Google Offers officially launched

Google Offers officially launched

All of this comes just months after news hit that Groupon had reportedly turned down Google's offer buy the Chicago-based business. Last November, word was that Google and Groupon were in advanced acquisition negotiations, with various reports of Google offering as much as $6 billion for the two-year-old company.

Google OffersSince Groupon didn’t want to sell out to Google a few months ago, it looks like they’ll have a new competitor on the block. The company that tried to buy them, Google, has officially stepped into the deal-of-the-day website business with their own offering. Called Google Offers, it will function in the same way as the other deal services – pushing out daily alerts to subscribers, letting them know about any offers or discounts that are available in places around their area.

Google Offers is designed, much like Groupon, to send users who have signed up with the service daily deals for restaurants, services and attractions in their area. According to the Google Offers Sign Up page, the coupons are for 50% off or more.

Google Offers is promising “50% off or more” than the regular price at “places you’ll love.” At the moment the service is only available in Portland, Oregon with more locations to be included in the future. If you’re living in Portland and don’t mind the occasional discount or freebie filling up your inbox, you can head over to the Google Offers website to sign up now, or if you’re in another area, sign up and you’ll be alerted when Google Offers is available in your area.

Groupon has risen to online fame as a local deal-of-the-day Web site. Now Internet players like Google and Facebook are trying to get in on the game.

Update: Google issued this statement about Offers: Today we launched a marketing campaign inviting Portlanders to sign up for a test of Google Offers — to get great deals delivered right to their inboxes. Offers is part of an ongoing effort at Google to make new services that give consumers great deals while helping connect businesses with customers in new ways.