REPORT PREPARED FOR: GROUPON REPORT: BUSINESS MODEL ANALYSIS BY GO DIGIBONKERS POSTGRADUATE DIPLOMA IN BUSINESS APMG 8119: DIGITAL ENTERPRISE ASSOCIATE PROFESSOR DR. NITIN SETH AUTHOR CONTACTS NAME: VIRAEK CHEU (145486) SHARI GRENZ (1456206) HIMESH TRIVEDI (1452836) POOJA CORNELIUS (1446842) SWATI CHAWLA (1457595) APMG 8119 Group Assignment Page 1 Executive Summary Groupon entered the e-business in 2008 and is one of the world’s largest online coupon company with close to 40 million customers. The Company declined a $6 billion takeover offer from Google in late 2010. The report examines Groupon business model by leveraging two theoretical approaches and tools, “Business Model Canvas” considering nine different components and then a further detailed analysis of the digital business model (DBM) by the framework of KPMG (2009) focusing digital tribes, value proposition and revenue model, which have a decisive impact on the company´s DBM. Initially, the report provides the first six elements among the nine elemens of Canvas buiness model and then the details of the last three elements (revenue, cost and value proposition) with incorporation of digital tribes from KPMG’s digital business model. The revenue analysis is broken down into sectors of local deals, goods and travel that are the main sources of revenues. Out of this, risks of this type of model are identified, e.g. the dependence on vendors, but also the advantages for instance the online business reaches a large target market and has additional revenue stream opportunities. The report also examines the cost factor and concludes that the different natures of the costs. More than 80% of total costs are direct costs and SGA which requires Groupon to improve via a number of initiatives. Furthermore, the report provides valuable suggestions for Groupon to consider including the review of cost control structure from activity base to function base and internal legal team to deal with regulatory issues. In addition, the report analyses the value creation of the company using the 20 C´s framework of KPMG considering the internal and external perspective. It shows that Groupon can still improve its customer experience in various categories. The report aims to provide a practical analysis of this e-business model concept along with the theoretical and managerial implications. APMG 8119 Group Assignment Page 2 Table of Content Executive Summary ................................................................................................... 2 Table of Content ......................................................................................................... 3 1. 2. 3. 4. 5. Introduction ......................................................................................................... 5 1.1. Purpose of the Report ................................................................................... 5 1.2. Business, Industry and Market ...................................................................... 5 1.3. Stakeholders and Shareholders .................................................................... 5 Groupon’s Business Model ................................................................................. 5 2.1. Theoretical Background ................................................................................ 5 2.2. Groupon’s Business Model by Canvas ......................................................... 6 Revenue Analysis ............................................................................................... 7 3.1. Avenues of Revenue Generation .................................................................. 7 3.2. Consolidated Revenue Figures ..................................................................... 8 3.3. Risks and Advantages pertaining to the Revenue Model .............................. 9 3.4. Key Findings ............................................................................................... 10 Cost Analysis .................................................................................................... 10 4.1. Groupon´s Cost Structure ........................................................................... 10 4.2. Risks and Opportunities .............................................................................. 11 4.3. Key Findings ............................................................................................... 11 Value Creation Analysis .................................................................................... 11 5.1. Value Creation in General ........................................................................... 11 5.2. Digital Tribe - Digital Clubbers..................................................................... 12 5.3. Value Proposition ........................................................................................ 