Los Angeles residents will have another daily deals website competing for their business now that Google Offers was launched this past Wednesday in hopes to outperform its rivals by integrating deals throughout its products.
"Consumers want more relevant deals; it's certainly obvious, but it's hard to do," said Eric Rosenblum, director of product management for Google Offers, requoted from a Los Angeles Times article. "We think we're going to have a lot more deal density and more relevance."
Google Offers launched its first deal in Los Angeles – two movie tickets and a large popcorn valued at $39 for $14 – available at Grauman’s Chinese Theatre or Chinese 6 Theatres in Hollywood.
"We like the idea of being the first in Los Angeles with Google as opposed to being one of 100 deals this week with a rival site," said Alwyn Hight Kushner, director of operations for Chinese Theatres.
"It's great exposure for our business."
Although Rosenblum and Kushner think Google Offers is a great idea to launch this type of business, the company is now competing again Groupon, LivingSocial, AmazonLocal and up–and–coming newcomer, YourBestDeals.com headquarters in Thousand Oaks, CA.
Rosenblum believes customers want more relevant deals and thinks we’re going to have a lot more deal density and more relevance.
But when asked whether Google Offers will have an impact on their business, local competitor David Goldfarb, CEO for YourBestDeals.com said, “We are not impacted by Google Offers it because all it does is give consumers more choices. As a dealer entering the marketplace it doesn’t affect me, but it’s the consumer who chooses which deals they will buy and from which business.”
Unfortunately, Google Offers is not something special when it comes to a daily deals website.
Their overall concept to buy discounted deal within a one–day period is something that is already being done by their competition Groupon, LivingSocial and AmazonLocal.
Google Offers is going to have to do something big in order to stand out from its competitors, like YourBestDeals.com.
“In the bigger markets like Los Angeles, New York, Chicago and Miami, daily deal providers offer anywhere between 30–40 deals a day, but with Google Offers entering the market it’s like 41 days a deal,” said Goldfarb. “It comes down what kind of effort is being made in order to keep the consumer to coming back to do business with your company. May the best offer win!”
YourBestDeals.com launched last year with virtually no start–up capital, no Facebook friends or Twitter followers and only 12 promotional partners, the company exceeded their expectations in less than one year with now over 30,000 Facebook fans, over 27,000 direct followers on Twitter along with 140 shopping lists, and now an impressive 7,000+ promotional partners.
But the biggest and most noticeable difference between daily deals rivals Groupon, LivingSocial, AmazonLocal and now Google Offers is that YourBestDeals.com doesn’t believe in the impulse buys.
“We really believe the long–term model will change and be a thing of the past because of the focus of the consumer,” Goldfarb said.
“Plus, we’re really enjoying our partnership with Kate Bosworth’s company JewelMint.com, located in Santa Monica, because we’re looking forward to our upcoming promotion that is beneficial for both local businesses.”
Google Offers is already in the Los Angeles, San Francisco, San Diego, New York City, Boston, Washington, D.C., Portland, Ore., Atlanta, Chicago, Houston and Brooklyn, NY markets.
Other markets like Charlotte, NC, Long Beach, CA, Tampa, FL, Indianapolis, IN, and Salt Lake City, UT will have to wait just a little longer in order to take advantage of Google Offers deals in their city.
Comments