Signpost’s sales force to rival Groupon by 2012 (exclusive)
Daily deals service Signpost is growing its sales force at a rapid pace that could surpass competitors like Groupon and LivingSocial by the end of the year, the company’s CEO Stuart Wall told VentureBeat.
Signpost employs local contractors, called Deal Scouts, to sign up local businesses for the service. They’re paid based on the number of businesses they sign up. Signpost is adding about a thousand new scouts per week in a growing number of … Continue Reading
Here are our 5 favorite companies from TechCrunch Disrupt
Despite that whole hooplah over former TechCrunch editor Michael Arrington leaving the company, there was still plenty of excitement over the startups presenting in TechCrunch Disrupt 2011′s Startup Battlefield.
The startups took the stage and battled it out to determine the winner of the Disrupt Cup as the most disruptive company. After all, that’s the point of Disrupt — finding the next big thing that will disrupt technology as we know it. By the end … Continue Reading
Groupon starts competing with Amazon in UK e-commerce market
Groupon is extending its group deals service in the UK by offering discounts of more than 80 percent on products sold online, reports Bloomberg.
The move puts the Chicago-based startup into closer competition with online retail giant Amazon and online auction service eBay — both of which have communities of online vendors who may now take advantage of Groupon’s services to sell their items.
Groupon’s new service allows UK consumers to purchase product deal codes, … Continue Reading
Groupon’s updated IPO: Steady growth, more competition and a staggering $102M loss
Group coupon start-up Groupon filed an updated S-1 filing with the SEC Tuesday, revealing that while Groupon’s business continues to grow at a steady rate, it’s also hemorrhaging money in the process.
The filing confirmed a boost in email subscribers, from 83 million in the first quarter of 2011 to a total 115.7 million in the second quarter. The company said over 23 million customers purchased group deals in 175 North American markets and 45 … Continue Reading
How a market downturn could change Groupon’s IPO
Like other upcoming public offerings, Groupon’s now has a big shadow hanging over it.
With the NASDAQ composite index down nearly seven percent for the day in response to the U.S. government’s credit score downgrade, most tech stocks have been sent into a tailspin — especially those that recently filed an IPO.
Such news brings more speculation that group coupon deals startup Groupon could have a less than stellar entrance into the market.
The startup … Continue Reading
LivingSocial deals minor blow to Groupon’s market share
More bad news for Groupon, the group-coupon company heading for an IPO. Its share of the group-buying market declined in May, according to the latest report from Yipit, a site that aggregates deals from 482 sites.
Yipit’s report tracked 17,958 discounts offered in May across 30 North American cities including Miami, Atlanta, New York, Dallas, Denver and Toronto. Groupon had 48 percent of the group-buying market in May – down four percentage points from the … Continue Reading
Twitter's new deal service, EarlyBird, takes flight with help from Groupon, Gilt
Twitter’s new flash deal service, EarlyBird, kicked off today with an inaugural deal from Walt Disney Co. for a free ticket to see its latest film, “The Sorcerer’s Apprentice.”
The new service gives Twitter yet another revenue stream on top of search ads, promoted trends, and data deals with search engines like Google. Disney also worked with the company a few weeks ago, buying its first Promoted Trend to advertise Toy Story 3.
Deals will … Continue Reading
Twitter dips its feathers into flash sales with EarlyBird
Twitter is testing group deals and flash sales through a special EarlyBird account as it fleshes out yet another revenue stream.
The account will offer special limited-time-only offers from advertisers. Advertisers will set the terms of the deals, while Twitter will pick deals it thinks will interest its followers, all while earning a revenue share. The company will start with nationwide offers in the U.S. and then potentially narrow them down by location or type … Continue Reading
LivingSocial raises $25M for group buying, Facebook apps
Twitter is testing group deals and flash sales through a special EarlyBird account as it fleshes out yet another revenue stream.
The account will offer special limited-time-only offers from advertisers. Advertisers will set the terms of the deals, while Twitter will pick deals it thinks will interest its followers, all while earning a revenue share. The company will start with nationwide offers in the U.S. and then potentially narrow them down by location or type … Continue Reading