12 5.3.1. Internal Organisation Perspective ......................................................... 12 5.3.2. External Customer Perspective ............................................................ 13 5.4. Digital Equalizer .......................................................................................... 14 5.5. Key Findings ............................................................................................... 15 APMG 8119 Group Assignment Page 3 6. 7. Conclusion and Recommendation .................................................................... 15 6.1. Theoretical Implications .............................................................................. 15 6.2. Managerial Implications .............................................................................. 16 Summary ........................................................................................................... 16 References ............................................................................................................... 17 Appendices .............................................................................................................. 20 APMG 8119 Group Assignment Page 4 1. Introduction 1.1. Purpose of the Report The purpose of the report is to provide an analysis of Groupon’s business model, which focuses on revenue, cost and value creation. Primarily, the report introduces the relevant theoretical models and tools and then examines Groupon’s practices. It gives theoretical and managerial implications along with recommendations. 1.2. Business, Industry and Market Groupon is a global e-commerce market space connecting customers with local merchants by offering activities, travel, goods and services. It started in November 2008 in Chicago and by October 2010 Groupon served more than 150 markets in North America and 100 markets in Europe, Asia, New Zealand and South America and has 35 million registered users. By the end of March 2015, Groupon featured more than 425,000 active deals globally. Although, the company faced a loss of US$88,946 in 2013 (Groupon, 2014). 1.3. Stakeholders and Shareholders “Our customers and merchants were all we care about (Mason, 2011)”. Groupon has faced a new set of expectations from stakeholders who have grown accustomed to peering deeply into increasingly transparent organisations and accessing the information they want to make decisions about the company. Similarly, the shareholders are mainly American investment companies, a list is given in Appendix A showing the value of the shares they have (Lynley, 2010). 2. Groupon’s Business Model 2.1. Theoretical Background The report leverages two theoretical approaches and tools for analysing business models. Firstly the business model analysis follows the “Business Model Canvas” considering nine different components, key partners, key activities, key resources, customer relationships, channels, customers segments, cost structure, revenue streams and value proposition (Strategyzer, 2015). Then the report incorporates with APMG 8119 Group Assignment Page 5 a further analysis of the digital business model (DBM) by using the framework of KPMG (2009), focusing digital tribes, value proposition and revenue model, which all have a decisive impact on the company´s DBM. Digital Business Model Framework (KPMG, 2009) 2.2. Groupon’s Business Model by Canvas Groupon´s key activity, connecting subscribers with local merchants, determines the company´s key partners and customer segments, which include the local merchants, other retailers and brands and all internet users but also payment operators, service providers and operating system providers to offer the Groupon App. APMG 8119 Group Assignment Page 6 Six parts of Groupon´s business model (Strategyzer, 2015, Groupon, 2015) The main resources are the customer data and the relations to merchants in order to distribute appropriate offers to the customers. The channels which Groupon uses are its website, app, newsletters and additionally social media, for example Facebook with 14 million likes (Facebook, 2015), but the customer relationships are still mainly based on the daily emails which should support Groupon´s goal to be the “destination that customers check first” (Groupon, 2015). 