CHICAGO--(BUSINESS WIRE)--Groupon today announced the acquisition of last-minute travel app Blink, a leading European destination for great deals on highly curated, same-day hotel bookings, bolstering its rapidly growing Groupon Getaways travel business. The Madrid-based Blink works with more than 2,000 hotel partners in eight European countries. Terms of the deal were not disclosed.
“We are very excited to welcome the Blink team to the Groupon family,” said Aaron Cooper, senior vice president of Groupon Getaways. “The combination of a fantastic mobile app, same-day inventory management for properties and a team that is obsessed with mobile and last-minute travel will help us further expand our travel business as the go-to destination for great deals on great places to stay.”
The addition of same-day bookings gives Groupon Getaways another way to serve customers’ travel needs, whether it’s deals on hotels across the globe, all-inclusive travel packages or full-service tours in popular destinations. Blink’s easy-to-use mobile app caters to on-the-go travelers looking for unique hotels in travel hotspots across Europe and complements Groupon’s existing European travel offerings.
“Groupon’s commitment to expanding its travel business and its focus on delivering a first-rate experience for its customers make this a great fit for Blink,” said Blink CEO and founder Rebecca Minguela. “We are looking forward to building more relationships with top hotels around the world and helping customers find unbeatable deals, even when booking at the last minute.”
The Blink app will be rebranded “Blink by Groupon” and will operate separately as the team develops an integrated experience that takes advantage of the full breadth of Groupon Getaways global travel offers. Groupon Getaways, launched in 2011, works with hotels and other partners to provide curated travel deals and experiences in 48 countries.
About Groupon
Groupon (NASDAQ: GRPN) is a global leader in local commerce, making it easy for people around the world to search and discover great businesses at unbeatable prices. Groupon is reinventing the traditional small business world by providing merchants with a suite of products and services, including customizable deals, payments processing capabilities and point-of-sale solutions to help them attract more customers and run their operations more effectively. By leveraging the company’s global relationships and scale, Groupon offers consumers incredible deals on the best stuff to eat, see, do, and buy in 48 countries. With Groupon, shoppers discover the best a city has to offer with Groupon Local, enjoy vacations with Groupon Getaways, and find a curated selection of electronics, fashion, home furnishings and more with Groupon Goods. To subscribe to Groupon emails, visit www.Groupon.com. To learn more about the company’s merchant solutions and how to work with Groupon, visit www.GrouponWorks.com.
