % of North America Total Goods Gross Billings 11.1 % 7.4 % 5.2 % 9.3 % 9.9 %
    Travel Gross Profit 11,070 12,352 14,442 14,365 14,000
    % of North America Total Travel Gross Billings 17.2 % 19.4 % 17.6 % 16.0 % 16.5 %
    Total Gross Profit $ 171,569 $ 174,326 $ 179,668 $ 180,000 $ 176,142
    Year-over-year growth 7 % 15 % 4 % (7 ) % 3 %
    % Third Party and Other 90 % 91 % 94 % 88 % 87 %
    % Direct 10 % 9 % 6 % 12 % 13 %
    % of North America Total Gross Billings 25.8 % 22.1 % 23.0 % 22.5 % 22.7 %
    EMEA Segment:
    Gross Billings:
    Local Gross Billings $ 207,803 $ 277,472 $ 262,141 $ 227,266 $ 218,615
    Goods Gross Billings 169,849 219,880 183,013 190,957 191,006
    Travel Gross Billings 65,666 68,361 68,434 65,032 79,802
    Total Gross Billings $ 443,318 $ 565,713 $ 513,588 $ 483,255 $ 489,423
    Year-over-year growth 12 % 6 % 4 % – % 10 %
    Year-over-year growth, excluding FX (5) 9 % 3 % 1 % (4 ) % 10 %
    % Third Party and Other 98 % 83 % 83 % 80 % 78 %
    % Direct 2 % 17 % 17 % 20 % 22 %
    Gross Billings TTM $ 1,950,367 $ 1,983,599 $ 2,004,869 $ 2,005,874 $ 2,051,979
    Revenue:
    Local Revenue $ 92,141 $ 116,061 $ 109,120 $ 96,485 $ 90,002
    Goods Revenue 41,279 119,274 106,889 115,413 123,110
    Travel Revenue 14,530 15,870 14,884 15,792 16,960
    Total Revenue $ 147,950 $ 251,205 $ 230,893 $ 227,690 $ 230,072
    Year-over-year growth (21 ) % 43 % 26 % 42 % 56 %
    Year-over-year growth, excluding FX (23 ) % 38 % 22 % 36 % 55 %
    % Third Party and Other 94 % 61 % 61 % 57 % 53 %
    % Direct 6 % 39 % 39 % 43 % 47 %
    Revenue TTM $ 667,988 $ 742,915 $ 790,010 $ 857,738 $ 939,860
    Gross Profit:
    Local Gross Profit $ 81,808 $ 105,210 $ 100,066 $ 90,373 $ 83,956
    % of EMEA Total Local Gross Billings 39.4 % 37.9 % 38.2 % 39.8 % 38.4 %
    Goods Gross Profit 28,943 33,526 27,302 35,432 32,252
    % of EMEA Total Goods Gross Billings 17.0 % 15.2 % 14.9 % 18.6 % 16.9 %
    Travel Gross Profit 12,930 14,457 13,669 14,894 15,440
    % of EMEA Total Travel Gross Billings 19.7 % 21.1 % 20.0 % 22.9 % 19.3 %
    Total Gross Profit $ 123,681 $ 153,193 $ 141,037 $ 140,699 $ 131,648
    Year-over-year growth (24 ) % 7 % (8 ) % 1 % 6 %
    % Third Party and Other 99 % 91 % 92 % 85 % 85 %
    % Direct 1 % 9 % 8 % 15 % 15 %
    % of EMEA Total Gross Billings 27.9 % 27.1 % 27.5 % 29.1 % 26.9 %
    Rest of World Segment:
    Gross Billings:
    Local Gross Billings $ 118,718 $ 116,824 $ 167,833 $ 170,237 $ 190,254
    Goods Gross Billings 78,973 89,451 283,091 281,300 289,210
    Travel Gross Billings 36,640 32,398 70,930 85,409 117,562
    Total Gross Billings $ 234,331 $ 238,673 $ 521,854 $ 536,946 $ 597,026
    Year-over-year growth (13 ) % (11 ) % 123 % 145 % 155 %
    Year-over-year growth, excluding FX (4 ) % (2 ) % 133 % 141 % 147 %
    % Third Party and Other 97 % 97 % 99 % 99 % 98 %
    % Direct 3 % 3 % 1 % 1 % 2 %
    Gross Billings TTM $ 956,833 $ 926,487 $ 1,214,209 $ 1,531,804 $ 1,894,499
    Revenue:
    Local Revenue $ 51,900 $ 40,847 $ 43,814 $ 42,711 $ 45,085
    Goods Revenue 25,061 26,158 41,855 45,537 48,889
    Travel Revenue 9,310 6,453 10,013 11,707 14,514
    Total Revenue $ 86,271 $ 73,458 $ 95,682 $ 99,955 $ 108,488
    Year-over-year growth (4 ) % (15 ) % 23 % 40 % 26 %
    Year-over-year growth, excluding FX 7 % (6 ) % 35 % 44 % 26 %
    % Third Party and Other 91 % 90 % 94 % 93 % 90 %
    % Direct 9 % 10 % 6 % 7 % 10 %
    Revenue TTM $ 322,597 $ 309,382 $ 327,014 $ 355,366 $ 377,583
    Gross Profit:
    Local Gross Profit $ 44,435 $ 33,596 $ 34,748 $ 35,618 $ 38,592
    % of Rest of World Total Local Gross Billings 37.4 % 28.8 % 20.7 % 20.9 % 20.3 %
    Goods Gross Profit 12,016 11,781 22,135 24,623 22,877
    % of Rest of World Total Goods Gross Billings 15.2 % 13.2 % 7.8 % 8.8 % 7.9 %
    Travel Gross Profit 7,921 5,312 8,133 8,922 10,885
    % of Rest of World Total Travel Gross Billings 21.6 % 16.4 % 11.5 % 10.4 % 9.3 %
    Total Gross Profit $ 64,372 $ 50,689 $ 65,016 $ 69,163 $ 72,354
    Year-over-year growth 1 % (16 ) % 23 % 37 % 12 %
