<s>
Groupon	B-Application
is	O
an	O
American	O
global	O
e-commerce	O
marketplace	O
connecting	O
subscribers	O
with	O
local	O
merchants	O
by	O
offering	O
activities	O
,	O
travel	O
,	O
goods	O
and	O
services	O
in	O
13	O
countries	O
.	O
</s>
<s>
Based	O
in	O
Chicago	O
,	O
Groupon	B-Application
was	O
launched	O
there	O
in	O
November	O
2008	O
,	O
launching	O
soon	O
after	O
in	O
Boston	O
,	O
New	O
York	O
City	O
and	O
Toronto	O
.	O
</s>
<s>
By	O
October	O
2010	O
,	O
Groupon	B-Application
was	O
available	O
in	O
150	O
cities	O
in	O
North	O
America	O
and	O
100	O
cities	O
in	O
Europe	O
,	O
Asia	O
and	O
South	O
America	O
,	O
and	O
had	O
35	O
million	O
registered	O
users	O
.	O
</s>
<s>
By	O
the	O
end	O
of	O
March	O
2015	O
,	O
Groupon	B-Application
served	O
more	O
than	O
500	O
cities	O
worldwide	O
,	O
nearly	O
48.1	O
million	O
active	O
customers	O
and	O
featured	O
more	O
than	O
425,000	O
active	O
deals	O
globally	O
in	O
48	O
countries	O
.	O
</s>
<s>
The	O
idea	O
for	O
Groupon	B-Application
was	O
created	O
by	O
former	O
CEO	B-Application
and	O
Pittsburgh	O
native	O
Andrew	O
Mason	O
.	O
</s>
<s>
According	O
to	O
a	O
December	O
2010	O
report	O
conducted	O
by	O
Groupon	B-Application
's	O
marketing	O
association	O
and	O
reported	O
in	O
Forbes	O
magazine	O
and	O
the	O
Wall	O
Street	O
Journal	O
,	O
Groupon	B-Application
was	O
"	O
projecting	O
that	O
the	O
company	O
is	O
on	O
pace	O
to	O
make	O
$1	O
billion	O
in	O
sales	O
faster	O
than	O
any	O
other	O
business	O
,	O
ever.	O
"	O
</s>
<s>
In	O
its	O
first	O
earnings	O
release	O
as	O
a	O
public	O
company	O
,	O
Groupon	B-Application
reported	O
a	O
2011	O
fourth-quarter	O
loss	O
of	O
$9.8	O
million	O
on	O
an	O
adjusted	O
basis	O
,	O
disappointing	O
investors	O
.	O
</s>
<s>
The	O
idea	O
that	O
would	O
eventually	O
become	O
Groupon	B-Application
was	O
born	O
out	O
of	O
founder	O
Andrew	O
Mason	O
's	O
frustration	O
trying	O
to	O
cancel	O
a	O
mobile	O
phone	O
contract	O
in	O
2006	O
.	O
</s>
<s>
Born	O
from	O
The	O
Point	O
,	O
Groupon	B-Application
was	O
launched	O
in	O
November	O
2008	O
.	O
</s>
<s>
The	O
name	O
for	O
the	O
E-Commerce	O
platform	O
,	O
Groupon	B-Application
is	O
a	O
portmanteau	O
of	O
"	O
group	O
"	O
and	O
"	O
coupon	O
"	O
.	O
</s>
<s>
Groupon	B-Application
's	O
first	O
deal	O
was	O
a	O
two-pizzas-for-the-price-of-one	O
offer	O
at	O
Motel	O
Bar	O
,	O
a	O
restaurant	O
on	O
the	O
first	O
floor	O
of	O
its	O
building	O
in	O
Chicago	O
.	O
</s>
<s>
In	O
just	O
a	O
year	O
and	O
a	O
half	O
,	O
Groupon	B-Application
grew	O
from	O
a	O
staff	O
of	O
a	O
few	O
dozen	O
to	O
over	O
350	O
.	O
</s>
<s>
On	O
June	O
2	O
,	O
2011	O
,	O
Groupon	B-Application
filed	O
to	O
go	O
public	O
under	O
the	O
ticker	O
symbol	O
GRPN	B-Application
.	O
</s>
<s>
On	O
August	O
10	O
,	O
2011	O
,	O
Groupon	B-Application
updated	O
its	O
IPO	O
filing	O
,	O
after	O
facing	O
scrutiny	O
from	O
regulators	O
and	O
analysts	O
over	O
its	O
use	O
of	O
a	O
non-standard	O
accounting	O
metric	O
called	O
Adjusted	O
Consolidated	O
Segment	O
Operating	O
Income	O
.	O
</s>
<s>
Critics	O
argued	O
that	O
ACSOI	O
was	O
used	O
by	O
Groupon	B-Application
to	O
present	O
a	O
misleading	O
metric	O
of	O
profitability	O
.	O
</s>
<s>
Groupon	B-Application
's	O
original	O
IPO	O
filing	O
with	O
ACSOI	O
accounting	O
showed	O
a	O
positive	O
operating	O
income	O
of	O
$60.6	O
million	O
for	O
2010	O
;	O
after	O
replacing	O
the	O
ACSOI	O
metric	O
with	O
standard	O
accounting	O
