After its $6 billion overture was rebuffed by Groupon, Google is preparing to launch its own group buying service. Google Offers operates much like Groupon or LivingSocial, according to Mashable, which obtained a fact sheet from the search giant that said the new service will “help potential customers and clientele find great deals in their area through a daily email.” Users receive an email with a local deal of the day and then have a specific time limit to buy, presumably 24 hours. Once enough people have made the purchase, the Google Offer is triggered and users get $10 to $20 toward the purchase of the goods or services. Mashable said Google Offers will be powered by Google Checkout and will include Facebook, Twitter, Google Reader, Google Buss and email sharing options. While Groupon prepares an IPO and competitors like Google Offers launch, it remains to be seen whether the general public will embrace these services over the long term. http://mashable.com/2011/01/20/google-offers/