    % Third Party and Other 99 % 101 % 102 % 100 % 102 %
    % Direct 1 % (1 ) % (2 ) % – % (2 ) %
    % of Rest of World Total Gross Billings 27.5 % 21.2 % 12.5 % 12.9 % 12.1 %
    Consolidated Results of Operations:
    Gross Billings:
    Local Gross Billings $ 732,434 $ 833,427 $ 886,926 $ 858,869 $ 855,442
    Goods Gross Billings 443,387 595,370 709,000 719,875 723,109
    Travel Gross Billings 166,827 164,310 221,285 240,302 282,184
    Total Gross Billings $ 1,342,648 $ 1,593,107 $ 1,817,211 $ 1,819,046 $ 1,860,735
    Year-over-year growth 10 % 5 % 29 % 29 % 39 %
    Year-over-year growth, excluding FX 11 % 5 % 30 % 27 % 37 %
    % Third Party and Other 85 % 77 % 82 % 81 % 81 %
    % Direct 15 % 23 % 18 % 19 % 19 %
    Gross Billings TTM $ 5,684,675 $ 5,757,330 $ 6,166,772 $ 6,572,012 $ 7,090,099
    Year-over-year growth 12 % 7 % 14 % 18 % 25 %
    Revenue:
    Local Revenue $ 306,387 $ 318,509 $ 330,181 $ 303,696 $ 296,999
    Goods Revenue 252,254 413,713 386,179 402,576 410,954
    Travel Revenue 36,418 36,225 41,277 45,304 49,101
    Total Revenue $ 595,059 $ 768,447 $ 757,637 $ 751,576 $ 757,054
    Year-over-year growth 5 % 20 % 26 % 23 % 27 %
    Year-over-year growth, excluding FX 6 % 20 % 26 % 22 % 27 %
    % Third Party and Other 66 % 52 % 56 % 54 % 53 %
    % Direct 34 % 48 % 44 % 46 % 47 %
    Revenue TTM  $ 2,443,510 $ 2,573,655 $ 2,729,890 $ 2,872,719 $ 3,034,714
    Year-over-year growth 12 % 10 % 15 % 19 % 24 %
    Gross Profit:
    Local Gross Profit $ 265,133 $ 279,750 $ 287,436 $ 268,665 $ 260,737
    % of Total Consolidated Local Gross Billings 36.2 % 33.6 % 32.4 % 31.3 % 30.5 %
    Goods Gross Profit 62,568 66,337 62,041 83,016 79,082
    % of Total Consolidated Goods Gross Billings 14.1 % 11.1 % 8.8 % 11.5 % 10.9 %
    Travel Gross Profit 31,921 32,121 36,244 38,181 40,325
    % of Total Consolidated Travel Gross Billings 19.1 % 19.5 % 16.4 % 15.9 % 14.3 %
    Total Gross Profit $ 359,622 $ 378,208 $ 385,721 $ 389,862 $ 380,144
    Year-over-year growth (7 ) % 6 % 2 % 1 % 6 %
    % Third Party and Other 95 % 92 % 94 % 89 % 89 %
    % Direct 5 % 8 % 6 % 11 % 11 %
    % of Total Consolidated Gross Billings 26.8 % 23.7 % 21.2 % 21.4 % 20.4 %
    Adjusted EBITDA $ 62,302 $ 71,988 $ 40,301 $ 59,056 $ 66,987
    % of Total Consolidated Gross Billings 4.6 % 4.5 % 2.2 % 3.2 % 3.6 %
    % of Total Consolidated Revenue 10.5 % 9.4 % 5.3 % 7.9 % 8.8 %
    Free cash flow is a non-GAAP financial measure. The following is a reconciliation of free cash flow to the most comparable U.S. GAAP financial measure, ”Net cash provided by (used in) operating activities.”
    Net cash (used in) provided by operating activities $ (11,905 ) $ 178,275 $ (20,717 ) $ (22,747 ) $ 45,466
    Purchases of property and equipment and capitalized software (15,064 ) (19,931 ) (16,355 ) (31,053 ) (20,053 )
    Free cash flow $ (26,969 ) $ 158,344 $ (37,072 ) $ (53,800 ) $ 25,413
    Net cash provided by operating activities (TTM) $ 105,874 $ 218,432 $ 188,955 $ 122,906 $ 180,277
    Purchases of property and equipment and capitalized software (TTM) (83,608 ) (63,505 ) (65,392 ) (82,403 ) (87,392 )
    Free cash flow (TTM) $ 22,266 $ 154,927 $ 123,563 $ 40,503 $ 92,885
    Net cash used in investing activities $ (26,444 ) $ (23,330 ) $ (138,608 ) $ (34,498 ) $ (20,461 )
    Net cash used in financing activities $ (8,970 ) $ (55,444 ) $ (41,492 ) $ (114,753 ) $ (16,823 )
    Net cash used in investing activities (TTM) $ (125,738 ) $ (96,315 ) $ (204,244 ) $ (222,880 ) $ (216,897 )
    Net cash used in financing activities (TTM) $ (32,748 ) $ (81,697 ) $ (113,847 ) $ (220,659 ) $ (228,512 )
    Other Metrics:
    Active Customers (6)
    North America 19.9 20.8 21.8 22.6 23.5
    EMEA 14.0 14.2 14.5 14.5 14.9
    Rest of World (7) 8.7 8.7 14.1 14.5 14.3
    Total Active Customers (8) 42.6 43.7 50.4 51.6 52.7
    TTM Gross Billings / Average Active Customer (9)
    North America $ 155 $ 150 $ 147 $ 145 $ 145
    EMEA $ 137 $ 139 $ 141 $ 141 $ 142
    Rest of World (7) $ 109 $ 104 $ 106 $ 132 $ 165
