The printing press. The steam engine. The personal computer. In the pantheon of revolutionary inventions, these once-impressive breakthroughs seem embarrassing in the wake of the most important, most momentous, and most important breakthrough ever broken through: Groupon Personalized Deals.
Launching today in six cities (Chicago, Los Angeles, New York City, San Francisco, San Jose, and Seattle), Personalized Deals represent a fundamental change to the way that Groupon works. Instead of a single daily deal across an entire city, Groupon subscribers will begin seeing a different deal personalized to their likes, dislikes, whittling ability, and number of pole-dancing classes needed to reach the medically advised minimum. Login to Groupon and click “My Profile” to enter your preferences so we know enough to send you deals that match your tastes, and grant ourselves power of attorney.
Like a baby, Personalized Deals will start out dumb, but like a baby dipped in some sort of mutating ooze, Personalized Deals will get smarter quickly. As Groupon gets to know you better, we’ll target your inbox with scarily accurate deals and scarily accurate hand-drawings of you. Soon, you’ll look back at the Groupon of today like the outdated steam engine of savings it is.
For somewhat useful details, read our press release. For a lot more, read this post about why we decided to build this feature.
Edit: we’ve added a Personalized Deals FAQ to answer some of the questions that are coming up a lot below.
David J
onJuly 29, 2010 8:40 am
@Rebecca: yes they are smart, but most babies can’t do long division. Then again, that’s true of a lot of smart adults too.
Jess
onJuly 29, 2010 8:52 am
PLEASE bring this to Tampa!! I love Groupon! <3 <3
@jascortez
onJuly 29, 2010 8:54 am
This will be an excellent resource for my upcoming fall project. Looking forward to some sweet deals!
marty
onJuly 29, 2010 8:55 am
i live in boynton beach fla im a senior .a lot this does me lets go mets
marty
onJuly 29, 2010 8:56 am
maybe you guys will get a real job
Edie Naiman
onJuly 29, 2010 9:11 am
Sounds great! Looking forward to seeing what you have to offer. Just don’t offer me such good deals that I go broke taking advantage of all of them. What can I say? There is sooo much out there that I like!
Adi Rustgi
onJuly 29, 2010 9:12 am
Personalized Groupons: It is probably the the dumbest idea i have heard. The only reason Groupon works is because of its mass appeal, the fact that 100′s of people get the same thing that allows the numbers to exceed the minimum.
One of the worst things a company can do is to either know understand or forget what makes them successful.
Personalized Groupon is an Oxymoron.
MsPaula
onJuly 29, 2010 9:15 am
@Adi, I disagree. I signed up for this becuase a freind suggested it and there has not been one single offer I was even remotely interested in. Maybe personalization will offer me something that I might actually buy into.
Lea
onJuly 29, 2010 9:17 am
Hmmm…I like seeing all the different Groupons. That makes me sometimes do things and eat places I did not think I woul like. That’s part of the fun of Groupon. Having them personalized to me would take some of the fun out……What if I would have wanted the boat ride around the river this time but was not offered it because I never bought it before?
So I would prefer it to stay the same
David J
onJuly 29, 2010 9:43 am
@Lea, we’ll still give you lots of different types of deals. One of the things we love is when we can introduce people to something new (a great restaurant they hadn’t heard of, skydiving, fire breathing).
It’s not perfect, but also doesn’t have to be — you can always see the “featured” deal for a city plus sometimes there will be additional deals we offer as well. Even while we’re highlighting something for you, there will be more choice overall.
Sharon
onJuly 29, 2010 10:14 am
You should allow more than 1 zip code, like home zip and work zip.
BmoreLax
onJuly 29, 2010 10:19 am
We need to have this in Baltimore-Please,Please!!!! Groupon ROCKS!!!
Gordon
onJuly 29, 2010 10:32 am
Obviously no one can use all groupons or afford every one, but I have found several of them useful and bought them for personal use and as gifts.
Keep them coming!
