Coupons not always good deal for sellers Josh Neblett, co-founder and chief executive of online retailer GreenCupboards, is busy planning how he'll get the word out about his eco-friendly products during the holidays, including e-mail campaigns, Facebook ads and joint promotions with suppliers. The average net loss per order was significant, and the average customer we gain through our own marketing initiatives repeats business with us at a significantly higher rate. Groupon has featured more than 250,000 merchants in its coupon deals worldwide, and half have re-upped over the past two quarters, the Chicago company says, pointing to a survey it commissioned in March. Many new customers who signed up with Pet Hub through Groupon and other coupon promotions have found lost pets thanks to the tags, says Clemens, who is hopeful they will renew their Pet Hub memberships at full price. Because Pet Hub is primarily a service company, it can afford to break even or take a loss on coupon discounts in the hope that first-time users will stick around.