    Consolidated (8) $ 139 $ 137 $ 135 $ 141 $ 149
    Headcount
    Sales (10) 4,801 4,834 5,231 5,057 4,929
    % North America 28 % 29 % 27 % 26 % 26 %
    % EMEA 37 % 37 % 37 % 39 % 39 %
    % Rest of World 35 % 34 % 36 % 35 % 35 %
    Other 6,453 6,449 7,099 6,888 6,827
    Total Headcount 11,254 11,283 12,330 11,945 11,756
    (1) Represents the total dollar value of customer purchases of goods and services, excluding applicable taxes and net of estimated refunds.
    (2) Local represents deals from local merchants, deals with national merchants, and deals through local events. Other revenue transactions, which include advertising, payment processing, point of sale and commission revenue, were previously aggregated with our Travel category. During the three months ended March 31, 2014, the Company updated its presentation of category information to include gross billings, revenue and gross profit from those other revenue sources within the Local category, and prior period category information has been retrospectively adjusted to conform to the current period presentation.
    (3) Includes third party revenue, direct revenue and other revenue. Third party revenue is related to sales for which the Company acts as a marketing agent for the merchant. This revenue is recorded on a net basis. Direct revenue is primarily related to the sale of products for which the Company is the merchant of record. These revenues are accounted for on a gross basis, with the cost of inventory included in cost of revenue. Other revenue primarily consists of advertising revenue, payment processing revenue, point of sale revenue and commission revenue.
    (4) Represents third party revenue, direct revenue and other revenue reduced by cost of revenue. Cost of revenue is comprised of direct and certain indirect costs incurred to generate revenue. Third party cost of revenue includes estimated refunds for which the merchant’s share is not recoverable. Direct cost of revenue includes the cost of inventory, shipping and fulfillment costs and inventory markdowns. Other costs incurred to generate revenue are allocated to cost of third party and other revenue and direct revenue for each of our categories (Local, Goods, and Travel) in proportion to gross billings during the period.
    (5) Represents the change in financial measures that would have resulted had average exchange rates in the reporting periods been the same as those in effect in the prior year period.
    (6) Reflects the total number of unique user accounts who have purchased a voucher or product from us during the trailing twelve months.
    (7) Active customers in our Rest of World segment as of September 30, 2013, December 31, 2013, March 31, 2014, and June 30, 2014 have been reduced by 0.9 million, 1.2 million, 1.4 million, and 1.6 million, respectively, from the amounts previously reported to correct that operational information. Those adjustments increased TTM gross billings per average active customer in our Rest of World segment for the 12-month periods ended September 30, 2013, December 31, 2013, March 31, 2014, and June 30, 2014 by$7, $9, $9, and $13, respectively, from the amounts previously reported.
    (8) The adjustments of active customers in our Rest of World segment as of September 30, 2013, December 31, 2013, March 31, 2014, and June 30, 2014, described in footnote (7) above, reduced consolidated active customers by the same amounts. Those adjustments increased consolidated TTM gross billings per average active customer for the 12-month periods ended September 30, 2013, December 31, 2013, March 31, 2014, and June 30, 2014 by $2, $3, $3, and $4, respectively, from the amounts previously reported.
    (9) Reflects the total gross billings generated in the trailing twelve months per average active customer over that period.
    (10) Includes merchant sales representatives, as well as sales support.
    (11) The definition, methodology and appropriateness of each of our supplemental metrics is reviewed periodically. As a result, metrics are subject to removal and/or change.