Liz
onJuly 29, 2010 10:40 am
Great idea, and I’m sure I’ll participate if/when this option is available in my city. But, it also gives you guys a LOT of very detailed (and marketable) information about your customer base and demographics. What assurances can you give participants that this information won’t be sold or (mis)used in other ways??
Kristy
onJuly 29, 2010 10:41 am
If you folks would realize that a place doesn’t have to be a HUGE CITY in order to have countless participants and things to do and see — in order to be participants in Groupon! If my Mom did not live in Birmingham, I would have no reason to look at these! However, in Fairhope/Daphne/Gulf Shores areas, we have hundreds of thousands of year round tourists and residents who would eat this up – so to speak! Put us in!
Caroline
onJuly 29, 2010 10:47 am
One of the things I like about groupon is that I can try new things without spending too much. On the other hand, I would like to have more of the things I already use! So, for people like me who want it all…can we have both?!
Jordan
onJuly 29, 2010 11:16 am
So if I sign up for this, am I going to miss out on other deals? Do I only have access to the deals picked out for me? I’m a guy but sometimes when there are the mani-pedi groupons and things like that I want to buy them for my girlfriend – would I not have access to those anymore?
Char Lyn
onJuly 29, 2010 11:30 am
So I went to fill out my profile. For the employment dropdown, you left out those of us who only work part time (by choice or because that’s all they can find).
Just thought you should know that right now part-timers are a huge population segment.
Moraima
onJuly 29, 2010 11:38 am
I agree wiht Sharon, I use groupons that are either close from work or from home, so 2 zip codes would be better…
Brenda
onJuly 29, 2010 11:49 am
Like Lea, I also feel that personalization will ruin groupon. My concerns are similar. I am in Washington DC temporarily and groupon is how I find out what is here and what is going on that I may not have known about otherwise. I know that you reassured her that there would still be the major deal to choose from, but I think the whole idea behind groupon is about the masses. Seeing a deal tipped, feeling a sense of community when you see 1,000 other people bought it too, and being able to talk about it with others. Please don’t change it…you may pick up a few others that normally wouldn’t buy, but you may ruin it for the rest of us.
Tree
onJuly 29, 2010 12:42 pm
This is a good idea, but I live in Oak Park, just out side of Chicago. I LOVE the down town deals because it gets me out on the town. Will I still be able to see/ purchase these?
Jennifer
onJuly 29, 2010 12:44 pm
I like the idea but would still happily go across town for a great deal. Will I no longer see those once they are only targeted for my part of town?
Rhobyne
onJuly 29, 2010 12:57 pm
I live in the ‘burbs and buy Chicago groupons to make it affordable to go into the city. I have also purchased Groupons for Milwaukee which is closeby and other cities I plan to visit soon. I’d like to get offers similar to the things I’m likely to buy but not limited to any area.
Bantana
onJuly 29, 2010 1:15 pm
Hey Groupon people! You rock and the deals rock! I think this is a great idea; we all get more deals for things we are more likely to buy. If the prices continue to be low, this just means Groupon gets better.
My question is whether or not we’ll still be able to see all the Groupons that are available. I get Groupons for multiple cities (my home, place I frequently travel to, the city my family lives in, etc.) so I can see deals I might want to get as gifts or deals I can use when I travel. Will we be able to see everything that’s available, even if it doesn’t match our personalized profile?
Thanks!
Bantana
onJuly 29, 2010 1:18 pm
ooops, just realized there’s an FAQ section.
Lissa
onJuly 29, 2010 1:49 pm
I’ve read the description a couple of times and mulled over the comments.. And I have to say, I think this is a stupid idea. I don’t want Groupon “deciding” what I like and don’t like and showing me certain deals. Tell the men complaining about mani/pedi deals to STFU. If you don’t like a deal of the day, there’s a delete button. Part of what makes Groupon so exciting is seeing the daily deal: “Oh man, a Groupon for hammers??!” or “Hell yes, cake decorating class Groupon!!!” Another thing that made Groupon unique was the way it made me try new things I’d never do without the Groupon. A kids’ museum, a new restaurant, etc. I LIKE the idea that sometimes the Groupon is out of my comfort zone – something I never thought I’d like. I don’t want to tell Groupon which deals to send me. Talk about ruining the surprise. I feel like I just found out there’s no Santa Claus.