metrics	O
,	O
Groupon	B-Application
's	O
IPO	O
filing	O
reported	O
an	O
operating	O
loss	O
of	O
$420	O
million	O
for	O
2010	O
.	O
</s>
<s>
Prior	O
to	O
the	O
IPO	O
,	O
some	O
analysts	O
criticized	O
Groupon	B-Application
's	O
decision	O
to	O
pay	O
out	O
over	O
$940	O
million	O
of	O
the	O
$1.12	O
billion	O
in	O
venture	O
capital	O
Groupon	B-Application
had	O
raised	O
before	O
the	O
IPO	O
–	O
over	O
84%	O
of	O
its	O
venture	O
capital	O
raised	O
–	O
as	O
cash	O
payouts	O
to	O
its	O
3	O
founders	O
and	O
early	O
backers	O
,	O
rather	O
than	O
into	O
the	O
company	O
.	O
</s>
<s>
The	O
large	O
cash	O
payout	O
also	O
made	O
Groupon	B-Application
technically	O
insolvent	O
when	O
it	O
filed	O
for	O
its	O
IPO	O
.	O
</s>
<s>
In	O
2012	O
,	O
it	O
was	O
noted	O
that	O
Groupon	B-Application
had	O
lost	O
80%	O
of	O
its	O
value	O
since	O
its	O
initial	O
public	O
offering	O
the	O
previous	O
year	O
.	O
</s>
<s>
Prior	O
to	O
the	O
company	O
's	O
fifth	O
anniversary	O
,	O
the	O
Groupon	B-Application
website	O
was	O
completely	O
redesigned	O
and	O
new	O
features	O
were	O
added	O
in	O
November	O
2013	O
.	O
</s>
<s>
Following	O
the	O
website	O
relaunch	O
,	O
the	O
company	O
rewarded	O
a	O
random	O
selection	O
of	O
one	O
million	O
customers	O
on	O
November	O
20	O
,	O
2013	O
,	O
with	O
up	O
to	O
US$	O
5,000	O
worth	O
of	O
"	O
Groupon	B-Application
bucks	O
"	O
.	O
</s>
<s>
Groupon	B-Application
recorded	O
record-breaking	O
holiday	O
weekend	O
sales	O
in	O
North	O
America	O
during	O
the	O
full	O
(	O
Black	O
Friday	O
through	O
Cyber	O
Monday	O
)	O
weekend	O
of	O
2014	O
(	O
Nov	O
.	O
28	O
–	O
Dec	O
.	O
21	O
)	O
,	O
representing	O
the	O
most	O
successful	O
four	O
days	O
ever	O
in	O
the	O
company	O
's	O
six-year	O
history	O
,	O
with	O
sales	O
up	O
more	O
than	O
25%	O
year	O
over	O
year	O
.	O
</s>
<s>
Black	O
Friday	O
and	O
Cyber	O
Monday	O
were	O
the	O
two	O
biggest	O
days	O
in	O
Groupon	B-Application
's	O
North	O
American	O
history	O
.	O
</s>
<s>
Following	O
com	O
's	O
December	O
announcement	O
on	O
drone	O
delivery	O
,	O
Groupon	B-Application
reacted	O
with	O
a	O
plan	O
for	O
"	O
Groupon	B-Application
catapults	O
"	O
.	O
</s>
<s>
On	O
December	O
29	O
,	O
2014	O
,	O
Groupon	B-Application
's	O
shares	O
rose	O
by	O
1.4	O
%	O
after	O
it	O
was	O
reported	O
that	O
Goldman	O
Sachs	O
was	O
"	O
weighing	O
an	O
investment	O
in	O
one	O
of	O
the	O
daily	O
deal	O
company	O
’s	O
units.	O
"	O
</s>
<s>
Groupon	B-Application
named	O
a	O
new	O
Chief	O
Operating	O
Officer	O
on	O
June	O
2	O
,	O
2015	O
,	O
Rich	O
Williams	O
and	O
in	O
November	O
,	O
Williams	O
was	O
named	O
CEO	B-Application
.	O
</s>
<s>
On	O
September	O
22	O
,	O
2015	O
,	O
Groupon	B-Application
announced	O
they	O
would	O
be	O
eliminating	O
approximately	O
1,100	O
positions	O
,	O
primarily	O
in	O
their	O
sales	O
and	O
customer	O
service	O
operations	O
.	O
</s>
<s>
In	O
January	O
2016	O
,	O
Groupon	B-Application
signed	O
a	O
lease	O
in	O
Seattle	O
for	O
42,000	O
square	O
feet	O
of	O
space	O
in	O
the	O
1201	O
3rd	O
Avenue	O
building	O
in	O
downtown	O
.	O
</s>
<s>
This	O
creates	O
room	O
for	O
400	O
employees	O
,	O
up	O
from	O
300	O
that	O
Groupon	B-Application
currently	O
employs	O
in	O
Washington	O
.	O
</s>
<s>
In	O
May	O
2016	O
,	O
Groupon	B-Application
sued	O
IBM	O
,	O
claiming	O
that	O
IBM	O
had	O
infringed	O
the	O
patent	O
of	O
technology	O
that	O
allows	O
solicitation	O
of	O
customers	O
based	O
on	O
where	O