3. Revenue Analysis 3.1. Avenues of Revenue Generation Groupon has done significantly well. In 2013 it held 60% of the market share for the daily deals market (Chiefmarketer, 2015). The Revenues are generated from 3 different sources (Groupon, 2015): Local Deals: Revenue derived from partnering with local merchants such as restaurants or parlours on a 50:50 partnership. Goods: Revenue derived from the sale of various merchandise such as electronics or clothing Travel: Revenue derived from deals with for example travel based companies or hotels APMG 8119 Group Assignment Page 7 3.2. Consolidated Revenue Figures The pie chart below shows the total revenue that Groupon made at the end of the financial year for 2014. The company yielded a total of US$3.3 billion in sales turnover which was significantly higher than the previous year, which yielded US$2.5 billion. Revenue from their goods/merchandise sector has continued to be the biggest source of revenues for the group (approximately 57% of total turnover) with the North American market being their biggest source in terms of geographical location. REVENUE PER SECTOR Travel, $175 M, 5% Local Deals, $1.2 B, 38% Goods/Merchandise, $1.8 B, 57% Revenue of Groupon per Sector (Groupon, 2015) The detail breakdown of the revenue per sector for each geographical location is given in Appendix B. APMG 8119 Group Assignment Page 8 REVENUE PER REGION Rest of the World, $395 M, 13% Europe, $960 M, 30% North America, $1.82 B, 57% Revenue per Geographical Location (Groupon, 2015) Also, the total revenue generated from new customers was more than the existing customers (Refer to Appendix C). 3.3. Risks and Advantages pertaining to the Revenue Model According to the Groupon Financial Report of 2014, there are a number of risks associated with this type of revenue model. Whilst there may be a down side, there are however strong advantages as well. Risks and Advantages of Groupon´s Revenue Model (Groupon 2015, Indrupati& Henari 2012, Statistica 2015, Wong 2010) APMG 8119 Group Assignment Page 9 Revenue for Groupon is directly related to the value proposition that the company offers. A detailed analysis of the value proposition is done in chapter 5. 3.4. Key Findings Revenues are mainly generated through goods and merchandise, particularly in North America. Main risk of Groupon´s revenue model is the dependence on vendors. Pure online business allows to reach a large target market and additional revenue stream opportunities 4. Cost Analysis 4.1. Groupon´s Cost Structure Groupon is a marketspace supplier and agent so its cost are mainly costs of goods or services, technology and marketing with detail in the Appendix D. The company spends mostly on direct cost and SGA (selling, general and administrative). Consolidated Statements of Operations for 2015 $1k; 0% $33k; 1% $242k; 8% $1294k; 40% $1401k; 43% $269k; 8% Third party and other Direct Marketing Selling, general and administrative Acquisition-related expense Other (expense) income, net Cost breakdown for 2014 (Groupon, 2015a) APMG 8119 Group Assignment Page 10 According to five-year financial data, growth of the cost of revenue was approximately 196% and of operating expenses 32% on average while revenue grew only around 123% on average. Cost has outweighed the revenues (Groupon Inc., 2015), which can be considered as a matter of concern for the entire business. 4.2. Risks and Opportunities According to Groupon (2015a), inventory is the main cost driver and particularly the outsourced shipping and fulfilment costs. Another big cost proportion is the SGA, which increased after various acquisitions and caused a huge drawback to profit and loss in 2014. Furthermore, there are a number of potential costs the company may encounter due to intellectual property claims. In fact, the company has been facing many regulatory inquiries. In response, a number of initiatives have been carried out such as Creating in-house inventory fulfilment (“fulfilment centre”) and reviewing inventory management Reducing shipping and fulfilment cost from external logistic providers Discontinuing a controlling stake in acquired companies 4.3. Key Findings 83% of the costs are direct costs and costs for SGA, another cost driver are the costs for growth through acquisitions Activity-base cost There are a lot of potential costs e.g. for legal issues, regulatory costs. Various initiatives have been carried out in order to lower the costs. 5. Value Creation Analysis 5.1. Value Creation in General Value creation is the most important aim for any business entity as it helps selling the products and services. The first step in achieving value creation is to first understand the sources and drivers within and outside the company, industry and marketplace/market space (Amit & Zott, 2000). APMG 8119 Group Assignment Page 11 According to the framework, given by KPMG, Digital Business Model talks about the Digital Tribe, Value Proposition and Revenue Model. The digital tribe and value proposition are explained below. The Digital Business Model Framework (KPMG, 2009) 5.2. Digital Tribe - Digital Clubbers In accordance to Groupon the digital tribe consists of people who are e.g. travellers, food lovers and price hunters. They are “Digital Clubbers” - like the name suggests the traits are similar to the people who visit night clubs, they are low on loyalties and will find better deals more suited for them. A study by Rice University's Jesse H. Jones Graduate School of Business suggests that only 19% of the buyers return to Groupon for purchasing vouchers (2015) that affects the value proposition of the company. 