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Groupon Cancels Gun-Related Deals

Patch wants to know what you think of companies distancing themselves from gun-related business? Join our discussion in the comment section below.

Groupon Inc. has canceled all its firearm-related offers a month after the school massacre in Newtown, Conn., the LA Times reported.  “All scheduled and current gun-related deals featured on Groupon North America, including shooting ranges, conceal-and-carry and clay shooting, have been placed on hiatus while we review internal standards that shape the deal inventory we feature, “ Groupon spokeswoman Julie Mossler in a statement issued to various media outlets.  The Chicago-based daily deals company is not the first business to distance themselves from gun-related businesses. Dick’s Sporting Goods pulled some firearms off its stores’ shelves, while private equity firm Cerberus Capital Management sold its stake in the firearm conglomerate …

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North Shore Becomes Online Coupon Battleground

Competitors look to get a jump on Groupon with local offers tailored to suburban customers.

Since Groupon launched in 2008, the Chicago-based company has gathered 1.4 million users in the city and surrounding suburbs. It’s also inspired new startups offering deals to customers throughout the North Shore. The Highland Park-based WeDeal launched in April. The site offers daily deals, and users get $5 off the discounted price if they get a friend to buy too. “I was born and raised here in the North Shore,” said founder and CEO Jordan Heller. “At the time that I launched here, there was no deal-a-day site in the suburbs focusing on the North Shore. Groupon was operating in the city, but most people in the suburbs weren’t going to go into the city for a massage.” When WeDeal started it had just 900 subscribers. “I was scared to death …

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