MLM SF: Groupon Says ‘Mobile Is a Big Part of Our Business’

“Mobile is a big part of our business,” said Mihir Shah, Groupon’s VP-Mobile, in an interview this afternoon with BIA/Kelsey analyst Peter Krasilovsky at the Mobile Local Media event in San Francisco.

Shah said that 30 percent of Groupon’s transactions in April occurred on mobile devices. That figure was 25 percent last December.

Mobile customers spend 50 percent more than those who redeem deals on the Web. “When they get on mobile, it increases their engagement,” Shah said.

Products (Goods) and travel (Getaways) are two key initiatives taking Groupon beyond local deals. Mobile factors into both, Shah said.

With Goods, people purchase at the same rate on mobile as local via the mobile phone. The same is true with Getaways, which is a high ticket item, a fact that might suggest against mobile usage.

“This speaks to the Groupon brand,” Shah said. “They are willing to do more than just a local deal.”

Groupon is also focused on using mobile to help its merchants manage their deals. At the end of Q4 2011, 12,000 merchants were using Groupon’s merchant mobile app for redemption, to scan bar code and redeem, track overages (the amount a customer spends above the value of the deal). Lots more merchants are adopting it on their own devices.