Groupon celebrates 5th birthday with redesign
Groupon is marking its fifth anniversary with a redesign of its website and mobile apps its says better reflects how it has shifted from being a daily deals email service to “a true online marketplace”.
The redesigned Groupon now features a personalised homepage, which curates deals based on users’ previous purchases, interests and purchases by other customers with similar interests.
It has also enhanced its search feature, with a search bar appearing at the top of every page, cross-channel results and more “robust” filters.
On mobile, a new feature has been introduced called “local explorer” which automatically detects when a user’s location has changed and serves deals based on the current city they are in.
Groupon CEO Eric Lefkofsky says: “Our new site and mobile app makes it easier and more rewarding for customers to check Groupon first when why want to buy just about anything, anytime, anywhere.”
Groupon reported a 7 per cent year on year increase in revenue to $608.7m in the quarter to 30 June. A 24 per cent decline in EMEA revenue and a 26 per cent decline in revenue from the rest of the world offset 45 per cent growth in the US. Operating profit dropped 41 per cent to $27.4m in the quarter.
Looking forward, Groupon said continued investments in marketing would drive long-term growth in its third quarter.
Groupon’s transformation to becoming more of a marketplace kickstarted early this year when it hit the headlines for posting a surprise quarterly loss, sending shares down 28 per cent and prompting the dismissal of its quirky co-founder Andrew Mason.
In August Lefkofsky was appointed as CEO and has focused Groupon’s turnaround around three pillars: mobile, marketplace and bringing the performance of its non-US regions in line with its home market.