     

    Groupon, Inc.

    Image via Groupon

  • Groupon Wants To Get Your Business Found In The Search Engines

    Groupon announced what it’s referring to as a “bold initiative to build a page that lives on Groupon and search engines for almost every local business in the United States.”

    The initiative is called Groupon Pages, and is essentially business listings on Groupon, but those that should turn up in a search on Google or Bing, not entirely unlike Yelp pages.

    “By giving local businesses access to the millions of people that search our marketplace, we’re dramatically increasing the number of merchants on Groupon and providing our customers with yet another reason to always check Groupon first,” a spokesperson for the company tells WebProNews in an email.

    We’ll see if the search engines think these are the pages consumers should be checking first.

    “We’ve already built more than 7 million pages and collected more than 20 million validated ratings and helpful tips from real customers to highlight the unique aspects of these local businesses,” they add. “Ex. There might be 10 sushi restaurants in the Lincoln Park neighborhood of Chicago. (There are probably more.) We’re still going to show you the four places where we’re currently running a Groupon deal, but we’re also going to show you ratings, tips, money-saving opportunities and other useful information for the other six businesses.”

    The company says it’s leveraging its “vast knowledge and experience in local commerce” to create transactional spaces for merchants, where people can also find deals, which can influence their purchases.

    Merchants can claim a page, and manage its content. The pages can be personalized, and can include links, business hours, phone numbers, addresses, photos, and testimonials. Merchants can publish specials, coupons, and promotions.

    Groupon will provide feedback to businesses based on surveys they send out every time customers redeem deals or claim merchant coupons/specials. The pages let merchants directly engage with customers who leave feedback, which can be helpful whether it’s positive or negative.

    On the consumer side, people can follow specific merchants, and get updates about them, including new deals. They can also request deals. If enough people request one for a business that isn’t running a deal, Groupon will reach out to the merchant to try to come up with one.

    People can also use business pages to recommend the business to others and leave tips. They can even earn verified status.

    The most beneficial part of all of this for businesses may be increased search visibility, assuming Google ranks these pages favorably, which seems like a real possibility.

    Image via BusinessWire

  • Colin Kaepernick Fined for Wearing Beats Headphones

    It looks like we have our first victim of the NFL’s Beats by Dre headphones ban.

    The NFL has fined San Francisco 49ers quarterback Colin Kaepernick $10,000 for donning a pair of pink Beats headphones at his post-game press conference on Sunday.

    Why the fine? Well, the NFL recently partnered up with Bose for a sponsorship deal. On the heels os that, the league banned players from wearing Beats by Dre (and other branded) headphones on the field before the opening kickoff through the end of the game. Players are also banned from sporting Beats during TV interviews, press conferences, and locker room interviews conducted within a 90-minute window following the conclusion of the game.

    In a statement, the NFL made a point to discuss broad league policies against “branded exposure”, instead of focusing on the Beats sponsorship deal.

    “The NFL has longstanding policies that prohibit branded exposure on-field or during interviews unless authorized by the league. These policies date back to the early 1990s and continue today. They are the NFL’s policies – not one of the league’s sponsors, Bose in this case. Bose is not involved in the enforcement of our policies.”

    Kaepernick has had a deal with Beats for some time now. You may remember that commercial that played every single second of every single day. Also, Beats and Kaepernick have a healthy social media partnership.

    A $10,000 fine is unlikely to discourage Kaepernick, or anyone else for the matter, from wearing brands that are paying them big bucks to do so. It’s not like Kaepernick is going to have to pay the fine himself or anything.

    Image via Paul Gutierrez, Twitter

  • Groupon Enhances Deal Builder Tool

    Groupon Enhances Deal Builder Tool

    Earlier this year, Groupon launched Deal Builder, a self-serve platform for merchants to build their own deals. The company announced on Tuesday that it has added some new enhancements, and that the tool has passed the 25,000 deals milestone.

    “Deal Builder has been very popular with merchants and has been used to build more than 25,000 deals across all 50 states and Canada,” a spokesperson for the company tells WebProNews. “In addition, more than 95 percent of the merchants who built deals are new to Groupon.”

    “We’ve also made some new enhancements to Deal Builder such as expanding the platform to restaurants and giving merchants more control over the appearance and structure of their Groupon deal,” they said. “Businesses can now construct a promotion that best meets the needs of their business…”

    Businesses can now choose a deal image from over 5,000 category-specific stock photos, and write a summary to tell potential customers the key things they need to know about the business.

    It also includes the ability to conduct an interview.

    “Fill out a brief question and answer interview that gets added to the live Groupon deal page, highlighting the unique aspects of the business and adding a personal touch to the promotion,” the spokesperson explains.

    The company’s local commerce marketplace had over 240,000 active deals globally and over 105,000 in North America at the end of Q2.

    Image via BusinessWire

  • Groupon Launches New Appointment Option

    Groupon announced that it is giving local businesses a new time-based deals option that enables them to accept reservations or take appointments so they have more control over when customers actually show up.

    The complaint about a lack of control is almost as old as Groupon itself. If too many people take advantage of a good deal at the same time, it can make for a chaotic period for a business ill prepared to handle the influx.

    A Groupon spokesperson tells WebProNews, “Many business tell us that they’re interested in running a deal, but they don’t need us to bring them customers at certain times. This is why we’re launching a new time-based deals option for all local businesses that accept reservations or take appointments––enabling them to control exactly when customers come into their business.