5.3. Value Proposition Groupon’s value creation can be analysed using a checklist of 20 ways, the “20 C’s” (Refer to appendix E) through which the company can provide the value creation (KPMG, 2009). 5.3.1. Internal Organisation Perspective The internal organisation perspective of Groupon´s value creation can be displayed in the six following categories out of the 20 C´s: APMG 8119 Group Assignment Page 12 Groupon´s value creation – Internal perspective (Groupon, 2015) Groupon´s website design, order fulfilment processes and payment channels are essential for the company´s growth through value creation. 5.3.2. External Customer Perspective The value is not just restricted to financials but also psychological wherein the customer feels value which further strengthens their relationship with Groupon (Bughin & Copeland, 1997). Referring to the 20 C´s model of KPMG some parts of the external customer perspective in creating value are not fulfilled successfully for instance the categories Comment, Combination and Conversation. APMG 8119 Group Assignment Page 13 Groupon´s value creation – External perspective (Groupon, 2015) Additionally, the organisation doesn’t have sufficient backups for dealing with customer complaints (Refer to Appendix F). 5.4. Digital Equalizer KPMG’s Digital Equalizer is an online tool using the 20 C´s Framework to visualise and enhance the value creation through the customer experience and operational processes to modify the DBM and increasing customer satisfaction. APMG 8119 Group Assignment Page 14 Groupon´s Value Proposition with KPMG’s Digital Equaliser (KPMG 2015, Groupon 2015) 5.5. Key Findings Groupon´s value creation from the internal organisational perspective supports the company´s growth. Groupon doesn’t have enough customer interface, better customer care/ services will certainly improve the value creation. 6. Conclusion and Recommendation 6.1. Theoretical Implications Groupon considers all nine fields of the “Business Model Canvas” in its DBM, which include two parts of KPMG´s framework, value proposition and the revenue model and additionally the digital tribe. Referring to the 20 C´s model of KPMG, Groupon fits in 6 C's i.e. compelling content, context, coverage, convenience and customer APMG 8119 Group Assignment Page 15 compensation. But in order to be profitable, generate revenue and increase the value proposition the organization must follow the following managerial implications. 6.2. Managerial Implications In order improve the DBM of Groupon and create value the company should take into consideration the digital equalizer along the revenue model and the cost factors. Vendor relationships and contracts: Groupon should improve the control mechanisms over the products/ order fulfilments. Expansion: Groupon needs to concentrate on geographical expansion along with an increase in the range of products and should use its opportunities given by a pure online business. Adopt the cost by function approach providing a holistic view of each function´ resource optimisation which leads to a better cost management through utilisation, productivity and efficient improvement Establishing an internal legal team to avoid unnecessary legal costs in the future Combination and Conversation: Groupon should work on bundling together the services provided along with the opportunity to contact the company directly via an online chat. Choice and Comment: Groupon needs to give its buyers better choices of products and a platform to express their concerns and happiness regarding the purchased products in order to improve customer loyalty and retention. 7. Summary Groupon aggressively invested in growth that sometimes was profitable but often led to mismanagement and losses. The company achieved growth from 2008 to 2011 but its business model with its revenue model and cost structure has to be modified in order to increase the company's profit. Additional value creation through improvements from the internal organisational and external customer perspective can help Groupon to stabilise its revenue generation. APMG 8119 Group Assignment Page 16 References Amit, R., &Zott, C. (2000). Value creation in e-business: INSEAD. Bughin, J., & Copeland, T. E. (1997). The virtuous cycle of shareholder value creation. The McKinsey Quarterly (2), 156. Capgemini Consulting/ MIT Center for Digital Business (2012). The Digital Advantage: How digital leaders outperform their peers in