Move expands Groupon Getaways' capabilities, footprint
CHICAGO--(BUSINESS WIRE)--
Groupon today announced the acquisition of last-minute travel app Blink,
a leading European destination for great deals on highly curated,
same-day hotel bookings, bolstering its rapidly growing Groupon Getaways
travel business. The Madrid-based Blink works with more than 2,000 hotel
partners in eight European countries. Terms of the deal were not
disclosed.
"We are very excited to welcome the Blink team to the Groupon family,"
said Aaron Cooper, senior vice president of Groupon Getaways. "The
combination of a fantastic mobile app, same-day inventory management for
properties and a team that is obsessed with mobile and last-minute
travel will help us further expand our travel business as the go-to
destination for great deals on great places to stay."
The addition of same-day bookings gives Groupon Getaways another way to
serve customers' travel needs, whether it's deals on hotels across the
globe, all-inclusive travel packages or full-service tours in popular
destinations. Blink's easy-to-use mobile app caters to on-the-go
travelers looking for unique hotels in travel hotspots across Europe and
complements Groupon's existing European travel offerings.
"Groupon's commitment to expanding its travel business and its focus on
delivering a first-rate experience for its customers make this a great
fit for Blink," said Blink CEO and founder Rebecca Minguela. "We are
looking forward to building more relationships with top hotels around
the world and helping customers find unbeatable deals, even when booking
at the last minute."
The Blink app will be rebranded "Blink by Groupon" and will operate
separately as the team develops an integrated experience that takes
advantage of the full breadth of Groupon Getaways global travel offers.
Groupon Getaways, launched in 2011, works with hotels and other partners
to provide curated travel deals and experiences in 48 countries.
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.
Groupon
Bill Roberts, 312.459.5191
billr@groupon.com
Source: Groupon
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