Groupon Acquires Last-Minute Travel App Blink

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Continuing to build its presence in discount travel, Groupon announced yesterday that it had acquired Madrid-based Blink, a mobile app that allows last-minute European travelers to find same-day deals on hotel bookings. Blink works with 2,000 hotel partners in eight European countries. Financial details of the deal were not disclosed.

The acquisition helps to further expand Groupon Getaways, the discount travel unit launched by Groupon in 2011, which offers curated travel deals and experiences in 48 countries. The Blink app will be rebranded as "Blink by Groupon," according to Groupon, and although it will initially operate separately, it will ultimately be merged into Groupon Getaways.

Groupon says the addition of an app that provides same-day bookings gives Groupon Getaways another way to serve customers' travel needs and also complements its current European offerings. It already offers users deals on hotels across the globe, all-inclusive travel packages, and full-service tours in 48 countries.

"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," says Aaron Cooper, senior vice president of Groupon Getaways, in a statement.