Daily Deals by the Dozen

It’s no secret that Groupon is the market leader in the wildly popular “daily deal” craze. Industry followers are faced with just as many reports on the company’s IPO as consumers are faced with e-mails promising big savings on spa treatments. While it remains to be seen whether or not the market for digital coupons represents a bubble or a solid marketing tool that is here to stay, the number of companies who are jumping on the daily deal bandwagon continues to grow.  Hoover’s takes a look at just twelve key players that have entered the ring with Groupon.

• Hungry Machine is Groupon’s largest competitor; its LivingSocial service has projected 2011 revenue of $1 billion.
• Internet giant Google entered the deal space in 2011 with the launch of Google Offers. It did so after its bid to buy Groupon for $6 billion in late 2010 was rejected.
• Facebook has, not surprisingly, put a social spin on the trend. Users who participate in Facebook Deals automatically post deals on their Facebook news feed in order to share them with contacts.
• CityGrid Media operates in the space through its CitySearch brand. Its Deals by CitySearch is a location-enabled mobile app that aggregates deals from CityGrid Media advertisers and third-party content providers.
• Newspaper company Gannett is leveraging its local media properties to provide handful of coupon and deal sites such as Deal Chicken, Double Take, and Shop Local.
• Amazom.com operates a deal-of-the-day service through its Woot subsidiary, acquired in 2010. Woot generally offers one discounted product per day until it's sold out.
• Directory assistance provider kgb launched Groupon competitor kgb deals in 2010. The service is available in the US, the UK, Italy, and France.
• Travel buffs looking for vacation deals can check out TravelZoo for discounts on hotels, flights, and other related services.
• Targeting another niche segment -- the food category -- Meredith offers thousands of in-store and manufacturer digital coupons and savings through its Recipe.com website.
• Consumers who prefer to eat their food away from home can turn to OpenTable. Its Open Table Spotlight provides daily deals from local restaurants.
• Ziff Davis provides content covering the tech industry, and its LogicBuy service targets deal seekers who are in the market for laptops, mobile phones, or other consumer electronic items.
• Fashion and shopping site DailyCandy, a subsidiary of cable giant Comcast, provides deals on “fashionable” retail options and events through its Daily Candy Deals service.

Amy Schein is an editor at Hoover's.