    Groupon’s Time-Based Deals for All Local Businesses from Groupon on Vimeo.

    “In addition to providing our merchants with predictability and certainty by bringing them customers exactly when they want them, we’re streamlining the experience for our customers by letting them know when they can use a deal before they buy it,” the spokesperson adds.

    “Groupon is making it easier for people to buy and book what they want, when they want it and also providing local businesses with an important yield management tool that drives additional revenue,” said Julie Szudarek, senior vice president, Local Deals for Groupon. “Our new booking technology provides merchants even greater control over their deals to match the needs of their business and offers a tremendous customer experience. And as more and more businesses list their reservation and appointment inventory with us, it gives our customers another reason to always check Groupon first.”

    Customers can make a reservation or appointment from the Groupon mobile app or Groupon.com when they purchase the deal or afterwards. With the appointment or reservation booked ahead of time, they won’t have to present a voucher when they show up to the business.

    The feature is starting in the restaurant category, but will be expanded to others, including spas, classes, and activities, soon.

    Image via BusinessWire

  • IRS Tax Filing Deadline Pain Lessened With Yummy Deals

    April 15, also known as Tax Day, is upon us again. While some people like to file their taxes with the IRS early on–especially if they’re getting a refund–others wait until the last minute. Whether you were the early bird as far as tax filing goes or are one of the procrastinators waiting until the last minute to do your taxes, April 15 just got a little brighter. Quite a few chains are offering some tasty discounts and freebies on Tax Day, so check out the list below to see some of the deals you can score.

    Arby’s

    Arby’s is offering a free snack-sized order of their curly fries again this year. Unlike some restaurants where all you have to do is show up to get the deal, you will need to print out the coupon from the Arby’s website in advance. There are no strings attached to this coupon, so you aren’t obligated to purchase anything else. That said, it will be awfully hard to pass up downing the free fries with a small Jamocha milkshake from the Arby’s value menu–especially if you made April 15 your tax filing day.

    Great American Cookies

    Got a sweet tooth? Then head to a Great American Cookies store near you. This chain is giving away free chocolate chip cookies on Tax Day. The offer is good for one cookie per customer.

    Post by Great American Cookies.

    Hard Rock Cafe

    This freebie won’t be up everyone’s alley, but if you aren’t bashful in front of crowds, you can earn a free meal on Tax Day at Hard Rock Cafe if you’re willing to sing for your supper. Entree selections will come from Hard Rock Cafe’s revamped menu. Call your local Hard Rock Cafe to find out what time the deal is being offered.

    Schlotzsky’s

    Schlotzsky’s is offering free sandwiches on Tax Day. As you can see from the Schlotzsky’s post below, there is a catch–you have to purchase a 32 ounce drink and a bag of chips to score a free “The Original” small sandwich. At least you don’t have to sing for this deal, right?

    Post by Schlotzsky's Temple-Belton.

    Sonic Drive-In

    As you can see from the tweet below, Sonic Drive-In is offering half-price drinks and slushes on Tax Day. While Sonic offers a similar deal on their happy hour menu from 2:00 to 4:00 p.m., this deal lasts all day.

    Know of any other restaurants or retailers that are trying to lessen the pain of the IRS tax filing deadline? Add the details in the comments section below.

    Image via Twitter

  • Shopping Deals Online: 3 Tips For Finding Them

    Everyone loves a deal and part of the appeal of shopping online is finding deals and offers that aren’t available in stores. While many stores promise great prices and deals, there are many things you can do to help you save even more money. Getting the best shopping deals online requires a little bit of work, but if you are lucky enough to save some money, you will find that the work is well worth it.

    Online Coupons
    It’s no secret that coupons are a great way to save money, but if you think you don’t have the time to scour through newspaper inserts to get them, don’t worry there are other ways. Online coupons are easier to find and use and can save you a lot of money on your favorite items. Use websites like Retail Me Not or SlickDeals to find out which items are on sale and what coupons can be used to make them even more affordable.

    Price Comparison Sites
    Most people compare prices on a regular basis in order to get the best deal. If you are shopping at two or three local stores this might not be a problem. Shopping online is different and there can be thousands of different stores that carry the products you want. Instead of spending hours comparing the prices yourself, try using a price comparison site such as PriceGrabber. Just choose the product you want to buy and let the website find the best price for it.

    Online Sales
    Of course it’s easy to find deals when you shop in the clearance section or luck into finding what you want on sale, but knowing when to shop the sales will help you get the best deals. Most online stores start their after holiday sales sooner than brick and mortar stores so you may be able to find holiday and seasonal items on sale online before the holiday is even over. The same thing goes for clothing and accessories. Don’t wait until winter to shop for summer clearance items, start checking the online stores towards the end of summer instead.

    There are so many ways to save money online that it’s easy to see why many people prefer online shopping to traditional shopping. Learn how to find the best deals online and your online shopping experiences will become better than ever.

    Image via Wikimedia Commons

  • Groupon Deal Builder Does Exactly What You Would Think

    Groupon announced the launch of Deal Builder, a new self-service platform for merchants to (yep, you guessed it) build their own deals.

    As a Groupon spokesman explains, Deal Builder “guides merchants through a simple process and enables them to choose from a series of popular deal templates to construct a promotion that best meets the needs of their business.”

