Groupon Is Said to Spurn Google’s $6 Billion Acquisition Offer

Groupon Inc., a Chicago-based Internet-coupon service with more than 35 million users, walked away from an acquisition offer from Google Inc. yesterday, according to a person with knowledge of the matter.

The proposed acquisition fell through amid hesitation by Groupon’s founding team, said the person, who requested anonymity because the talks are private. The startup will decide next year whether to sell shares in an initial public offering instead,the person said. The discussions could resume if both sides overcome their differences.