Groupon has entered into a deal with the Edgewater Chamber of commerce to create the Explore Edgewater campaign
Groupon has come up with its first neighborhood-exclusive landing page to highlight local businesses, and the first one is for Chicago’s Edgewater community, says a report from ChicagoInno. The new strategy from Groupon will help to increase traffic to Edgewater storefronts and support local businesses.
Groupon pages good for local businesses
The company has entered into a deal with the Edgewater Chamber of commerce to create the Explore Edgewater campaign, which carries deals from about 16 local businesses in the north-side neighborhood. The page will talk about almost all the businesses in the area, ranging from the Sivananda Yoga Vedanta Center, to a four-course meal at Pasteur, to gym memberships at the Edgewater Athletic Club.
Katrina Balog, executive director of the Edgewater Chamber of Commerce, said, “We’re excited to leverage Groupon’s reach to showcase what makes us unique and give consumers an extra incentive to check out all of the things they can do in our community.”
Jay Klauminzer, vice president of local deals at Groupon, said the company is a supporter of local businesses and is excited to show the entire neighborhood of merchants in its home city of Chicago.
Groupon is planning to launch more neighborhood-focused landing pages in Chicago and nationally to drive growth in local businesses. According to the company, in the fourth quarter of 2014, around 88% of its merchants had either 20 or fewer employees, and 35% were sole proprietors.
Groupon is also running a campaign under its Explore Edgewater collection to collect $10 donations to revive the George B. Swift Specialty School auditorium.
Internet speed affecting hiring decision
Separately, the company is focusing on the Kansas City market to enhance its workforce, and one of the major factors driving its intentions is the city’s high-speed internet options, which allow super-fast downloads, a prerequisite for work-from-home customer service reps. In October, Groupon hired 275 people in the metro area to handle seasonal demands and has now retained a number of those employees, according to spokesman Nicholas Halliwell. Also the company looking to fill 80 to 100 full time, work-from-home customer service positions in the Kansas City area.
