Google Offers in my backyard!

Well, not literally. I don't have a backyard. But I live within a mile of three of the four establishments they'll be kicking off with: Montage, Powell's and, just down the street from me, Floyd's Coffee!

This is in response to their failed bid to purchase Groupon last year:

Google tried unsuccessfully to buy Groupon last winter. After being rebuffed, Google said it would launch its own competitive service, Google Offers. Later it said it would kick off the service with a "beta" tryout in Portland.

The Oatmeal really summed up the Groupon phenomenon perfectly, but I think a huge part of the popularity has something to do with the psychology of the phrasing. There's something about "$10 for $20 worth of ..." that makes my brain pause for a moment and reread it a second time. It reads like you're not actually paying anyone anything but somehow magically doubling your money. It expresses the value of the deal without making me ponder the amount I'm actually spending.

Update: Well, I caved. I'm now the proud owner of $3 for $10 of coffee and goods!