Can LivingSocial Close the Gap?

Before this week, coupon darling Groupon (a start-up now hot enough to turn down mega-suitor Google) held the record for money generated from a single offer - $11 million from their $25 off of $50 promotion from the Gap. That was, until competitor LivingSocial came out of the Groupon shadow to take the lead, generating over $13 million with a $10 coupon worth $20 at Amazon.com. The record-breaking gift card deal with stakeholder Amazon may have given LivingSocial a leg up in the coupon wars, and helped make the DC-area startup the new belle of the social media ball.