Aswell
onJuly 29, 2010 1:51 pm
No Portland? lame. Add Portland and keep me loaded with Yoga groupons!
David J
onJuly 29, 2010 1:57 pm
@Bantana, no worries — the link to the FAQ is in the middle of these comments, so it’s easy to miss. That reminds me, I should add a link in the original post.
@Char Lyn, that’s an oversight and a pretty easy fix. I’ll look into it.
@Caroline, Jordan, etc.: Definitely you’ll continue to get to see variety of deals, both in category and which part of town they are located. We believe you’ll find that the first deal we highlight for you will suit you more and more, but in many cases there will be other side deals and deals nearby to show you. We do think this will allow you to get more of what you know you want as well as some good serendipitous surprises.
@Sharon and Moraima: At some point we will let you indicate and manage multiple locations as well, both via making it easier to manage subscriptions to other cities and by indicating different places that you frequent (e.g. home and work).
@Kristy, we’re expanding Groupon (and Personalized Deals) to new cities all of the time.
@Liz, we’re just using this data to offer better deals. We will never sell it to anybody. For more information you can always look at our Privacy Policy.
Maria
onJuly 29, 2010 2:25 pm
I hope you truly focus on personal preferances and not make assumptions based on gender, city of residence or age. Personally, I don’t mind driving across town to another city if it means a good restaurant or good deal, so please don’t keep good deals from me because they are somewhat of a drive (25+ miles).
*
onJuly 29, 2010 3:19 pm
I don’t love this new idea already. I saw someone else’s deal for today and I liked it a heck of a lot better than the one I got. : (
Maria
onJuly 29, 2010 3:21 pm
Would love a personilized groupon…. but I like everything that is a great deal (THANK YOU Groupon
…) … so I will probably (hope to) get them all 
…!!!!
David J
onJuly 29, 2010 3:31 pm
@Maria and “.”, location, gender and age are just a starting point. They definitely aren’t perfect but they do help a lot. Most people prefer stuff close to them over stuff that’s far away, for example. We’ll get better at making these recommendations over time and these won’t be the only things we consider.
In the meantime, if you see another deal that your friend got or one across town, go for it!
Michele Zwillinger
onJuly 29, 2010 4:47 pm
If you get really good at personalizing our Groupons, will you also give us the opportunity to see offers from other areas, or do we have to call our friends and relatives in other cities to get them for us?
Sheryl
onJuly 29, 2010 5:14 pm
Maybe just add a “search by zip code” feature so that we can see what groupon is being offered in areas other than where we live. So if we see a groupon in another state we could buy it for the people we know who live there. Or if we are going on vacation somewhere, we can search the groupons for that area and purchase them and redeem them while we are on vacation! I like the unique offerings and the element of surprise each day. Just open up the rest of the offers (in areas beyond our profile zip code) to anyone who may want to buy and it would be purrfect!!
Cynthia V.
onJuly 29, 2010 6:07 pm
One of the things I love about Groupon is the surprise of it all, that it introduces me to things and places that I would never have considered going to or participating in before… it has really broadened our horizons and our knowledge of the area.
I am an avid (my husband might say too avid) Groupon buyer and it saddens me to think that they would change it tp market more to individual tastes, as far as I’m concerned that takes more than half the fun out of it and I am not the least bit interested in Personalized Deals, thanks anyway.
Cynthia V.
onJuly 29, 2010 6:09 pm
Just wanted to comment to Michelle Z. above. I get the daily Groupons from several cities in my email, including Frankfurt in Germany. You can sign up for any city that you’d like, you go girl!
Cody Petruk
onJuly 29, 2010 8:23 pm
Groupon has been a great sources of cheap surprises for my wife. Flowers… massages… spa stuff… these are all amazing sources of half-price brownie-points!
I don’t think she’ll respond as well to Cubs tickets, cheap bowling and paint-balling.
