Groupon Deals Are Now Available Via Kiosk

By Michele Lenni in News on Jan 25, 2012 5:00PM

Groupon continues to expand their brand and its availability to the general public. The Chicago Sun-TImes reports the daily deal giant is introducing 30 kiosks with touchscreen displays across the city. Users will be able to share photos, find transportation, restaurants and nearby events all over Chicago.

The deals on each 32-inch and 46-inch touchscreens kiosk will be location specific, targeting specials available in the immediate vicinity of the kiosk. So say you're near Millennium Park and looking for something to do after gazing longingly into the eyes of the people projected onto Jaume Plensa's Crown Fountain sculpture. You will be able to walk up to one of these kiosks, find places in the area to eat or buy "Groupon Now!" deals. These kiosks will also have other short-term deals and travel offers, and you will be able to pay for them with a credit card, and email or share them with others on Facebook.

The kiosks also feature an app enabling you to take photos to email or share photos on social-media sites. Users can also access apps for non-emergency 311 and city bus, train and bike availability. Soon you'll be able to access a 911 app tied to the nearest security camera.

Groupon's partnership with SmartDigital, a nine-employee, two-year-old operation led by George Burciaga in the South Loop, brought this concept into reality. By March of this year there will be 100 of these kiosks spread throughout the city. SmartDigital plans to expand the kiosk idea to Miami and New York, and plans to hire eight people in the next 60 days in sales, project management, app development and social media strategy.