Mashable got their hands on a confidential fact sheet which seems to detail a group buying service: “Google Offers is a new product to help potential customers and clientele find great deals in their area through a daily email.”
Google Offers looks and operates much like Groupon or LivingSocial. Users receive an e-mail with a local deal-of-the-day. They then have the opportunity to buy that deal within a specific time limit (we assume 24 hours). Once enough people have made the purchase, the Google Offer is triggered and users get that all-too-familiar $10 for $20 deal for that Indian restaurant you’ve never tried.
The leaked document was later confirmed in a statement by Google to Search Engine Land:
“Google is communicating with small businesses to enlist their support and participation in a test of a pre-paid offers/vouchers program. This initiative is part of an ongoing effort at Google to make new products, such as the recent Offer Ads beta, that connect businesses with customers in new ways. We do not have more details to share at this time, but will keep you posted.”
If you recall, Google was trying to buy Groupon just a few months ago. Rumor was they were willing to pay upwards of $6 million for the popular group-buying service. Of course, the deal never happened.
If you can’t buy ‘em, join ‘em. Coupons and group-buying are hot right now and I suspect we will soon see a tie-in with location-based services. Google will have their hands in both. Depending on how they execute it, Google Offers could definitely spell trouble for services like Groupon and Amazon-backed LivingSocial.
The service seems to work primarily via email, so I hope Google doesn’t try to leveral existing Gmail users as they did with Buzz. They do need to figure out an easy way to get users to opt-in, though. Possibly via Google Maps, or Google Hotpot.
Offers Fact Sheet
via Mashable