Apparently, Groupon is not the first to execute the idea. Mercata is the failed Groupon of the late ’90s. Paul Allen has invested around $90 million in it. Why

Apparently, Groupon is not the first to execute the idea. Mercata is the failed Groupon of the late ’90s. Paul Allen has invested around $90 million in it. Why it failed? One of the analyst said this in the interview below. "But like many ideas that have been tried, execution turned out to be a problem. I don't think the category is necessarily dead, but may resurface in different clothing." http://news.cnet.com/2100-1017-250529.html http://news.cnet.com/2100-1017-250529.html