By Aimee Chanthadavong
In an aim to boost relevance for customers and merchants, Groupon has launched Smart Deals offering.
It’s a service that tailors each customer’s list of daily deals based on their personal preferences using data like buying history, gender and location and over time will receive more relevant deals.
Alistair Venn, Groupon Australia CEO, told RetailBiz this will give the company and its merchant partners a chance to better understand its customers.
“This is obviously a very exciting time because its new technology that really allows us to interact with customers in a whole different way. We want to be relevant and be part of people’s lifestyle. Rather than creating a generic experience for every consumer this allows us to essentially give everyone everything they want. For example, we know men don’t want to wake up to a manicure offer and would rather hear about a surfing lesson or a fine dining experience,” he said.
The launch of Smart Deals in the Australian market also presents an attractive prospect for Groupon’s merchants. Smart Deals allows businesses to target a specific audience based on metrics like their locale and gender, meaning they can target customers who are more likely to generate repeat business.
“That’s one of the huge advantages of Smart Deal is that it’s really great for merchants who have so far given us really great feedback. We can create a more tailored marketing campaign and target specific demographic to help them augment their customer base in specific areas to help them drive repeat business,” Venn said.
Over time, both new and existing subscribers will have the opportunity to provide more information about their preferences to help Groupon further customise the deals which are served to them.
“I think the great thing about Groupon is we are a local e-commerce marketplace where we offer a little of everything. The things that work well are something that is unique to the business whether it’s a signature dish or a quirky element. It’s a great opportunity for business to showcase how they differ from their competitor,” Venn said.
The Australian launch of Smart Deals follows a successful rollout in other markets around the world, including US and UK, and months of product development.