    “Deal Builder was piloted to more than 10,000 merchants and is now available to almost every local small business in the United States,” he adds. “The platform enables us to work with the thousands of merchants that contact us directly every month wanting to run a deal – increasing the number of offers in our marketplace.”

    Groupon Deal Builder, A Build-Your-Own-Deal Tool for Merchants from Groupon on Vimeo.

    The platform is now available to “almost all” local businesses. This includes those in health and beauty and service-oriented and activities-based businesses. It will expand to food and beverage merchants later this year.

    By its last count (Q3), Groupon had over 65,000 active deals on average. Groupon will reveal its latest stats on February 20th when it reveals its Q4 earnings.

    Image via BusinessWire

  • Groupon Expands ‘Getaways’ With 20,000 New Hotels

    Groupon announced a major expansion of its Groupon Getaways offering today with the addition of 20 thousand new hotels around the world.

    Groupon Getaways first launched in 2011 as a partnership with Expedia, but recently launched this expansion in pilot. Availability has now come to all of the U.S. and Canada.

    Groupon Getaaways includes up-to-60% off flash deals for travelers, and customers who make reservations at one of the newly added properties will get 5% back in Groupon Bucks.

    “Searching for a hotel can be a very time-consuming process, with most travel sites showing hundreds of listings for each destination. We’re providing travelers with only the best options at the best prices, so they have no reason to go anywhere other than Groupon,” said Simon Goodall, VP and GM of Groupon Getaways. “By expanding our selection, we’re giving travelers literally tens of thousands of reasons to check Groupon first.”

    “Searching for a hotel on Groupon is also ideal for mobile, which is becoming one of the most popular ways for consumers to book travel,” said Goodall. “When paired with Groupon’s outstanding mobile experience, travelers can now book the perfect trip and get the best deals nearby – all at the same time.”

    Last year, Groupon acquired Blink, the “last-minute” travel app, and further integration of that into Groupon’s services is reportedly next on the agenda for Groupon’s travel-related efforts.

    Image via BusinessWire

  • Groupon Now Provides ‘Grouponvelope’ For Holiday Gifts

    Groupon announced the launch of two new holiday gifting features for local businesses: the Grouponvelope and the digital gift voucher.

    “We’re giving local merchants who do not have a gift card program the ability to reach millions of customers looking for last-minute but thoughtful holiday gift ideas,” a spokesperson for the company tells WebProNews.

    When the customer starts the purchasing process on Groupon, and clicks “Give as a gift,” they can choose “Electronic Style” or “Print Style”. The former will let them choose from four different electronic envelope themes and select a delivery date for an animated e-card. The latter will let the customer print out a “Grouponvenlope” that can be cut and folded into a holiday-themed envelope and card.

    The features are available for “virtually” every deal on Groupon.com, including Groupon Getaways and Groupon Goods deals.

    “Many merchants don’t have the resources to invest in the same digital gifting solutions provided by national retailers, and they miss out on sales that are important to their bottom line,” said Groupon CEO Eric Lefkofsky. “Our new gifting solutions create a level playing field for local merchants and effortless last-minute holiday shopping for consumers.”

    Seaworld is hoping customers will take advantage.

    Image: Groupon

  • Cyber Monday Deals on Phones, TVs

    Cyber Monday Deals on Phones, TVs

    Now that Black Friday 2013 has come and gone, retailers and shoppers alike are plunging into the next wave of the holiday shopping frenzy: Cyber Monday.

    Referring to the Monday after Thanksgiving and originally created to lure holiday shoppers to spend their dollars online, the term Cyber Monday made its US debut in 2005. Since then, it has become one of the biggest shopping days of the year.

    This year, consumers can find great Cyber Monday deals on phones and televisions.

    No matter what size television you’re looking for, there’s a cyber deal for you:

    • Westinghouse 32″ HDTV for $199.99 (Target)
    • Samsung 46″ HDTV for $478 (Walmart)
    • LG 55″ LED HDTV with Soundbar for $799 (Walmart)
    • Samsung 65″ LED HDTV for $999.99 (Best Buy)

    Motorola is offering its celebrated smartphone, the Moto X, for $349 on Monday for “any carrier, no contract, any color combination.”

    You can snag an HTC One 32 GB smartphone on Amazon for as little as $0.01 with a two year contract from AT&T, Sprint, or Verizon.

    CNet’s Marguerite Reardon says the best smartphone deals she’s seen so far are for the Samsung Galaxy S4.

    Apple’s iPhone is conspicuously absent from most Cyber Monday smartphone deal roundups.

    Image via Wikimedia Commons

  • Groupon Is Giving Away $100 Million In Groupon Bucks For Black Friday

    Groupon announced on Tuesday that it’s giving users $100 million in Groupon Bucks (spread among “tens of millions” of subscribers).

    Some lucky users will get up to $5,000 worth, and one will even get $25,000 worth. This can be used towards a year-long “Groupon shopping spree”. That customer is also getting $5,000 in cash.

    “With more than 65,000 great deals and the biggest Groupon promotion ever, we’re giving our customers the chance to skip the lines and save even more cash on Black Friday by checking Groupon first,” said Rich Williams, senior vice president of global marketing for Groupon.

