Groupon Inc (NASDAQ:GRPN), an e-commerce company offering daily deals to consumers disclosed its acquisition of Blink, a last minute travel app that offers great deals on same-day hotel bookings in Europe.
Acquisition will boost its travel business: Groupon Getaways
Blink is based in Madrid with more than 2,000 partners in the hotel industry in eight European countries. Groupon Inc (NASDAQ:GRPN) did not provide the terms of the transaction, but it said that the acquisition will boost its travel business, Groupon Getaways.
Groupon Getaways Senior Vice President, Aaron Cooper said, “We are very excited to welcome the Blink team to the Groupon Inc (NASDAQ:GRPN) family. 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.”
Groupon objective is building relationships with hotels globally
Groupon Inc (NASDAQ:GRPN) emphasized its objective in building relationships with hotels globally and helping consumers find unbeatable deals even when they are reserving at the last minute. According to the company, acquiring the same-day bookings app is another way for Groupon to meet the needs of travelers. Blink is an easy-to-use mobile app that would meet the needs of on-the-go travelers who are looking for unique hotels across Europe, particularly in travel hotspots.
The travel mobile app complements the travel offerings of Groupon Inc (NASDAQ:GRPN) in the region. Aside from hotel bookings, the daily deals company offers all-inclusive travel packages or full service tours in popular destinations.
Blink CEO and founder, Rebecca Minguela, said, “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. 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 daily deals company launched Groupon Getaways in 2011
The travel mobile app will be re-branded as Blink By Groupon Inc (NASDAQ:GRPN) and it will operate independently and develop integrated experience to take advantage of the travel offerings of Groupon Getaways in 48 countries worldwide. The daily deals company launched Groupon Getaways in 2011.
In July, Groupon Inc (NASDAQ:GRPN) launched Groupon Reserve to offer premium deals from top brands, leading entertainment, restaurant, hotels, salon, spa’s among others. The stock price of the company surged by more than 3 percent to $11.10 per share at the time of this writing on Monday afternoon in New York.