the	O
customers	O
are	O
located	O
.	O
</s>
<s>
Groupon	B-Application
filed	O
the	O
lawsuit	O
shortly	O
after	O
IBM	O
accused	O
Groupon	B-Application
of	O
infringement	O
in	O
a	O
previous	O
lawsuit	O
.	O
</s>
<s>
In	O
October	O
2018	O
the	O
separate	O
lawsuit	O
was	O
settled	O
,	O
with	O
Groupon	B-Application
paying	O
IBM	O
$57	O
million	O
to	O
cover	O
the	O
infringement	O
and	O
licensing	O
of	O
four	O
patents	O
.	O
</s>
<s>
In	O
November	O
2016	O
,	O
Groupon	B-Application
began	O
to	O
reduce	O
its	O
area	O
of	O
coverage	O
from	O
27	O
countries	O
down	O
to	O
15	O
.	O
</s>
<s>
In	O
March	O
2020	O
,	O
both	O
Groupon	B-Application
's	O
CEO	B-Application
Rich	O
Williams	O
and	O
Chief	O
Operating	O
Officer	O
Steve	O
Krenzer	O
stepped	O
down	O
from	O
their	O
roles	O
.	O
</s>
<s>
Interim	O
CEO	B-Application
Aaron	O
Cooper	O
was	O
replaced	O
by	O
Kedar	O
Deshpande	O
.	O
</s>
<s>
Dušan	O
Šenkypl	O
became	O
the	O
company	O
's	O
new	O
CEO	B-Application
in	O
March	O
2023	O
.	O
</s>
<s>
Groupon	B-Application
owns	O
numerous	O
international	O
operations	O
,	O
all	O
of	O
which	O
were	O
originally	O
deal-of-the-day	O
services	O
similar	O
to	O
it	O
,	O
but	O
most	O
of	O
which	O
was	O
subsequently	O
re-branded	O
under	O
the	O
Groupon	B-Application
name	O
after	O
the	O
acquisition	O
,	O
including	O
the	O
European-based	O
MyCityDeal	O
(	O
May	O
17	O
,	O
2010	O
)	O
,	O
the	O
South	O
American	O
ClanDescuento	O
(	O
June	O
22	O
,	O
2010	O
)	O
,	O
the	O
Japanese	O
service	O
Qpod.jp	O
and	O
Russian	O
Darberry.ru	O
(	O
both	O
acquired	O
on	O
August	O
17	O
,	O
2010	O
)	O
,	O
and	O
the	O
Singaporean	O
Beeconomic.com	O
(	O
November	O
30	O
,	O
2010	O
)	O
,	O
which	O
was	O
founded	O
by	O
brothers	O
Karl	O
Chong	O
and	O
Christopher	O
Chong	O
.	O
</s>
<s>
Groupon	B-Application
bought	O
the	O
Indian	O
deal-of-the-day	O
website	O
SoSasta.com	O
in	O
January	O
2011	O
and	O
re-branded	O
it	O
as	O
"	O
Crazeal	O
by	O
Groupon	B-Application
Inc.	O
"	O
The	O
Groupon	B-Application
acquisitions	O
of	O
uBuyiBuy	O
launched	O
services	O
under	O
the	O
Groupon	B-Application
name	O
in	O
Hong	O
Kong	O
.	O
</s>
<s>
In	O
addition	O
,	O
Groupon	B-Application
acquired	O
GroupsMore.com	O
to	O
expand	O
its	O
business	O
in	O
Malaysia	O
.	O
</s>
<s>
On	O
August	O
4	O
,	O
2011	O
,	O
the	O
company	O
acquired	O
Obtiva	O
,	O
a	O
large	O
Chicago	O
,	O
Illinois-based	O
Ruby	B-Application
on	I-Application
Rails	I-Application
and	O
Agile	O
Software	O
Development	O
consulting	O
firm	O
for	O
an	O
undisclosed	O
amount	O
,	O
in	O
order	O
to	O
boost	O
its	O
technology	O
recruiting	O
capabilities	O
.	O
</s>
<s>
In	O
January	O
2012	O
,	O
the	O
company	O
acquired	O
Mertado	O
,	O
a	O
social	O
shopping	O
service	O
based	O
on	O
the	B-Application
Facebook	I-Application
platform	O
.	O
</s>
<s>
In	O
May	O
2012	O
,	O
Groupon	B-Application
acquired	O
Breadcrumb	O
,	O
a	O
point	O
of	O
sale	O
system	O
and	O
iPad	O
app	O
that	O
targets	O
local	O
restaurants	O
.	O
</s>
<s>
Based	O
on	O
the	O
May	O
acquisition	O
,	O
Groupon	B-Application
launched	O
Breadcrumb	O
PRO	O
and	O
Breadcrumb	O
POS	O
,	O
expanding	O
its	O
target	O
beyond	O
restaurants	O
to	O
include	O
all	O
types	O
of	O
local	O
businesses	O
.	O
</s>
<s>
On	O
September	O
24	O
,	O
2012	O
,	O
Groupon	B-Application
acquired	O
restaurant	O
reservation	O
and	O
discount	O
site	O
Savored	O
for	O
an	O
undisclosed	O
amount	O
,	O
providing	O
Groupon	B-Application
with	O
an	O
