Groupon Keen on Home Textiles

Cecile Corral -- Home Textiles Today, 4/2/2012 2:00:00 AM

CHICAGO - For the first time, online daily deal site Groupon sent members of its Groupon Goods team to participate in the recent New York Home Fashions Market.
     The company met with multiple home textiles suppliers and manufacturers during the weeklong event "to check out the latest and greatest in fall merchandise," Groupon spokeswoman Julie Mossler told HTT.
     While attending the market was a first for Groupon, working with home textiles products for sales events on its site is not. As Mossler explained, Groupon has offered some home textiles products since it first opened for business in November 2008.
     But it was not until the launch of Groupon Goods this past September that the company began regularly offering home textiles, she continued. "Due to their popularity, we introduced a bed and bath section in January 2012, offering great deals on comforters, pillows, rugs, sheets, towels and other home textile-related products."
     Groupon Goods are available in North America's 175 markets and are designed to offer shoppers deals on a broad array of products, from home goods to electronics, fitness, health and beauty, and other retail items, at price points that are 50% to 90% reduced from the original ticket.
     Within home textiles, recent sales events have included: $34 for Hotel fine linens six-piece sheet set ($110 value); $39 for a bamboo-derived towel set of two wash cloths, two hand towels and two bath towels ($114 value); and $39 for a Hotel Collection 300-thread-count duvet cover set with pillow shams ($100 value).
     Further supporting its home business, in mid March the company sent out a Groupon Goods email devoted to home items.
     "And, we're excited to continue to be able to bring even more of these types of deals to our customers from home textiles vendors in the coming weeks and months," Mossler added.
     Home textiles vendors who currently work with Groupon or are considering the option can benefit from "brand exposure to a huge audience of potential customers, have the ability to move products/excess inventory at a fast rate, and increase traffic to their website - ensuring exposure to additional products," Mossler noted. "In addition, women make the bulk of home textiles-related purchases, which corresponds well with Groupon's majority female customer base."