Groupon Expanding, To Offer Coupons In More Cities Nationwide

Chicago-based Groupon has secured $30 million in new funding to expand its service of offering local coupons via online communities from 26 cities to 76.

The Chicago Tribune reports that Accel Partners led the new round of funding -- a firm that has also invested in Facebook. The new cities will go live in 2010.

Groupon founder Andrew Mason said: "All around, it's been a great year [...] We knew some extra money could help us increase our rate of customer acquisition and focus on building new technology, and, just in general, grow faster."

The Groupon Web site states, "Each day, Groupon emails you one exclusive, unbeatable deal on the best things to do, see, eat, and buy." Deals can go up to 50 to 90 percent off.

Cities currently participating in Groupon are:

-Albuquerque
-Atlanta
-Austin
-Baltimore
-Boston
-Chicago
-Cincinnati
-Cleveland
-Columbus
-Dallas
-Detroit
-Fort Worth
-Fresno
-Houston
-Indianapolis
-Kansas City
-Las Vegas
-Los Angeles
-Louisville
-Memphis
-Milwaukee
-Minneapolis/St. Paul
-Nashville
-New York
-Oklahoma City
-Philadelphia
-Phoenix
-Pittsburgh
-Portland
-Raleigh
-San Antonio
-San Diego
-San Francisco
-San Jose
-Seattle
-Tampa Bay
-Virginia Beach
-Washington DC

Comments

[huffpostuser77]

05:42 PM on 12/08/2009

Anyone interested in helping out another Chicago organization: http://bit.ly/VKMUO

[invest in jobs]

11:43 AM on 12/06/2009

NO more bailouts. No more bonuses. Time to put people to work!

good articles; http://financeopinionss.blogspot.com

[ChiGuy]

11:31 PM on 12/04/2009

I urge anyone who has ignored Groupon in the past, or who will see their ads for their area in the future to take advantage anytime you can.

Most of the deals are 2-fers at significant discount for great places.
I don't use the spa deals and stuff like that, but I love the restaurant ones that come up about 10 times a month.

[invest in jobs]

05:49 PM on 12/04/2009

I was hoping for FDR 2.0, but instead its become waffling 2.0, deficit 2.0, banking 2.0, Afghanistan 2.0. Iraq 2.0, Guantanamo 2.0

hat tip to: http://financeopinionss.blogspot.com
so much for job creation. Unemployment falls a whole .2% and the MSM is calling it a recovery. what a joke

[Myshkin57]

12:34 PM on 12/04/2009

Groupon is ridiculous. It has all the earmarks of a scam.

[ChiGuy]

11:28 PM on 12/04/2009

Whaaaa?????
You've obviously never even made the effort to comprehend a Groupon ad, Swifty.

I have been taking advantage of their deals here in Chicago for at least 6 months (about 10 times), and LOVE it.

[Myshkin57]

11:55 AM on 12/05/2009

There's nothing to comprehend, "swifty". I agree that there are deals to be had, but it is very similar to other discount offering companies I've seen before. They get business owners to shell out cash and once they've got enough, the company disappears.

There are other places to get discounts in the city anyway, that are more predictable. But I don't want to say what they are because I'll be thought to be working for a competitor.

[AliPG]

11:25 AM on 12/04/2009

Groupon is so cool. There are other small local players like What's the Deal (http://dc.sowhatsthedeal.com) and LivingSocial that offer similar types of discounts. Not sure why people are hating on Groupon... who hates on good deals and discounts???

[Myshkin57]

06:12 PM on 12/04/2009

One comment and it's about a discount site? I smell one of those oh-so-scrupulous methods used by places like Groupon.

[becareful1212]

10:52 AM on 12/04/2009

Please research Groupon's past. Groupon was first funded by Eric Lefkofsky, a guy described in a 2007 Barron's article as a "huckster" in his work with InnerWorkings. Barron's cites emails in the article in which Lefkofsky encourages his staff to make his company's numbers look large. Sounds familiar with what's happening now at Groupon.