inlet	O
to	O
higher-end	O
restaurants	O
.	O
</s>
<s>
Groupon	B-Application
also	O
announced	O
that	O
it	O
would	O
continue	O
to	O
operate	O
Savored	O
independently	O
from	O
the	O
main	O
Groupon	B-Application
website	O
.	O
</s>
<s>
In	O
December	O
2013	O
,	O
Groupon	B-Application
acquired	O
Boomerang	O
,	O
a	O
Lightbank-backed	O
start-up	O
that	O
allows	O
people	O
to	O
share	O
gift	O
cards	O
and	O
other	O
deals	O
from	O
local	O
merchants	O
with	O
their	O
friends	O
.	O
</s>
<s>
Boomerang	O
's	O
two	O
cofounders	O
,	O
Zachary	O
Smith	O
and	O
Matthew	O
Williams	O
,	O
along	O
with	O
eight	O
employees	O
went	O
on	O
to	O
build	O
a	O
new	O
digital-coupon	O
offering	O
,	O
called	O
Groupon	B-Application
Coupons	O
.	O
</s>
<s>
On	O
January	O
11	O
,	O
2013	O
,	O
Groupon	B-Application
acquired	O
real-time	O
location	O
sharing	O
mobile	O
app	O
and	O
small	O
business	O
service	O
provider	O
Glassman	O
,	O
which	O
was	O
founded	O
and	O
led	O
by	O
Geoffrey	O
Woo	O
,	O
Jon	O
Zhang	O
and	O
Jonathan	O
Chang	O
.	O
</s>
<s>
On	O
September	O
9	O
,	O
2013	O
,	O
Groupon	B-Application
announced	O
acquisition	O
of	O
European	O
last-minute	O
travel	O
app	O
Blink	O
(	O
founded	O
by	O
Rebeca	O
Minguela	O
)	O
,	O
which	O
provides	O
same-day	O
hotel	O
reservations	O
.	O
</s>
<s>
In	O
January	O
2014	O
,	O
Groupon	B-Application
bought	O
ideeli	O
,	O
a	O
fashion	O
company	O
,	O
for	O
$43	O
million	O
.	O
</s>
<s>
On	O
October	O
2	O
,	O
2014	O
,	O
Groupon	B-Application
unveiled	O
Snap	O
,	O
a	O
new	O
app	O
specifically	O
for	O
giving	O
customers	O
cash	O
back	O
when	O
they	O
buy	O
certain	O
items	O
at	O
the	O
grocery	O
store	O
.	O
</s>
<s>
The	O
new	O
app	O
comes	O
from	O
Groupon	B-Application
's	O
previous	O
acquisition	O
of	O
SnapSaves	O
,	O
a	O
Canadian	O
start-up	O
that	O
works	O
much	O
like	O
Snap	O
.	O
</s>
<s>
In	O
November	O
2014	O
,	O
Groupon	B-Application
acquired	O
In-Store	O
Analytics	O
And	O
Marketing	O
Start-up	O
,	O
Swarm	O
Mobile	O
,	O
a	O
start-up	O
that	O
helps	O
businesses	O
connect	O
with	O
and	O
track	O
their	O
customers	O
while	O
in	O
stores	O
.	O
</s>
<s>
On	O
July	O
16	O
,	O
2015	O
,	O
Groupon	B-Application
announced	O
its	O
acquisition	O
of	O
food-delivery	O
service	O
Order	O
Up	O
.	O
</s>
<s>
Two	O
weeks	O
later	O
,	O
Groupon	B-Application
announced	O
its	O
own	O
Food	O
Delivery	O
Business	O
,	O
Groupon	B-Application
To	O
Go	O
.	O
</s>
<s>
In	O
February	O
2016	O
,	O
Chinese	O
online	O
retailer	O
Alibaba	O
Group	O
Holding	O
Ltd	O
disclosed	O
that	O
it	O
acquired	O
a	O
5.6	O
%	O
stake	O
in	O
Groupon	B-Application
Inc	O
.	O
</s>
<s>
In	O
April	O
2016	O
,	O
Groupon	B-Application
Inc	O
.	O
announced	O
it	O
received	O
a	O
$250	O
million	O
investment	O
from	O
a	O
private	O
investment	O
firm	O
,	O
Atairos	O
Management	O
LP	O
,	O
which	O
has	O
ties	O
to	O
Comcast	O
Corp	O
.	O
</s>
<s>
In	O
May	O
2018	O
,	O
Groupon	B-Application
acquired	O
Bristol	O
,	O
UK-based	O
Cloud	O
Savings	O
company	O
for	O
$65million	O
.	O
</s>
<s>
When	O
it	O
first	O
launched	O
,	O
the	O
company	O
offered	O
one	O
"	O
Groupon	B-Application
"	O
per	O
day	O
in	O
each	O
of	O
the	O
markets	O
it	O
served	O
.	O
</s>
<s>
The	O
Groupon	B-Application
worked	O
as	O
an	O
assurance	O
contract	O
using	O
The	O
Point	O
's	O
platform	O
:	O
if	O
a	O
certain	O
number	O
of	O
people	O
signed	O
up	O
for	O
the	O
offer	O
,	O
then	O
the	O
deal	O
became	O
available	O
to	O
all	O
;	O
if	O
the	O
predetermined	O
