With a big transition in its leadership and yet another wave of negative financial results, Groupon appears in need of a moment to pause and consider the customers it needs to survive. Daily-deals fatigue has likely set in for many of the early adopters of these kinds of deals, which explains Groupon’s sagging usage.
Danny Ecker at Crain’s Chicago Business wonders if the daily-deals company would be wise to pin more of its hopes to the location-based aspects of its mobile app. While Groupon Now is but a memory, the company’s app still shows users deals that are nearby, a feature that can lead to serendipitous deals for indecisive consumers who just need a cheap bite to eat.
Groupon introduced a “Nearby” tab for users of its iPad app in mid-December. David Katz, the company’s vice president of mobile, said at the time that Groupon would focus on tablets in 2013.