Caterpillar Cowboy

What happens after those new customers turn in their printed-out slip of paper identifying them as a purchaser of the deal, buy what they want, and walk back out the door? Nothing. The store owner doesn’t get an email list, phone numbers, Facebook accounts or really any idea of where and how to find these people again. According to research from Rice University released today, Groupon promotions are profitable for 66 percent of participating businesses, and unprofitable for 32 percent. More than 40 percent of businesses surveyed said they would not run such a promotion again, with one of their major complaints being that Groupon users didn’t return to the store as full-price customers.