Groupon, Inc. recently launched its Big Y program in supermarkets and grocery stores in Boston, Massachusetts. One of Groupon’s purposes in launching this program is to eliminate problems of fraud that have been occurring, mainly in printable Internet coupons. This same problem has kept major companies like Procter and Gamble from using printable online coupons.

The Big Y Program was developed by the company to target grocery shoppers and allow them to use their loyalty cards on daily deals. Just recently, Groupon offered a deal at $24 for a pack of seafood grill worth $39.99. Included in this seafood pack are clams, lobster tails and mussels. This deal will be loaded on the shopper’s loyalty card and will show up on checkout.

This new program from Groupon is currently still in its testing stage. However, once the program has been proven successful in grocery chains in the Boston area, then the company will start implementing it to other parts of the country, as well. Once fully implemented, this Groupon grocery coupon program will definitely provide competition to existing coupon players like SmartSource. Groupon will also be able to expand its services to include promotions on packaged food items and other goods, which would also mean an increase in the company’s multi-million dollar profit.

Also, once proven to be a successful coupon program, Groupon has a possibility of also becoming a promotion company that is retailer-driven. When that opportunity becomes a reality, giant grocery chains like Safeway, CVS and Kroger Co. then become a channel in syndicating deals on a number of brands, as well as categories.