    All you have to do to see if you’ve won any of Groupon’s prizes is sign in on Groupon.com on Black Friday. If you won, you’ll see a message. Obviously, you’ll need an account.

    Groupon gave away $5 million in Groupon Bucks earlier this month to celebrate its birthday.

    Image: Groupon

  • Groupon Reportedly Refuses To Fix False Deal Until It’s Over, Massage Therapist Furious [Updated]

    Update: A Groupon spokesperson has now told us, “We have paused the deal, fixed the name and also contacted Google in order to de-index the link from search results (which typically takes 1-2 business days to process).”

    It’s getting to be that time of the year. People want to buy gifts for the people they care about, and for some people, a massage is just the perfect thing.

    When you think of shopping online for a massage, what’s the first source you think of? I’ll bet that it’s Groupon. The deals provider is known (almost infamously) for frequently offering deals for massages and spas.

    One particular massage therapist isn’t very happy about seeing her name appear in a current deal. Especially considering that the deal is for a business that she’s not even part of. Nor is she thrilled that Groupon continues to run the deal despite having been made aware of the error.

    Carlos Scarpero at DaytonPulse , a Dayton small business publication, discusses the situation in an article. The massage therapist in question is his wife Kate. You can see the deal bearing her name in the image above.

    The deal has been indexed by Google, so it’s out there for people looking for massage deals. It has also been picked up by deal aggregation sites, of course.

    Suffice it to say, Kate and Carlos are not happy about it, especially considering that they were not very high on Groupon in the first place. According to Carlos, Kate “hates” what Groupon has done to the massage therapy industry. He points to a 2012 USA Today article saying only 3% of retailers report getting repeat business from daily deals promotions.

    “Kate may not like Groupon, but the new management at The Massage Room decided to run one. That’s fine. It’s a free country. Just don’t involve us in it,” Carlos writes. “But what happened next was pretty shocking. Kate started getting inquiries from people wanting to redeem their Groupons.”

    He explains, “We find the listing and Groupon has the Massage Room listed as The Massage Room- Kate Scarpero, even though Kate left several months ago! Kate wasn’t even the owner of The Massage Room to begin with. She was a subcontractor there. Let me repeat….Kate NEVER has been an owner of The Massage Room.”

    So Kate called the Massage Room to see if they knew about it. They didn’t. When they found out, according to the article, they complained to Groupon, but were told, “sorry, can’t change it until the deal is over.”

    That’s not sitting too well with the Scarperos.

    We’ve reached out to Groupon for comment, and will update if and when we hear back.

    Thanks to DaytonPulse for the tip.

    Image: Groupon

  • This Is How You Use Instagram To Sell Products

    Bolthouse Farms is utilizing Instagram for a pretty interesting campaign, encouraging users to snap pictures of its products, tag it with pre-determined hashtags, and get money-saving coupons to use toward the products.

    Instagram recently launched its ad platform, but this is a pretty good example of how a brand can use Facebook’s visual network without paying for it.

    Bolthouse on Instagram

    It starts off with a pretty good offer, so that helps. Customers can get $1.50 off a beverage. That’s good enough to make fans interested, because they’re not the cheapest drinks in the world.

    instagram

    Another important element of this campaign is its flexibility. Users can snap a pic of a Bolthouse Farms bottle in a store, in their hand, or even just from a picture in an ad or on the web. It doesn’t matter. Customers won’t have to go too far out of their way to get the deal.

    It really doesn’t even have to be a good picture. They give you some options right on their landing page, which you can take pictures of while sitting at your computer. Look at this terrible shot I just took.

    Good enough for Bolthouse Farms. Also good enough for someone just wanting a discount on their drink.

    Bolthouse tapped agency Tiny Rebellion for the campaign. It uses image recognition technology to recognize pictures of the brand’s products, and automatically comment on users’ uploads with “bottle recognized,” and a link to claim the coupon.

    According to Mobile Marketer, the early results of the campaign have been pretty solid, and Bolthouse plans to make this their “primary response mechanism” for its marketing next year.

    Instagram is rapidly gaining interest from marketers, and that’s a trend you can expect to continue for the foreseeable future. This week, Instagram finally launched on Windows Phone, opening up the already popular service to a whole new set of users. Before that launch, the user count was already up to 150 million.

    Images: Bolthouse Farms

  • Cyber Monday Sales Expected to be Up from 2012

    It’s that time of year again – when the smell of turkey is quickly replaced by the stampeding of shopping feet rushing into shopping malls and countless stores. However, many are opting to remain away from the intense activity historically associated with Black Friday (even if this year promises to be different) and shop on Cyber Monday instead. In fact, this year shoppers are presently anticipated to spend $2.27 billion on Cyber Monday alone, which is 15 percent more than last year.

    However, it helps to be a conscious shopper even if websites proclaim to have “the best deals of the season” or “lowest prices of the year” there may be other promotions that offer deeper discounts. Items that typically receive the best discounts during Black Friday are electronics and large appliances particularly those models from the previous year.

