In the wake of Hurricane Sandy, daily deal sites are still publishing deals for Long Island resorts and New York City restaurants that have lost power and are currently closed. Ad Age takes a look at how Groupon and LivingSocial are adjusting to the storm's aftermath, including yesterday's announcement that Groupon was postponing deals in affected areas— following an embarrassing deal for New York's dining-in-the-dark experiment Dans Le Noir that ran immediately after the hurricane.
Even though Groupon has moved to an opt-in system, they were still advertising a deal for New York's Rustic L.E.S. until it sold out yesterday evening. Of course, the restaurant doesn't seem to be open yet, operating instead out of their food truck. AdAge breaks it down: "Considering diners would have to dine by candlelight if they hope to redeem their deal anytime soon, Rustic seems appropriately named." That said, Groupon announces on its blog that it will continue to reach out to merchants — even if just to "provide some moral support" — and has launched a fundraising campaign to go toward small business recovery microloans.
LivingSocial, too, has been offering Long Island getaways to a resort that AdAge reports has shuttered due to the storm and brunch at New York's Tammany Hall, which was still powerless as of last night. Director of communications Maire Griffin tells AdAge that the company is reaching out to clients on a case-by-case basis and customers will be notified whether they'll be eligible for a refund.
In the meantime, these deals have not exactly been playing all that well. Some New Yorkers are apparently writing LivingSocial angry letters, while the Atlantic Wire calls Groupon's Dans Le Noir fiasco "the ultimate social media fail."
· Forget Sandy: Groupon, LivingSocial Offer Deals for NYC Restaurants, Jersey Shore Getaways [AdAge]
· Help Local Businesses After Sandy [Groupon]
· All Hurricane Sandy Coverage on Eater [-E-]