Online deals website Groupon has been expanding horizons lately, and the latest frontier targeted by them is groceries.
Groupon has entered into an arrangement with the US-based supermarket chain Big Y to offer discounted groceries to their customers through the store’s loyalty cards. The arrangement has been made in conjunction with the marketing company Halo Effect and the consumer behavior analytics company Incentive Targeting.
The first offer made to clients is in a Springfield, Massachusetts store. A shellfish grill pack, consisting of lobster tails, clams, mussels and other sea food bits, which would normally cost $39.99, will be offered as a Groupon deal of the day for $24 (40% discount).
Groupon – Big Y deal of the day
When Big Y customers buy this Groupon deal, they have to enter their Big Y Express Saving Club membership number and when they make the payment it is automatically billed at the discounted price.
This feature will use retail shopping and marketing technology by Incentive Targeting to create and manage the promotion of various deals that will be made available from time to time. They will also monitor market response to the deals. Halo Effect has been associated with Groupon since 2009 and will help out with their marketing experience and expertise.
Groupon only recently filed for an Initial Public Offering and had also announced a new vacation feature called Groupon Getaways just a few days before that.
Industry experts are already speculating that these new services may eventually lead to other retailer driven promotions with participants of loyalty programs via other US chains such as Kroger Co., Safeway, CVS or Walgreens. Supermarket loyalty programmes, such as this, may also eventually help to eliminate fraud occurring through the use of print-at-home Internet-distributed coupons, thus encouraging other players to also join Groupon or similar service providers.
