Word leaked out today about a new service the New York Times is planning to launch soon called TimesLimited, which is expected to provide readers with special offers on travel and other lifestyle items via email. If you’re thinking this sounds more than a little like what companies like Groupon and LivingSocial do, you’d be right. It looks like a fairly straightforward copy of these services, and also of higher-end offerings like The Gilt Groupe. What took the New York Times so long? As usual, the traditional media industry seems late to this particular party, and may even have missed a chance to take part in the festivities altogether.

The NYT isn’t the first to come up with the idea of taking a marketing cue from Groupon: Just a few months ago, the Cox Media Group launched what appeared to be a Groupon clone called DealSwarm, and the Minneapolis Star-Tribune has had a similar offering called Steals for some time now. In Canada, the TorStar Corp. chain — which publishes the Toronto Star newspaper and a series of regional weeklies — acquired a group-buying service called WagJag last year and has integrated it into its various publications. Other newspapers such as the McClatchy Group have chosen to partner with Groupon instead of trying to create their own version. Read more at gigaom.com

Groupon is the trailblazing company that started the daily deals revolution.  There are now100+ daily deal clone sites targeting specific markets, cities, and industries–even those that aggregate.  While each presents real opportunity for most businesses, there are still challenges that can be costly.

Groupon is the trailblazing company that started the daily deals revolution.  There are now100+ daily deal clone sites targeting specific markets, cities, and industries–even those that aggregate.  While each presents real opportunity for most businesses, there are still challenges that can be costly. Read more at websuccessdiva.com