minimum	O
was	O
not	O
met	O
,	O
no	O
one	O
got	O
the	O
deal	O
that	O
day	O
.	O
</s>
<s>
In	O
the	O
early	O
years	O
before	O
revenue	O
splits	O
began	O
to	O
adjust	O
as	O
necessary	O
,	O
Groupon	B-Application
made	O
money	O
by	O
keeping	O
approximately	O
half	O
the	O
money	O
the	O
customer	O
pays	O
for	O
the	O
coupon	O
.	O
</s>
<s>
Unlike	O
classified	O
advertising	O
,	O
the	O
merchants	O
advertising	O
on	O
Groupon	B-Application
do	O
not	O
pay	O
any	O
upfront	O
cost	O
to	O
participate	O
:	O
Consumers	O
are	O
able	O
to	O
search	O
and	O
browse	O
deals	O
via	O
web	O
or	O
mobile	O
and	O
can	O
subscribe	O
to	O
receive	O
emails	O
featuring	O
deals	O
they	O
are	O
interested	O
in	O
based	O
on	O
preferences	O
they	O
input	O
.	O
</s>
<s>
Groupon	B-Application
employs	O
copywriters	O
who	O
draft	O
descriptions	O
for	O
the	O
deals	O
featured	O
by	O
email	O
and	O
on	O
the	O
website	O
.	O
</s>
<s>
Groupon	B-Application
's	O
promotional	O
text	O
strategy	O
in	O
the	O
early	O
years	O
for	O
the	O
deals	O
has	O
been	O
seen	O
as	O
a	O
contributing	O
factor	O
to	O
the	O
popularity	O
of	O
the	O
site	O
,	O
featuring	O
a	O
distinctive	O
mix	O
of	O
thorough	O
fact-checking	O
and	O
witty	O
humor	O
.	O
</s>
<s>
In	O
response	O
to	O
these	O
issues	O
,	O
Groupon	B-Application
officials	O
have	O
stated	O
that	O
deals	O
sold	O
will	O
be	O
capped	O
in	O
advance	O
to	O
a	O
number	O
that	O
the	O
business	O
can	O
service	O
effectively	O
.	O
</s>
<s>
In	O
2015	O
,	O
it	O
was	O
reported	O
that	O
88%	O
of	O
merchants	O
agree	O
that	O
their	O
Groupon	B-Application
deal	O
brought	O
in	O
new	O
customers	O
,	O
and	O
82%	O
of	O
customers	O
say	O
they	O
are	O
likely	O
to	O
return	O
to	O
the	O
merchant	O
again	O
.	O
</s>
<s>
One	O
analysis	O
found	O
only	O
~	O
20%	O
of	O
Groupon	B-Application
buyers	O
returned	O
for	O
full-price	O
purchases	O
.	O
</s>
<s>
In	O
2010	O
,	O
it	O
was	O
reported	O
that	O
local	O
merchants	O
found	O
it	O
difficult	O
to	O
get	O
Groupon	B-Application
interested	O
in	O
agreeing	O
to	O
a	O
particular	O
deal	O
.	O
</s>
<s>
According	O
to	O
the	O
Wall	O
Street	O
Journal	O
,	O
seven	O
of	O
every	O
eight	O
possible	O
deals	O
suggested	O
by	O
merchants	O
were	O
dismissed	O
by	O
Groupon	B-Application
.	O
</s>
<s>
Groupon	B-Application
offers	O
a	O
mobile	O
application	O
which	O
allows	O
users	O
to	O
browse	O
,	O
buy	O
deals	O
,	O
and	O
redeem	O
them	O
using	O
the	O
screen	O
as	O
a	O
coupon	O
.	O
</s>
<s>
In	O
addition	O
to	O
daily	O
local	O
deals	O
,	O
Groupon	B-Application
's	O
channels	O
have	O
included	O
:	O
Groupon	B-Application
Goods	O
,	O
launched	O
in	O
September	O
2011	O
,	O
which	O
focuses	O
on	O
discounted	O
merchandise	O
,	O
although	O
Groupon	B-Application
officially	O
announced	O
the	O
closure	O
of	O
goods	O
on	O
February	O
19	O
,	O
2020	O
,	O
but	O
then	O
decided	O
almost	O
three	O
months	O
later	O
to	O
phase	O
down	O
the	O
Goods	O
business	O
and	O
cut	O
44%	O
of	O
its	O
employees	O
;	O
Groupon	B-Application
Getaways	O
,	O
which	O
offers	O
vacation	O
packages	O
and	O
travel	O
deals	O
;	O
and	O
GrouponLive	O
,	O
where	O
consumers	O
can	O
find	O
discounts	O
on	O
ticketed	O
events	O
Groupon	B-Application
has	O
also	O
emerged	O
as	O
a	O
check	O
on	O
price	O
increases	O
for	O
certain	O
essential	O
commodities	O
in	O
many	O
countries	O
.	O
</s>
<s>
Groupon	B-Application
has	O
served	O
markets	O
in	O
several	O
countries	O
including	O
,	O
the	O
