Andrew Mason, founder and CEO of Groupon, at his office in Chicago this summer. (Antonio Perez/Chicago Tribune)

By Mary Ellen Podmolik | Groupon launched its shopping Web site in three new markets Monday,
bringing the number of cities for the Chicago-based company to 35. The company established its Web site in Raleigh-Durham, N.C., Memphis and Louisville.

Subscribers to the free site receive daily e-mails alerting them to daily deals, which only are activated in a minimum number of people agree to participate in them. The company, which said it plans to be in 80 cities by year’s end, said its 2 million subscribers have saved nearly $80 million.

Groupon launched in November 2008 as a project of The Point, an online community that launched in 2007.