Groupon all along has been bringing in substantial cash but also spending a huge amount towards marketing. They've saturated their markets in the US. They can now drop that marketing budget and see massive profits in their US business.
Personally, I know that I only reach for a groupon or a coupon of any sort when it's shoved in my face. For them to make such a drastic shift amidst questionable profitability on exactly the first day of a new quarter makes me inclined to agree with the author and say that it's a strategic shift in direction.
It wont solve the pathological customer issue, but that's the other weight on Groupon's back.
