Do people enjoy new online group buying/discount stores popping up?

Related Stores

The Collective Club

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  voteoften on 17/11/2012 - 00:05

  +2

  I have to say nothing there appeals to me. The baby hamper looks poorly made and I suspect that the fragrance items can be bought cheaper elsewhere.

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    waltermann on 17/11/2012 - 00:37

    Haha, voteoften you are so brutally honest =)
    I agree on that point, there aren't anything that is eyecatching.
    But I think they are just conducting some market research right now and haven't really gone into full launch mode yet. From what I see, they only have 1-2 clients on their suppliers list (possibly old work connections). They will surely add more variety in their deals in the future, right?

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      Store RepThe Collective Club @ The Collective Club on 20/11/2012 - 14:36

      This is right, I am trying to gauge what the response will be like before I fully launch, I need to be live at some stage to iron out bugs etc, doesn't help when the web designers go into liquidation so you have to start all over again!

      When I set out to do this I had no expectations, I am just like anyone else trying to give it a go. I have enjoyed myself along the way as I am in IT project management so this was a side project for me, if anything it has given me more experience in running another project. I know that only a small amount of projects are successful but wanted to learn why mine would or would not succeed. I also did want to start off being a group buying website but have moved towards an online discount store.

      I never wanted to be a big player in this industry. I wanted people to come to me as it was where they get the service that the big players don't care about (from personal experience).

      I go to the market and sell all of my samples etc and things that don't sell which is something else I enjoy so I am not ready to give up just yet!!!

      Once again, I thank you all for your comments, good or bad…..it helps me make educated decisions.

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        waltermann on 20/11/2012 - 16:22

        I've had my fair share of working on projects with web developers, they are truly troublesome… Possibly because I use freelancers and have a tight budget, they never fail to disappoint me. I have had to hire countless number of freelancers to patch up and continue the work, I must have hired around 6-8 freelancers to create a website from scratch. I know this is off-topic but where do you find good freelancers?

        I think you have the right approach in terms of business. Don't fall into the trap of paralysis analysis, just do it. I suppose trying to compete with the big boys is probably a bit of a farcry for beginning stage, but who knows, possibly things will look up and you will find a market niche. After all, Scoopon started out in a garage and now everyone knows them. I think if your products don't sell well in Australia, you can think about selling offshore.

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        Store RepThe Collective Club @ The Collective Club on 21/11/2012 - 21:20

        thanks waltermann, the first positive juju response I have had :)

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    Store RepThe Collective Club @ The Collective Club on 20/11/2012 - 14:56

    The cheapest fragrances are probably sold on Ebay which is where I go to research my prices, selling fragrances has little profit margin anyway..

    Thanks for your comments :)

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  waltermann on 17/11/2012 - 00:27

  It would be interesting to see a groupbuy website take a different approach for once. However, I have seen some pretty amazing sites out there with great deals that don't sell, simply bcoz of lack of exposure. Although I don't agree with the big boys' no-brainer "WIN A FREE IPAD" campaigns, they probably do drive in a lot of fools (only they know the results).

  Almost every single groupbuy website has made a name for itself negatively because of their bad clients. Customers get really angry about it and say they will never purchase from the dealsite again, but I personally think at the end of the day, they come back to the website to make a purchase again (once they cooled down).

  In response to your topic, I think you will have a somewhat steady fanbase who will be loyal. However, if you are more ambitious than just a steady income, it may be a more difficult task to purely rely on word-of-mouth alone. There hasn't really been a groupbuy website that has surpassed the big boys. The advantage they have is purely bcoz they started first and have more disposable income than any1 else in the market. I think you should experiment a little. If this approach doesn't work, try a different one (even if it means to go mainstream).

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  Typical16-bitEnjoyer on 17/11/2012 - 08:21

  +4

  " A lot seem to be popping up these days, mine included!"

  Not really they are all going broke or closing down.
  99% of the stuff offered is junk or can be obtained cheaper on ebay without "limited stock!" Or a countdown timer.
  90% of the services restaurants, car services, massages etc make it painful getting a suitable booking within the eligibility period or are overbooked, or pump you for extras and add-ons.

  It's a passing fad and I think the majority of the public have moved on.
  Good luck with your website but don't quit your day job….

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    voteoften on 17/11/2012 - 15:09

    I think a lot of those group buy sites source from ebay anyway.

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    Store RepThe Collective Club @ The Collective Club on 20/11/2012 - 14:51

    Thanks for your post and not being aggressive in delivering your point of view!

    I have removed the Melbourne Deals component of the site and will concentrate on selling quality products at a great price.Once this is running smoothly I will revisit the option of adding the Melbourne Deals component.

    All the stock I currently have are designer and authentic and come with a quality satisfaction guarantee..

    Thanks again :)

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  Store RepThe Collective Club @ The Collective Club on 20/11/2012 - 14:24

  Thanks everyone, these comments mean a lot.

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  retiredfeline on 21/11/2012 - 21:39

  When I looked at your site, my first reaction was yawn yet another group buy site. To be brutally frank, I'm mercenary. Usually these sites offer one great deal when they start off, sometimes a second good one. E.g. a month's unlimited prepaid for $9. So I buy. And it's great. But I don't subscribe, or unsubscribe after a while, because the later deals are poor or have bad rep for all the reasons you know well. And I would hear about the good ones on OzB anyway.

  I think I'm not alone in this. People have noticed that the good deals come from companies that treat it as a loss leader, and the bad ones from desperate companies. So I'm not the kind of customer you want to cultivate.

  It might be better if you specialised on a niche market, where the arena is less crowded, the customers more loyal if you provide good service and will keep coming back even if the savings are less, simply because of the service and convenience of Internet shopping.

  Just an idea.