Aaron
onJuly 29, 2010 10:25 pm
I buy stuff for my wife not me. How is that going to help?
Jamie
onJuly 30, 2010 6:54 am
If my account is linked through Facebook connect, why can’t you just use my Facebook info to figure this out rather than me having to tell you?
David J
onJuly 30, 2010 10:09 am
@Cynthia, don’t worry, our intent isn’t to take away the good surprises because we know people like getting those. But if you’re never going to buy paintball (as an example), do you want us to send that to you every time we offer it?
@Cody and Aaron, you can still find stuff for your wife. Look for other deals we run besides the one we featured for you, or you can even fill out a profile based on your wife’s information and we’ll get better at highlighting deals for her. Also, over time we’ll also learn from what you buy so that these purchases will influence what we send.
@Jamie, we’ll work on better Facebook integration. In some cases they don’t have the same data or same format (e.g. I don’t have a ZIP code in my Facebook profile and could even make up a meaningless hometown like “Grouponville”. Making better use of this information is something that we’ll improve on over time.
Naomi
onJuly 30, 2010 11:24 am
@ David J
I am a business owner who has been featured on Groupon in the past. I was going to be featured again, but was told I would get up in April. By the end of May when I was still being told “we are really trying to get you up” I had to tell my Groupon rep that I needed to make other plans as I was losing money waiting.
While I think “personalization” may open the door for businesses to be featured sooner, I believe honesty in representation would be a better policy.
Personalization may potentially limit the success of each deal for vendors that do get up on the site. Since you are essentially giving your services away when you are featured, one of the main appeals of Groupon for business is that your are Spotlighted, not just one of many.
It seems to me that this is Groupon’s attempt to get around it’s own model of One Great Deal Per Day by “micro-dealing”, which you are calling “personalizing”.
AND, while you may never SELL this personalized information, your Privacy Policy indicated that you may “share this information with Groupon Merchants, Authorized Third Party Service Providers” and that you “May Remarket [our] Information”.
I don’t trust it. Sorry.
David J
onJuly 30, 2010 12:49 pm
@Naomi, sorry to hear you we haven’t managed our relationship with you better. We need to do that better — personalization or not.
Regarding limiting merchant success: in a lot of cases merchants don’t want all of the traffic we can give them, at least not all at once. In many cities we’re over 100,000 subscribers — sometimes WAY over. Some business are great features for that big of an audience, but many are not and yet still want to use Groupon to get exposure.
So we see this as good for Groupon, but that will only be true because it’s also good for merchants and consumers.
Finally, regarding use of information, we’ve recently been audited and certified by TRUSTe, specifically confirming that our privacy practices meet their high standards.
jill M.
onAugust 6, 2010 7:24 pm
I don’t think it’s such a great idea from my point of view. I don’t want every groupon to be something I really want because I don’t choose to torture myself every day about how much I’m spending on things just because it’s such a good deal and I can only get the deal today. That mentality will get a lot of folks in trouble financially and they will probably choose to quit groupon.
Another reason I don’t like it is because I used to buy those restaurant coupon books every year and found that if I didn’t use them soon after buying them, by the time I went to use some of them later in the year, the stores were either out of business or just not accepting them because too many people had bought and used them and they felt they were losing money so they just stopped accepting the coupons.
I loved the original concept of your business but noticed right away that you would have to change things if you wanted to grow and make any real money because there is only 365 days in a year and that can’t work with just one or two coupons a day no matter how many cities you have. Instead of doing the personalized groupon thing why not do the coupon selection by zip code and also by catogory. That way WE get to pick what we want without YOUR building a personal likes file on us. Also the merchants don’t have to wait in line to get their ad on the site.
I wish you well but I will probably opt out if you go the nosy route. My personal likes are NOT any of your business and I don’t want them to be either. … Peace and Love …
CLICK HERE
onAugust 16, 2010 8:00 pm
Thanks, and make sure to click on my profile for more great deals!
georgette pann
onAugust 23, 2010 5:49 pm
Please bring this to more cities in PA…look forward to working with you