Groupon Discussion

About six months ago, little known Groupon was put on the map by a massive bid from none other than the web behemoth Google.  The offer?  Six.  Billion.  Dollars.

Yes, that's US dollars.  Six billion of them.

So what did they do?  Turn it down, of course.

Today, they file an S-1...and for the unveil...net loss of nearly half a million dollars last year and operating loss alone of more than $100 million in the first quarter this year.

And now, to make their life more difficult, Google has simply launched its own clone, Google Offers.

Now, for those who don't pay attention to these things, Google is the undisputed King of Search and has the local ad market as its cornerstone.  Their reach is immense, they possess a massive cash warchest (nearly $35 billion), and their infrastructure is difficult to rival.  After studying the errors Groupon has made and having had time to perfect their own version of the daily deal site, I'm pretty sure Google will be a player.  And quickly.

Interesting timing here...Google Offers launches its first offer on the same day that Groupon files to go public.  Coincidence or subtle kick in the face from Larry Page?