every industry, https://www.capgemini.com/resource-fileaccess/resource/pdf/The_Digital_Advantage__How_Digital_Leaders_Outperf orm_their_Peers_in_Every_Industry.pdf, access on 26th September 2015 Chiefmarketer (2013, September 13). Groupon owns nearly 60% of the U.S. dailydeals market in 2013, industry to see slowed growth. Retrieved from http://www.chiefmarketer.com/report-groupon-owns-nearly-60-of-the-dailydeals-market-in-2013/ Freedman, J. (2015). Functional Based Cost Accounting Basics. Retrieved from http://smallbusiness.chron.com/functional-based-cost-accounting-basics51647.html Groupon (2015). Financials and Filings Page. Retrieved from http://files.shareholder.com/downloads/AMDAE2NTR/716666907x0x824897/96A29ED7-0479-409A-970F1439D7556C1C/2014_Annual_Report_FINAL.PDF Groupon (2015). Annual Report, http://files.shareholder.com/downloads/AMDAE2NTR/769426525x0x824897/96A29ED7-0479-409A-970F1439D7556C1C/2014_Annual_Report_FINAL.PDF, access on 26th September 2015 Groupon. (2015a). Form 10-Q Retrieved from Chicago: Groupon. (2015b). Second Quarter 2015 Result [Press release] Helfert, E. A. (2000). Techniques of Financial Analysis: A Guide to Value Creation, McGrawn-Hill Book Co, Singapore. Indrupati, J., Henari T. (2012) "Entrepreneurial success, using online social networking: evaluation", Education, Business and Society: Contemporary Middle Eastern Issues, 5, (1), pp.47 – 62. Retrieved from http://dx.doi.org/10.1108/17537981211225853 APMG 8119 Group Assignment Page 17 Jin, Byoungho/ Yong Park, Jin (2006). The Moderating Effect of Online Purchase Experience on the Evaluation of Online Store - Attributes and the Subsequent Impact on Market Response Outcomes KPMG (2009). Emerging Business Models to Help Serve Tomorrow´s Digital Tribes, https://www.kpmg.com/CN/en/IssuesAndInsights/ArticlesPublications/Docume nts/emerging-business-models-O-0906.pdf, access on 26th September 2015. Krell, E. (2012). Groupon Serves as an Example of How NOT to Disclose Information. Business Finance. http://businessfinancemag.com/riskmanagement/groupon-serves-example-how-not-disclose-information Retrieved from http://businessfinancemag.com/risk-management/grouponserves-example-how-not-disclose-information Lappin, J. (2014). Groupon, Down 40% In 2014, Finally Does Something For Shareholders. http://www.forbes.com/sites/joanlappin/2014/05/05/groupondown-40-in-2014-finally-does-something-for-shareholders/ Retrieved from http://www.forbes.com/sites/joanlappin/2014/05/05/groupon-down-40-in-2014finally-does-something-for-shareholders/ Lynley, M. (2010). Check Out The Millionaires (And Billionaires) Groupon's IPO Minted Today. http://www.businessinsider.com.au/groupon-billionaires-201111#maverick-fund-gained-115-million-off-its-investment-7 Retrieved from http://www.businessinsider.com.au/groupon-billionaires-2011-11#maverickfund-gained-115-million-off-its-investment-7 Mason, A. D. (2011). Read Groupon CEO's letter to IPO investors. Retrieved from CNN website: http://money.cnn.com/2011/06/02/technology/groupon_IPO/ Retrieved from http://money.cnn.com/2011/06/02/technology/groupon_IPO/ Statistica (2015). Statistics and facts from global tourism. Retrieved from http://www.statista.com/topics/962/global-tourism/ Strategyzer (2015). The Business Model Canvas, http://www.businessmodelgeneration.com/canvas/bmc, access on 26th September 2015 Thomas, O. (2012). Why Groupon Really Turned Down Google's $6 Billion Offer. http://www.businessinsider.com.au/groupon-google-deal-turn-down-2012-6 Retrieved from http://www.businessinsider.com.au/groupon-google-deal-turndown-2012-6 APMG 8119 Group Assignment Page 18 Weill, Peter/ Vitale, Michael (2001). Place to Space: Migrating to eBusiness Models Weingarten, E. (2010, 20). Forget Journalism School and Enroll in Groupon Academy.Retrievedfromhttp://www.theatlantic.com/technology/archive/2010/1 2/forget-journalism-school-and-enroll-in-groupon-academy/68257/ Wong, M (2010, July 30). Cost Analysis: Starting a retail store Vs. An online ecommerce business [Blog Post]. Retrieved from http://www.smartt.com/insights/cost-analysis-starting-retail-store-vs-onlineecommerce-business APMG 8119 Group Assignment Page 19 Appendices Appendix.A List of Shareholders Investor Amount Shares Stake** Owned* The Growth Fund of America $175M 22.2M 3.5% Technology Crossover Ventures $150M 19M 3.0% Fidelity Investments $100M 12.7M 2.0% T. Rowe Price $100M 12.7M 2.0% Morgan Stanley Investment $75M 9.5M 1.5% Greylock Partners $65M 8.2M 1.3% Kleiner Perkins Caufield& Byers $65M 8.2M 1.3% DST Global $51M 6.5M 1.0% Maverick Capital $50M 6.3M 1.0% SLP Green Holdings $50M 6.3M 1.0% Andreessen Horowitz $40M 5.1M 0.8% Battery Ventures $23M 2.9M 0.5% Allen & Co. $4M 506K 0.08% Guy Oseary Family Trust $2M 253K 0.04% APMG 8119 Group Assignment Page 20 Appendix.B Revenue