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IDEA
An online platform which influences people's online shopping behaviour through onlne social networking by leveraging the buying power of groups and experiences of previous owners of a product.
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A website where merchants can register themselves and people who wish to buy merchandise can place their requests in groups.

A group would consist of multiple people (who need not know each other) who want to buy a particular piece of merchandise (Ex.: iPhone).
Merchants registered on the website can them bid amongst themselves for this group order (say 10 iPhones), here the merchant who bids the lowest price for selling would win the bid for the entire group (all the 10 iPhones).

The idea behind the concept is that consumers would have higher bargaining power when purchases are made in large quantities. The idea is similar to eBay, except that merchants would bid low(instead of consumers bidding highest )in order to win the right to sell to the entire group.

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Whenever a consumer is going to buy an expensive product, the first persons they turn to for advice recomendations are their immediate friends, hence it is possible to ask your entire friend-list what they think of your latest purchase or ask for their recomendations. The website can be coupled with social networking websites like Facebook and Myspace and through a forum on the website, friends who have made similar purchases can advise the buyer on alternatives and extras on the purchase.

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Revenue Model:

Once a mechant wins a bid, he would be charged a certain perctanage (the order of 10%) of the discount he offers.
Ex: If a merchant wins a bid for 10 iPhones which he promises to sell to the group at $80 instead of $100 each, then he would have to pay 10% of the savings ($ 20  per piece)  which is $2 per piece or $20 for the group order of 10 iPhones.

The website would be free for buyers, however mechants who sell would be charged for every trade.