This is a really interesting article. The graphs really illustrate the differences.<p>I always had a problem with Groupon's model, but I couldn't explain it as well as the author did.<p>I think people often lose sight of the most important part of a business, that your customers really enjoy and like it, this makes sure they stick around.<p>Groupon's problem is that no one really gets a lot of value out of it. The businesses that use Groupon often don't see the customers returning and they usually lose money from the Groupon promotion.<p>Even people who use Groupon often complain that the business can't handle the massive rush that Groupon causes, so they usually have a subpar experience when they actually try to use the discount.<p>Groupon is only really good for one party, Groupon. Everyone else is left with a bad taste in their mouths.