    According to Editors’ Choice, Black Friday is a good time to look into purchasing computers, hard drives, USB flash drives, and kitchen appliances. However, Cyber Monday has a special place in holiday savings as well. Reserve purchases relating to clothing and shoes on Cyber Monday when the better deals for these items are expected.

    (image)

    Cyber Monday last year saw an unprecedented level of online activity. While it remains to be seen whether Cyber Monday 2013 will prove to be as popular as Cyber Monday 2012, one thing is certain, the online holiday is here to stay.

    In fact, such is the holiday-crazed culture that multiple days following Thanksgiving have all been given their own holiday such as the following: Black Friday, Small Business Saturday, Cyber Monday, and now Giving Tuesday.

    With all the holiday cheer and good spirits, shoppers may be more prone to manipulation by scams. During this season, shoppers should still be cautious before jumping into purchases.

    [Images Via Wikimedia Commons and Courtesy of Roger Price and Charlie Brewer]

  • Cyber Monday: Stay in Your Pajamas and Save Money

    Many anxious shoppers plan to skip dessert and hit Walmart before their turkey dinners even get a chance to digest next Thursday. Some yet will get up at the crack of dawn on Black Friday eager to get the best deals around. But what if there’s a better way? What if you can stay in your pajamas, relax on the couch or shop from your desk while you’re clocked in at work?

    Cyber Monday, the Monday following Thanksgiving, is less than a week away. According to Adobe Digital Index, a digital marketing and digital media solution company, online shoppers spent more money last year on Cyber Monday than in any other shopping day in history. The upward trend is expected to continue this year, Adobe is tracking a 15 percent increase in sales, that could bring spending to well over $2 billion.

    But are the deals the same on Cyber Monday as they are on Black Friday? Not necessarily. Sabah Karimi, a finance blogger for the website Wise Bread, provides a few tips on how to get the best holiday bargains. She advises that items like clothing, shoes, electronics and large appliances are usually great Cyber Monday finds because you can take advantage of free shipping. However, new versions of digital cameras may not feature a large dip in price. Shoppers are often advised to even wait out the holiday season all together when buying these sorts of items and then use the store’s rebates or promotions come January.

    Cyber Monday even has several of its own Twitter and Facebook pages to help consumers find the best deals. Many social media sites also provide shoppers with some great security tips and helpful apps that will help to make your Cyber Monday and holiday season run as smoothly as possible.

    Watch this clip to get more Cyber Monday tips and hear some great advice on how to avoid potential scams.

    Image Via Thinkstock

  • Groupon Launches Major Redesign (Site & Apps)

    Groupon Launches Major Redesign (Site & Apps)

    Groupon has launched big redesigns for its website and mobile apps. The company hopes the changes will make it easier for users to shop for deals.

    “The latest versions of the website and mobile apps make it simple for customers to search and browse Groupon’s more than 54,000 active deals to find the exact offer they want, when they want it,” a Groupon spokesperson tells WebProNews.

    The site has personalization features, which include deals based on customer interest, previous purchases, purchases by other customers with similar interests.

    Groupon homepage

    The new design plays up search more, making the search bar prominent at the top of every page. It also includes search suggests. Search results span across all Groupon channels.

    There are also some new search filters, which are always displayed alongside the search results.

    “In just five years, Groupon has grown from a daily deal website to a true online marketplace with a tremendous mobile following,” said Groupon CEO Eric Lefkofsky. “Our new site and mobile app makes it easier and more rewarding for customers to check Groupon first when they want to buy just about anything, anytime, anywhere.”

    The apps will automatically detect when a mobile user has changed locations, and send notifications when they’re in range of deals. Local deals are selected based on current location, instead of just the user’s hometown.

    iPad users can “favorite” deals to save for future reference. The iPad app is also expanding into 12 new markets: Austria, Chile, Colombia, French Canada, Ireland, Mexico, New Zealand, Peru, Philippines, Puerto Rico, Russia and Thailand.

    Groupon iPad

    Groupon’s mobile apps (including tablet) have been downloaded by over 50 million people in 43 countries.

  • Google Gives Businesses New Offers Creation Tool

    Google has announced the launch of an updated tool for businesses in the United States to quickly and easily create offers for Google Offers, and get them live on Google Maps and other Google products.

    The tool allows businesses to choose the kind of offer they want to launch, and assign a budget to it.

    “Unlike traditional promotions or coupons, Google Offers will show your offer to customers based on their location, what they like, and what they’re looking for,” says Google Offers director of product management Gayathri Rajan. “You’ll only pay when a customer saves your offer, and you keep the full value of the sales you make.”

    Offers creation

    “With this launch, your offer can reach customers on Google Maps when they are searching for places nearby or looking for local businesses like yours,” Rajan adds. “Your business will be prominently displayed with a blue tag icon next to it, alerting customers to your offer.”

    Offers Creation

    When your offer is saved, the user will get reminders when they’re near the business and when the offer is close to its expiration date. Google alerts users through email and mobile notifications.

    The tool is rolling out over the next week.

    This follows increased Google Offers integration in Google Maps, announced in July when it partnered with brands like Michaels Stores, RadioShack, Red Mango, Red Robin, Ulta Beauty, Toys”R”Us, Sports Authority, BJ’s Restaurant, Macy’s, Disney Store, and Payless Shoesource.