United	O
States	O
,	O
Canada	O
,	O
Ukraine	O
,	O
Germany	O
,	O
Greece	O
,	O
France	O
,	O
the	O
Netherlands	O
,	O
Belgium	O
,	O
the	O
United	O
Kingdom	O
,	O
India	O
,	O
Indonesia	O
,	O
Ireland	O
,	O
Israel	O
,	O
Denmark	O
,	O
Thailand	O
,	O
United	O
Arab	O
Emirates	O
,	O
New	O
Zealand	O
and	O
others	O
.	O
</s>
<s>
In	O
2010	O
,	O
Forbes	O
noted	O
that	O
there	O
were	O
over	O
700	O
Groupon	B-Application
copycat	O
sites	O
,	O
the	O
majority	O
of	O
them	O
existing	O
overseas	O
.	O
</s>
<s>
On	O
February	O
19	O
,	O
2011	O
The	O
Wall	O
Street	O
Journal	O
reported	O
that	O
Groupon	B-Application
was	O
preparing	O
to	O
launch	O
in	O
China	O
.	O
</s>
<s>
Groupon	B-Application
subsequently	O
entered	O
into	O
the	O
China	O
market	O
in	O
a	O
joint	O
venture	O
with	O
Tencent	O
and	O
launched	O
"	O
Gaopeng	O
"	O
.	O
</s>
<s>
Groupon	B-Application
also	O
launched	O
in	O
the	O
MENA	O
region	O
with	O
Groupon	B-Application
UAE	O
on	O
June	O
16	O
,	O
2011	O
.	O
</s>
<s>
Groupon	B-Application
entered	O
the	O
Indian	O
market	O
through	O
the	O
acquisition	O
of	O
local	O
company	O
SoSasta	O
in	O
Jan	O
2011	O
.	O
</s>
<s>
Finally	O
,	O
after	O
winning	O
a	O
battle	O
to	O
acquire	O
the	O
groupon.co.in	O
domain	O
name	O
,	O
the	O
Indian	O
business	O
was	O
renamed	O
Groupon	B-Application
in	O
Nov	O
2012	O
.	O
</s>
<s>
In	O
August	O
2015	O
,	O
Groupon	B-Application
gave	O
up	O
control	O
of	O
its	O
India	O
unit	O
to	O
Sequoia	O
Capital	O
and	O
renamed	O
the	O
company	O
Nearbuy	O
.	O
</s>
<s>
In	O
February	O
2011	O
,	O
Groupon	B-Application
Russia	O
announced	O
it	O
would	O
join	O
the	O
Russian	O
Company	O
Mail.ru	O
in	O
order	O
to	O
start	O
offering	O
deals	O
on	O
its	O
social	O
network	O
Odnoklassniki	O
.	O
</s>
<s>
This	O
way	O
,	O
users	O
would	O
be	O
able	O
to	O
buy	O
and	O
share	O
deals	O
from	O
Groupon	B-Application
on	O
their	O
profiles	O
.	O
</s>
<s>
New	O
Enterprise	O
Associates	O
,	O
Eric	O
Lefkofsky	O
and	O
Brad	O
Keywell	O
are	O
investors	O
in	O
Groupon	B-Application
(	O
Lefkofsky	O
and	O
Keywell	O
later	O
formed	O
the	O
investment	O
company	O
Lightbank	O
;	O
Groupon	B-Application
is	O
listed	O
as	O
a	O
Lightbank	O
investment	O
)	O
.	O
</s>
<s>
In	O
April	O
2010	O
,	O
Groupon	B-Application
raised	O
$135	O
million	O
from	O
Digital	O
Sky	O
Technologies	O
,	O
a	O
Russian	O
investment	O
firm	O
.	O
</s>
<s>
On	O
December	O
29	O
,	O
2010	O
,	O
Groupon	B-Application
's	O
executive	O
board	O
approved	O
a	O
change	O
to	O
Groupon	B-Application
's	O
certificate	O
of	O
incorporation	O
that	O
would	O
permit	O
the	O
company	O
to	O
raise	O
$950	O
million	O
in	O
venture	O
capital	O
funding	O
,	O
based	O
on	O
a	O
valuation	O
of	O
$6.4	O
billion	O
.	O
</s>
<s>
From	O
January	O
2010	O
through	O
January	O
2011	O
,	O
Groupon	B-Application
's	O
U.S.	O
monthly	O
revenues	O
grew	O
from	O
$11	O
million	O
to	O
$89	O
million	O
.	O
</s>
<s>
In	O
October	O
2010	O
,	O
Yahoo	B-Application
!	I-Application
</s>
<s>
was	O
rumoured	O
to	O
have	O
offered	O
over	O
$3	O
billion	O
to	O
acquire	O
Groupon	B-Application
.	O
</s>
<s>
On	O
November	O
30	O
,	O
2010	O
,	O
it	O
was	O
reported	O
that	O
Google	O
offered	O
$5.3	O
billion	O
with	O
a	O
$700	O
million	O
earnout	O
to	O
acquire	O
Groupon	B-Application
and	O
was	O
rejected	O
on	O
December	O
3	O
,	O
2010	O
.	O
</s>
<s>
After	O
the	O
rejection	O
of	O
the	O
Google/Groupon	O
buy-out	O
,	O
Groupon	B-Application
proceeded	O
with	O
their	O
own	O
