What is the challenge of the Chinese group buying route

A few days ago I was in the United States to buy a group of electronic scales, March 28 Group Buy, April 8 only received goods. Waiting for the receipt of goods, I feel the delivery speed is too slow, played the United States Group customer service phone, let customer service to help return refunds. As a result, the answer is: you have paid, and then just wait for the receipt of the goods. I was helpless, asked: "If I have not received the goods, can not refund will mean that I am skipping?" Customer service told me that this is a business problem. At the same time, when the goods, Yuantong Express service attitude is very poor, simply frighten people.

This is my first time in the United States to buy the net kind, before all just draw. It's a bit disappointing to experience this for the first time. Careful observation of my first group in the United States to buy the experience found that, compared with traditional e-commerce sites, as the second largest group purchase site in the United States network there are many problems. And many of the domestic group purchase site also with the United States network, similar to the problem.

Their own problems

1. Credit System

The domestic e-commerce giant Alibaba has two subsidiaries closely related, one is Taobao, the other is Alipay. Taobao is the buyer and seller to solve the problem of the sale of goods, and Alipay is buyers and sellers in the process of buying and selling "funds transfer station."

Sellers sell goods to buyers by opening stores in Taobao, and buyers buy by browsing through thousands of stores. But in the case of the two sides do not meet, the money into each other's bank account, or send the goods to each other's address, this is unrealistic. Therefore, in order to conduct online transactions, the first problem to be solved is the mutual trust between buyers and sellers.

So, there is Alipay. Buyers after the purchase of goods, the money into Alipay official account, Alipay notify the seller to send goods, the buyer received the goods and in Alipay confirmed receipt, Alipay will be the money into the seller account. In this way, buyers in the process of buying and selling if a little dissatisfied with the seller, you can refund, rights and even complaints against the seller, but also to the seller for the corresponding good or bad evaluation. Because Alipay gives buyers the right to be a consumer. To carry out large-scale online transactions, Alipay, the "middleman" must exist. It is not redundant, on the contrary, it can be a more perfect solution to the problem of mutual trust between buyers and sellers online.

However, the group purchase site payment methods are different. In the case of the United States, it can be paid by Alipay, Tenpay and mobile phone, or directly through the bank card. Directly with the bank card payment, greatly facilitate the user. But this is the choice of the bank card to pay, so that users can not be deterred. From the experience I bought this time in the United States, if I was using Alipay payment, then I can pay a refund by Alipay; If I use a bank card, from the attitude of customer service, the United States to return not refund is not my decision, but they decide. Furthermore, from March 28 to April 8, such a long period of time has already passed the Alipay refund time limit. and pay treasure on the transaction, also is not the customer can freely refund, even through Alipay transaction, refund still have to discuss with the American regiment.

All this bad experience stems from the lack and imperfection of its own credit system. A so-called customer purchase consultant website, should not have a set of customer trust to buy a credit system.

2. Express service

Even if the United States Regiment of all aspects are doing very well, I this may appear to be very perfect group purchase experience will be Yuantong express service attitude break. Of course, this may be just an accident. But also offline experience of a failure, if they can not choose excellent courier services for customers, then the customer does not need to pay for such express services, but also do not need to give the opportunity to let the United States to help customers choose-also that is not necessary to choose the United States to buy.

3. Merchant Selection

I bought this electronic scale is shipped from Yiwu, Zhejiang, also that they choose a Zhejiang Yiwu of a business. Delivery starts from March 31 and will not arrive until April 8. This is not acceptable in this fast-paced era.

As a group buying network, its own is only a platform, is Taobao this consumer-to-consumer mode of subdivision and variety, does not provide the production of goods and after-sales service. Group buying network to choose the standard of business is nothing but one: how to choose the most advantageous to me. This has to be considered in many ways: Commission, discount ratio and customer retention. If only consider commission, regardless of the customer's dead or dead, this must not go far. Achievement platform The province is the customer, not the merchant. What's the business doing without customers? By buying this way, the merchant sells the goods, allowing the net to be divided into groups to take the risk of being scolded by customers. This risk, the group buy network platform itself are controlled?

