According to Groupon CEO Eric Lefkofsky the move is step to make Groupon a leading marketplace for online deals at best prices.
“As Groupon has evolved, we’ve seen growing demand from our customers for upscale offers and exclusive experiences. Reserve gives the most prestigious brands a new way to reach our large and desirable audience,” he said.
Premium Deals
Set to come on Groupon Reserve s are premium deals and experiences from top beauty, product, travel and entertainment brands and also reservations for spas, salons and hotels so as it can give customers a discount on purchase without requiring pre-payment or vouchers. Local businesses will also use it as a tool to drive traffic during bad days complete with a yield management solution.
OpenTable’s Territory
Though Groupon Reserve is exciting news to diners across the US, San Francisco-based OpenTable has been doing this for years and claims to have seated over 450 million diners around the world since 1998 when it was founded.
OpenTable says it seats over 12 million diners per month via online bookings in over 28,000 restaurants, the online restaurant reservations network connects restaurants and diners, helping diners discover and book the perfect table, even helping restaurants retain customers.
Users of OpenTable can see restaurants with available tables, follow verified reviews to pick a restaurant, choose a menu and make a reservation online. OpenTable has covered major cities in the US, it also has a tool to help restauranteurs to fill their tables and encourage diners to come again.