initial	O
public	O
offering	O
.	O
</s>
<s>
Groupon	B-Application
's	O
consolidated	O
gross	O
billings	O
for	O
the	O
full	O
year	O
2014	O
increased	O
32%	O
year-over-year	O
to	O
$7.6	O
billion	O
.	O
</s>
<s>
In	O
2011	O
,	O
Groupon	B-Application
developed	O
an	O
application	O
,	O
Groupon	B-Application
Now	O
,	O
aimed	O
at	O
smartphone	O
and	O
tablet	O
users	O
.	O
</s>
<s>
Groupon	B-Application
have	O
the	O
Groupon	B-Application
Promise	O
to	O
ensure	O
that	O
customers	O
are	O
satisfied	O
with	O
their	O
purchase	O
and	O
if	O
customers	O
are	O
disappointed	O
with	O
their	O
purchase	O
,	O
Groupon	B-Application
will	O
try	O
to	O
work	O
things	O
out	O
with	O
the	O
customers	O
or	O
give	O
them	O
a	O
refund	O
.	O
</s>
<s>
The	O
Groupon	B-Application
Promise	O
is	O
essential	O
in	O
dissipating	O
cognitive	O
dissonance	O
and	O
perceived	O
risk	O
.	O
</s>
<s>
On	O
February	O
20	O
,	O
2012	O
,	O
Groupon	B-Application
announced	O
a	O
"	O
VIP	O
Membership	O
"	O
program	O
,	O
with	O
a	O
membership	O
fee	O
of	O
$30	O
annually	O
.	O
</s>
<s>
This	O
program	O
gives	O
VIP	O
members	O
access	O
to	O
deals	O
12	O
hours	O
earlier	O
than	O
non-members	O
,	O
as	O
well	O
as	O
access	O
to	O
expired	O
deals	O
(	O
in	O
the	O
"	O
Deal	O
Vault	O
"	O
)	O
and	O
easy	O
returns	O
of	O
deals	O
(	O
in	O
exchange	O
for	O
"	O
Groupon	B-Application
bucks	O
"	O
)	O
.	O
</s>
<s>
Groupon	B-Application
MerchantOS	O
is	O
a	O
suite	O
of	O
products	O
and	O
tools	O
for	O
merchants	O
running	O
with	O
Groupon	B-Application
.	O
</s>
<s>
The	O
suite	O
includes	O
Groupon	B-Application
Rewards	O
,	O
Groupon	B-Application
Scheduler	O
and	O
Groupon	B-Application
Payments	O
.	O
</s>
<s>
On	O
May	O
10	O
,	O
2012	O
,	O
Groupon	B-Application
announced	O
the	O
launch	O
of	O
Groupon	B-Application
Rewards	O
in	O
the	O
United	O
States	O
.	O
</s>
<s>
Unlike	O
"	O
buy	O
9	O
and	O
get	O
the	O
10th	O
free	O
"	O
punchcards	O
,	O
a	O
consumer	O
earns	O
Rewards	O
by	O
using	O
any	O
major	O
credit	O
card	O
saved	O
in	O
their	O
Groupon	B-Application
account	O
when	O
they	O
visit	O
their	O
favourite	O
local	O
merchants	O
.	O
</s>
<s>
Groupon	B-Application
Scheduler	O
is	O
an	O
online	O
booking	O
tool	O
for	O
merchants	O
,	O
allowing	O
their	O
consumers	O
to	O
seamlessly	O
book	O
appointments	O
for	O
services	O
at	O
the	O
time	O
of	O
purchasing	O
their	O
Groupon	B-Application
deal	O
.	O
</s>
<s>
The	O
newest	O
addition	O
to	O
the	O
suite	O
of	O
merchant-facing	O
products	O
is	O
Groupon	B-Application
Payments	O
,	O
which	O
was	O
launched	O
in	O
September	O
2012	O
.	O
</s>
<s>
Groupon	B-Application
Payments	O
offers	O
merchants	O
an	O
infrastructure	O
for	O
accepting	O
credit	O
card	O
payments	O
at	O
a	O
low	O
cost	O
.	O
</s>
<s>
As	O
of	O
December	O
2015	O
,	O
MerchantOS	O
is	O
no	O
longer	O
a	O
Groupon	B-Application
division	O
.	O
</s>
<s>
Groupon	B-Application
aired	O
a	O
controversial	O
Super	O
Bowl	O
XLV	O
advertisement	O
in	O
which	O
actor	O
Timothy	O
Hutton	O
begins	O
by	O
making	O
a	O
plea	O
for	O
the	O
people	O
of	O
Tibet	O
before	O
delivering	O
the	O
punch	B-Application
line	I-Application
:	O
"	O
But	O
they	O
still	O
whip	O
up	O
an	O
amazing	O
fish	O
curry.	O
"	O
</s>
<s>
Critics	O
of	O
the	O
ad	O
took	O
to	O
several	O
social	O
media	O
outlets	O
to	O
argue	O
that	O
Groupon	B-Application
was	O
using	O
the	O
plight	O
of	O
Tibetans	O
to	O
sell	O
their	O
services	O
.	O
</s>
<s>
The	O
following	O
day	O
