Groupon (http://www.groupon.com)
(NASDAQ: GRPN) today announced the acquisition of SideTour (https://www.sidetour.com),
a marketplace that helps people discover, book and host great local
activities. Terms of the deal were not disclosed.
SideTour handpicks a growing selection of unique, hosted events that
connect customers with qualified experts who help them discover more
about their cities and the things they’re passionate about.
“The addition of SideTour’s curated local experiences furthers our
vision of Groupon as the go-to place for consumers to find just about
anything, anywhere, anytime,” said GrouponLive General Manager Greg
Rudin. “By offering these highly personalized activities, tours and
memorable things to do through Groupon, we can deliver even more fun
ways for our customers to explore and discover the best local
experiences.”
Events are intimate gatherings, averaging 12 attendees, and span food,
drink, architecture, history, art and much more. SideTour currently
offers more than 500 public and private events with more than 400 hosts
using the platform. Hosts include chefs, artists, Olympic medalists,
casting directors and sommeliers.
“We’re thrilled with the opportunity to showcase our fantastic events to
a huge audience with a demonstrated appetite for great local
experiences,” said Vipin Goyal, CEO of SideTour. “Groupon will extend
our ability to find compelling and unique local experts and give them a
platform to reach even more customers.”
SideTour will continue to operate as a separate entity for some time,
and Groupon will distribute their events to its 43 million active
customers through its email, web and mobile channels. Founded in 2011,
SideTour currently operates in four cities -- Chicago, New York,
Philadelphia, Washington D.C. -- with plans to expand to additional
markets over the next few months.
Examples of popular SideTour experiences include: Explore
the Epicenter of Graffiti Culture at 5Pointz and Discover
a Jazzfest and Fishfry at a Brooklyn Brownstone.
Prospective hosts interested in featuring a unique experience through
SideTour can visit https://www.sidetour.com/host.
About Groupon
Groupon (NASDAQ: GRPN) is a global leader in local commerce, making it
easy for people around the world to search and discover great businesses
at unbeatable prices. Groupon is reinventing the traditional small
business world by providing merchants with a suite of products and
services, including customizable deals, payments processing capabilities
and point-of-sale solutions to help them attract more customers and run
their operations more effectively. By leveraging the company’s global
relationships and scale, Groupon offers consumers incredible deals on
the best stuff to eat, see, do, and buy in 48 countries. With Groupon,
shoppers discover the best a city has to offer with Groupon
Local, enjoy vacations with Groupon
Getaways, and find a curated selection of electronics, fashion, home
furnishings and more with Groupon
Goods. To subscribe to Groupon emails, visit www.Groupon.com.
To learn more about the company’s merchant solutions and how to work
with Groupon, visit www.GrouponWorks.com.
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