Competitor challenges

1. Electric Business Giant

By the above merchants of all kinds of problems can be seen, buy this model, although the new bottle, but the old wine--the customer to purchase the process of all kinds or not to reduce demand. For some of the more obvious problems mentioned above, Taobao, an established E-commerce company, clearly has a mature solution. Perhaps you will say, Taobao is not as good as the United States group to handle it? Just imagine, Taobao has a mature and stable business model, why take the risk of "Great leap forward"? This kind of adventure, even if successful, but also Taobao on the customer to guide their group buying mode. However, Taobao and the major electric dealers are still a small attempt to buy mode. As a result, the "hundred groups" in the melee are worried about whether Chinese Groupon can stand out in the melee as it slips through the eyes of traditional e-commerce giants. Let's wait and see.

2. Group Purchase Navigation

Talk about group buying navigation, inevitably let people think of Web site navigation. Just a few simple Web site Navigation page, attracts a lot of eyeballs every day. Hundreds of millions of netizens set it as the homepage of the browser.

Years or even months later, 360 or a grand Group buy site navigation site will become the main entrance of the group buying site? Is this what the group buying platform wants? Or is it fear?

Development prospects

Gouopon's success proved that the future of group buying mode is bright.

In simple terms, the U.S. group of the group to buy the site's model is: the entire Internet to find the best business, will be displayed in the group purchase site, the customer through the site of the link to buy success, the United States Regiment will be able to earn a certain proportion of the Commission. The "best" business here refers to the ability to attract enough eyeballs and to bring enough commission to make a profit.

Not only in China, but even a large part of the world's consumers spend a lot of time on the internet every day looking for the best discounted information to buy goods at the cheapest price. This kind of consumer psychology is the most basic support of group buying mode development.

From the merchant point of view, can one day in the flow of large group buying site "exclusive exposure" opportunity, is a good marketing approach, but also a good way to shape word-of-mouth opportunities.

Therefore, the ideal group buying site to make customers and businesses win-winning. Of course, it's winning at the same time. Therefore, the group buying mode in China will also have good prospects for development.

Marketing Tools

From the "development prospects" can be seen, the more well-known group purchase site, because its ability to attract users ' eyeballs, also means that the higher the commercial exposure rate, it will attract high-quality business. In this way, the quality of the business on its platform can also attract customers. This is a snowball development, the user and business data accumulation is getting bigger. On the contrary, the less competitive group buying sites will only get worse, until the "death cycle" drains all resources or simply hands off.

In China, although there are the United States and handle two big group buy "Giants", but there is no significant competition between competitors formed a watershed. Moreover, the potential of the group buying model has not been fully tapped in China. Therefore, each action is in the effort to earn the user's attention at the same time, efforts to distinguish themselves from their peers. For the American regiment and the handle, if the hard to separate their areas, they represent the two factions: retreat and pragmatic.

Retreat

The United States Regiment Gesanchaiwu to a 0 yuan lottery, customers naturally happy. Anyway, no money, smoking on the Bai, can draw better. House, car, travel or even 5-digit QQ number, these things you dream of, can be drawn from the American lottery. However, the United States is not to do their own real estate, selling cars, travel business or even the production of 5-digit QQ number. These are things that are out of date. And, 0 Yuan lottery, the United States Regiment 1 cents also did not earn into the purse, the customer also did not dig 1 cents. So why is it so crazy to insist on a 0-dollar draw? Earn new and old customers ' eyeballs!

Pragmatic

Handle each commodity discount strength although very large, but its offline advertising more powerful. Although with a lot of good business cooperation, there are many discounts on the strength of the goods, but the overwhelming advertising shows that it is more like a traditional electric dealer. Its overwhelming advertising is to let customers remember that it has a large discount on the sale of goods-as this is not the handle provided, then do not know. That is, the handle is advertising the goods on its platform, not the handle itself. The difference between the two is subtle, but the goal is to attract new and old customers.

This shows that, whether it is pragmatic or retreat, they have only one purpose--for the snowball rolling the bigger to prepare. In fact, whether it is the United States or handle, there are retreats and pragmatic ingredients, but the degree is not the same. The quality or disadvantage of both is fundamentally beyond measure. Just, need to grasp this degree.