American Express is making a bid to bring cardholders its own version of Groupon-like daily deal offers, joining forces with Twitter in an attempt to turn America into a "couponless nation." The program will undoubtedly offer good discounts -- but can it last in the long term?
Everyone loves to save money, and group-buying websites like Groupon and LivingSocial make it seem so easy. But they also make it easy -- and very tempting -- to buy more than you need, things that you don't, and coupons you'll never redeem. But you can tame your group-buying habit.
While news that Groupon has rebuffed Google's $6 billion offer has stolen the limelight, Amazon's $175 million investment in LivingSocial could end up shaking up the daily-deal business and helping the No. 2 e-coupon company gain ground against Groupon.
Just a few days after Google reportedly offered $6 billion for the top group-buying site, Groupon, the service's biggest rival, LivingSocial, has scored a $175 million investment from Amazon. But how long will these hot deals last?
Some pundits have decried the Groupon model as easy to emulate, and predicted fierce competition and price wars. Web industry watcher Alex Salkever used to believe that, too -- but not anymore. Here's why.
Amid all the chain-store carnage, some smaller merchants are trying to attract shoppers with new concepts, from textbook rentals to made-to-order pants. And many are finding success in a bruising economic environment.
In an incident that raises the ugly specter of fraud with the new group buying genre, popular site Groupon was apparently fooled by a fake photographer offering a photo shoot deal to more clients than she could possibly accommodate, and promoting herself with photos stolen from other artists.
