Google Offers debuts as rival to Groupon

Published by Micah Warren on June 2, 2011June 2, 2011

What doesn’t Google do? It seems like one way or the other, they will have their hands in just about everything at some point.

Last week, the online giant tried to buy the popular group-coupon company Groupon. They offered them $6 billion in a buyout and Groupon said, “nah, no thanks.”

So, can’t buy them? Join them.

Google has now released Google Offers, which debuted on Wednesday with an early adopter named Floyd’s Coffee Shop in Portland, OR (the dream of the ’90’s is alive in Porland?). If it works out, Floyd’s will famously be the first company to work with Google on this new venture. If it doesn’t? See: Google Wave.

Meanwhile, Groupon just filed for IPO on Thursday. We’ll see if the public’s money turns out to be better than Google’s.