Groupon to Offer High-Ticket Deals for 2011 Holiday Season

The group-based deal site Groupon will launch “Epic Deals” for the holidays, a feature that will offer its consumers high-ticket adventures. The company said these deals, which will be offered starting Nov. 15, will “pop up when least expected” and some will be one-of-a-kind.

 

Extravagant offerings are a tried-and-true lure for holiday shoppers. In 1952, Neiman Marcus co-founder Stanley Marcus started the His & Hers Fantasy Gifts in response to a request from journalist Edward R. Murrow, who called to ask if the store would be offering anything unusual that might interest his radio listeners. Marcus tossed out a live Black Angus bull accompanied by a sterling silver barbecue cart for $1,925, and the company has been offering pricey packages in its annual holiday catalog ever since. Groupon said its Epic Deals will include a cooking class and group dinner with celebrity chef Todd English, among other exotic offerings.

 

Sidestepping the quagmire of politically correct holiday names, Groupon has named promotion (which runs November to December) Grouponicus, with its own "spokesbird" named Groupo, an animated character who has already begun doling out prizes on his dedicated Twitter . The company offered Grouponicus deals in 20 cities last year and will widen its holiday promotion to 41 cities this year, including New York, Los Angeles and Dallas.

 

Groupon will also customize its coupons when they are purchased as gifts. The voucher will show the value of the service rather than the price paid, but it’s no secret that Groupon deals are typically 50 percent off value.