Chicago Bouldering Collective Leaps Higher with Groupon
"During our first month with Groupon we immediately doubled our customers, and we were able to retain quite a few of them."
George Karam, owner of Chicago Bouldering Collective
About Chicago Bouldering Collective
Chicago Bouldering Collective (CBC) is a bouldering gym home to steep walls, carved arêtes, and gnarly cave features. Small but mighty, it offers a unique climbing experience centered around community and problem-solving. As George Karam, owner of CBC, explains, “bouldering in general is a very Zen experience—first for the mind, then for the body—because basically it's a puzzle. You have a start point, an end point, and you're trying to navigate the route.” This often involves “small and calculated movements, almost like a tai chi on the wall.”
Thanks to its approach to climbing deeply rooted in passion and togetherness, CBC has developed over the years a legendary status within the city's rock climbing scene.
The Challenge
Despite having a passionate base, CBC faced visibility hurdles due to its niche offerings and location, and growth was largely dependent on word-of-mouth. As George Karam explained, "we were a very unique location... to put it simply, not a lot of people knew about us."
This limited exposure made it difficult to expand their community. With many prospective climbers unaware of their existence, CBC needed a way to draw in more guests and encourage trial visits—making Groupon the perfect partner for their mission to “reach new climbers and connect them with a vibrant community.”
The Results
The Groupon campaigns provided critical exposure, attracting guests curious to try something different. As Karam puts it, “they see it on Groupon, they see this wall with a whole bunch of stuff and they'll say, ‘oh, that's different.’ ”
Partnering with Groupon also transformed CBC's customer flow. As Karam recalls, “we started in December 2016 with Groupon. That month alone we doubled our numbers, and we were getting about 30 people per evening.” This surge of new faces allowed CBC to grow its community and “retain quite a few people” who found value and connection there. By fostering genuine connections and offering memorable climbing experiences, CBC successfully converted many first-timers into repeat visitors.
Top Tips for Working with Groupon
👉 Focus on Retention: Offer an exceptional experience that encourages first-time Groupon users to return. As Karam noted, “Most people that come with Groupon, we were able to retain quite a few... they see good service and good value.”
👉 Community Building: Encourage customer interaction and camaraderie to deepen engagement and enhance loyalty. In Karam's words, “We get a lot of people at Chicago Bulling because of the community we have; people will try to solve any problem together and they challenge each other and push each other.”
A passionate, tight-nit community
"Everybody has done some climbing somewhere when they're a kid, but nobody is ready until they get on the wall, and all of a sudden they feel they're accomplishing things they never thought they could. This is why I bought the club—because of the passion for it I see and the community it fosters."
George Karam, owner of Chicago Bouldering Collective
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