Groupon is making its first foray into the grocery industry, partnering with a New England supermarket chain on a test program that is scheduled to launch on Tuesday.
Chicago-based Groupon, which disclosed plans to hold an initial public offering last week, has been looking at new industries where it can apply its group-buying model in a large-scale way. Recent efforts include national partnerships with Live Nation and Expedia to sell discounted tickets and travel offers.
Groupon has offered deals for grocers in the past. Last year, it offered a discount for upscale market Fox & Obel in Chicago. But the new partnership with Springfield, Mass.-based Big Y is the first time a multi-store grocery retailer has run a Groupon deal. Big Y operates 61 stores in Connecticut and Massachusetts. In addition, Big Y is the only retailer in any industry that has fully integrated Groupon deals into its loyalty card program.
"The grocery retail industry is a fantastic opportunity for us that has been largely untapped," Darren Schwartz, Groupon's senior vice president of sales, said in a statement.
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