generated from local deals per geographical location (Groupon, 2014) LOCAL DEALS Rest of World, $150 M, 13% North America, $650 M, 54% Europe, $400 M, 33% Goods / Merchandise Rest of World, $200 M, 11% Europe, $500 M, 28% North America, $1.1 B, 61% Revenue generated from travel per geographical location (Groupon, 2014) APMG 8119 Group Assignment Page 21 TRAVEL Rest of World, $45 M, 26% North America, $70 M, 40% Europe, $60 M, 34% APMG 8119 Group Assignment Page 22 Appendix.C Revenue Breakdown of Groupon APMG 8119 Group Assignment Page 23 Appendix.D Cost structure Cost components Cost of revenue Descriptions: (What, Why and How costs were created) The cost associates directly and indirectly to revenue generations. Direct Cost of inventory Cost of goods or services owned by Groupon. Shipping and fulfilment costs This includes third party logistics provider, rent, depreciation, personnel and other operating costs from own fulfillment center. Cost of decreasing product or service price from original one to push up sales. Cost of processing credit card transaction online. Inventory markdowns Credit card processing fees Editorial Technology Payroll & stock-based compensation A proportion of internal-use software Other technology-related (email distribution) Web hosting Payroll and stock‑ based compensation. The area of editorial personnel was responsible for drafting and promoting deal. The employees were skillful and high experience writers (Weingarten, 2010). This was vital for business since the promotion messages play critical role in attracting consumers. The required software for internal utilization and website design in vital in ongoing operations (Groupon, 2015b, p. 6). Groupon offers a mobile application available on iPhone, Android, Blackberry and Windows Phone. It allows users to browse and buy deals on their phones and redeem them using the screen as a coupon to be scanned. The function was responsible for operating and maintaining the infrastructure websites and mobile applications. This also includes fixed-assets: for internal and web development was critical for day-to-day business operations (Groupon, 2015b, p. 6). It was used for mainly marketing purpose to its millions customers. This was the one of the core selling point which allowing nonmobile users to explore, compare, search, and purchase indeed. Third party Estimated refunds by merchants Estimated refunds when the merchant's share was not recoverable. Operating Expenses Marketing It was one of the primary strategy to acquire customers and promote awareness. Online This refers to sponsored search, social media advertisement (such as Facebook and Google), email marketing (One of the Groupon’s advertisement approach by sending massive emails to its millions customers (Cohen, 2012).), and affiliate programs. Offline Television, radio and print advertising. Payroll and related stock‑ based Any personnel cost related to marketing activities. compensation Others This includes order discounts, free shipping, and lowermargins on deals. Selling, general and administrative (SGA) Selling Payroll and stock-based Personnel cost and commission for sale representatives compensation and commission APMG 8119 Group Assignment Page 24 Others (technology, telecommunications and travel) General and administrative Payroll and stock-based compensation Others Acquisition-related expense, net Other expense, net Any cost relating to and supporting the sales functions Personnel cost of general corporate functions: accounting, finance, tax, legal, human resources, customer service, operations, technology and product development personnel Depreciation and amortization, rent, professional fees, litigation costs, travel and entertainment, recruiting, office supplies, maintenance, certain technology costs and other general corporate costs. This cost occurs because of business combination including legal and advisory fees and changes in the fair value of contingent consideration arrangements. It was known as external transaction This includes interest expense on capital leases and credit agreement, and losses of equity method and fair value option investments, impairments of investments and foreign currency transactions. COST STRUCTURE (GROUPON, 2015A) APMG 8119 Group Assignment Page 25 Appendix.E 20 Cs Value proposition SR.NO VALUE PROPOSITION 1. Compelling Content 2. Context 3. Coverage 4. Convenience 5. Control 6. Choice 7. Connectivity 8. Community 9. Comment 10. Consolidation 11. Customization 12. Contraption 13. Combination 14. Contribution 15. Conversation 16. Collaboration 17. Citizenship 18. Compliance 19. Customer experience 20. Customer reviews and PERSPECTIVE compensation APMG 8119 Group Assignment Page 26 Appendix.F External Customer Perspective APMG 8119 Group Assignment Page 27