,	O
Groupon	B-Application
responded	O
by	O
defending	O
their	O
commercial	O
and	O
their	O
philanthropic	O
stance	O
.	O
</s>
<s>
On	O
February	O
10	O
,	O
2011	O
,	O
Groupon	B-Application
's	O
founder	O
Andrew	O
Mason	O
apologized	O
and	O
pulled	O
the	O
ad	O
.	O
</s>
<s>
The	O
commercial	O
that	O
aired	O
during	O
Super	O
Bowl	O
LII	O
featured	O
Tiffany	O
Haddish	O
,	O
a	O
comedian	O
and	O
active	O
Groupon	B-Application
user	O
.	O
</s>
<s>
In	O
March	O
2011	O
,	O
Eli	O
R	O
.	O
Johnson	O
filed	O
a	O
lawsuit	O
in	O
federal	O
court	O
against	O
Groupon	B-Application
,	O
based	O
on	O
a	O
claim	O
that	O
the	O
company	O
issues	O
"	O
gift	O
certificates	O
"	O
that	O
are	O
not	O
allowed	O
under	O
the	O
Credit	O
Card	O
Accountability	O
Responsibility	O
and	O
Disclosure	O
Act	O
.	O
</s>
<s>
In	O
March	O
2011	O
,	O
the	O
Massachusetts	O
Alcoholic	O
Beverages	O
Control	O
Commission	O
notified	O
Groupon	B-Application
that	O
it	O
was	O
in	O
violation	O
of	O
state	O
law	O
that	O
prohibits	O
discounting	O
of	O
alcoholic	O
beverages	O
.	O
</s>
<s>
Groupon	B-Application
notified	O
Massachusetts	O
subscribers	O
of	O
a	O
temporary	O
suspension	O
in	O
the	O
use	O
of	O
its	O
discount	O
vouchers	O
for	O
alcohol	O
at	O
participating	O
restaurants	O
.	O
</s>
<s>
In	O
December	O
2011	O
the	O
Office	O
of	O
Fair	O
Trading	O
(	O
OFT	O
)	O
launched	O
an	O
investigation	O
into	O
Groupon	B-Application
after	O
the	O
firm	O
broke	O
regulations	O
48	O
times	O
in	O
11	O
months	O
.	O
</s>
<s>
The	O
OFT	O
concluded	O
in	O
March	O
2012	O
that	O
Groupon	B-Application
was	O
in	O
"	O
widespread	O
breaches	O
"	O
of	O
UK	O
consumer	O
laws	O
and	O
were	O
ordered	O
to	O
"	O
clean	O
up	O
their	O
practices	O
"	O
within	O
three	O
months	O
including	O
ensuring	O
its	O
website	O
was	O
accurate	O
,	O
realistic	O
,	O
claims	O
related	O
to	O
any	O
beauty	O
or	O
health	O
products	O
offered	O
were	O
substantiated	O
and	O
that	O
refund	O
and	O
cancellation	O
policies	O
were	O
in	O
accordance	O
with	O
current	O
regulations	O
.	O
</s>
<s>
In	O
August	O
2016	O
,	O
the	O
disagreements	O
between	O
the	O
Chilean	O
National	O
Consumer	O
Service	O
(	O
Sernac	O
)	O
and	O
Groupon	B-Application
were	O
evident	O
.	O
</s>
<s>
And	O
a	O
few	O
days	O
after	O
Christmas	O
,	O
Sernac	O
filed	O
a	O
class	O
action	O
lawsuit	O
against	O
Groupon	B-Application
.	O
</s>
<s>
According	O
to	O
the	O
agency	O
,	O
Groupon	B-Application
breached	O
the	O
conditions	O
offered	O
and	O
contracted	O
with	O
consumers	O
,	O
in	O
particular	O
,	O
due	O
to	O
non-compliance	O
with	O
deadlines	O
offered	O
and	O
committed	O
for	O
the	O
delivery	O
of	O
products	O
or	O
services	O
.	O
</s>
<s>
According	O
to	O
information	O
revealed	O
by	O
Sernac	O
in	O
the	O
judicial	O
action	O
,	O
during	O
2016	O
the	O
service	O
received	O
numerous	O
claims	O
against	O
Groupon	B-Application
.	O
</s>
<s>
In	O
May	O
2010	O
,	O
Groupon	B-Application
created	O
a	O
challenge	O
to	O
live	O
on	O
Groupons	B-Application
for	O
one	O
year	O
.	O
</s>
<s>
The	O
contestant	O
Josh	O
Stevens	O
travelled	O
throughout	O
the	O
United	O
States	O
and	O
to	O
the	O
United	O
Kingdom	O
and	O
purchased	O
all	O
food	O
,	O
drinks	O
,	O
travel	O
,	O
entertainment	O
and	O
more	O
from	O
Groupon	B-Application
for	O
365	O
days	O
.	O
</s>
<s>
Friend	O
Me	O
,	O
a	O
CBS	O
sitcom	O
based	O
around	O
Groupon	B-Application
,	O
was	O
created	O
in	O
2012	O
,	O
but	O
never	O
aired	O
.	O
</s>
