Groupon nabs $250m investment from Comcast-backed Atairos

Dive Brief:

Daily deals and marketplace site Groupon said Monday it’s getting a $250 million investment from Atairos, a private company that invests in growth-oriented businesses in various industries. Atairos Chairman and CEO Michael Angelakis will join Groupon’s board of directors.
Atairos launched earlier this year with more than $4 billion in committed capital and is led by Angelakis, the former vice chairman and CFO of cable and internet giant Comcast.
Groupon will work directly with Comcast to “identify and implement potential strategic partnership opportunities,” according to a press release.

Dive Insight:

Just after taking over last year from Groupon co-founder and chief executive Eric Lefkofsky, Groupon CEO Rich Williams in a November blog post sought to dispel myths about the company, above all saying that it’s not a simply a deals site but also a major e-commerce marketplace that enjoys the participation of local retailers.

"Too many people still think of Groupon as ‘that daily deal email company,'" Williams wrote. "The reality here is twofold: First, we’re a marketplace—and a big one—with more than half a million deals in three different categories. Sure, email is still important, but more of our purchases come from on-site search than email, and more than half our purchases occur on mobile. There’s simply nowhere better on the internet to find awesome local merchants, great products and amazing travel offers and experiences all in one place.”

While that may be debatable, Groupon has indeed been trying to pivot to become a marketplace. Groupon last year launched Groupon Stores, marketplace storefronts run by other brands that promise to offer their goods through Groupon at a minimum 5% discount compared to anywhere else online. It’s also seeing more of its growth come from its Groupon Goods consumer goods business. In that effort, Groupon is struggling to compete with Amazon and even newcomer Jet, which has staked its position as a low-price leader in consumer goods.

Groupon says it’s not abandoning its “deals” focus, and that the Atairos partnership will “help accelerate our transformation while better positioning us to execute on our strategy and mission to build the daily habit in local commerce—which we continued to make progress on in the first quarter,” Williams said in a statement.

One area that could be an advantage for Groupon is its focus on local merchants, which often resonates with shoppers. Independent retailers these days have been able to exploit their natural advantage even further thanks to a “buy local” movement that makes shopping close to home a virtuous act on the part of consumers.

"Groupon is an established leader in connecting customers with local businesses,” Neil Smit, president and CEO of Comcast Cable, said in a statement. “The potential in combining Groupon's local expertise with Comcast's vast subscriber and advertiser network is something we look forward to closely exploring together."