Groupon, a shopping website that offers a daily deal on local goods, services, and cultural events across the U.S., Canada, and Europe, launched in Fort Wayne on June 2, 2010.

“As a recipient of the ‘All-America City Award,’ Fort Wayne is a perfect city to launch Groupon,” says Groupon founder Andrew Mason. “We’ll offer customers unbeatable deals on the best things to eat, do, see, and buy, while creating a stream of new customers for local businesses.”

Using the principles of collective buying, Groupon negotiates deals with top businesses. Groupon subscribers receive free daily e-mails alerting them to the deal. These deals are only activated if a minimum number of people agree to buy, encouraging subscribers to share the promotion with family and friends via social media tools like Facebook and Twitter.

So far, Groupon’s approach to e-commerce has generated millions in revenue for local businesses while saving millions of subscribers more than $240 million.

“Groupon brings buyers and sellers together in a fun and collaborative way,” Mason says. “We offer the consumer a great deal … and deliver the sales directly to the merchant.”

During its first week in Fort Wayne, Groupon’s featured deals included Italian cuisine, a spa, golfing, a bakery, and a moving service. Upcoming features include bowling, tanning, and an art museum.