My story of Group Shopping

It was my great day of purchase! Social networking was customized to perform group shopping too!

On this day, I learnt a lot of lessons and also I found solutions too for certain problems with group shopping. A big question that was solved for me was: Can we make group shopping as our regular practice? I mean, can we buy each and every item through volume discounting?  How can I bring my society into my rescue in gaining power to bargain with my local stores?  I wanted to share my experience and solicit your thoughtful suggestions over them. Let me start by saying the objective I had for that day: “I wanted buy a television set at the lowest possible price, by applying any means of bargains that are currently available.”

I know, any sort of volume purchase may be a right choice in bringing the price down. As I wanted to buy only one television set, I required some more people to join my shopping. I turned to my close friend, he said, “Perhaps I also want to buy a television set but not this month”. I was little upset first as I my first attempt was shot down. But it was not a surprise for me. I cannot expect everyone to buy when I do. I reluctantly turned towards few more other friends, close and little closer ones. My friends circle is not huge enough to give me at least one more person who wants to buy a television set at this point of time. I didn’t like to give up ……. My next social circle will be my relatives. I called my wife and asked her to get hold of one of her cousin who was talking about buying a television set last month itself.

Not to my surprise, my wife hesitated and she said “Look dear! You are, sorry… we are, not good at bargains. My cousin may not feel comfortable in bargaining with us and it may cause some hitch among our relatives circle”. I know my wife under estimates my bargain skills, as she always does in any such things to me.

When I reached my office, I went to internet to search for the deals on television sets and seriously looked at their prices and deals. I couldn’t even complete searching a handful of website before I had realized that I had already consumed considerable amount work time. By the lunch time, I made a decision to take a half day off and go around the local shops.

I wanted to mention here something. There are many volume discounting web sites. I didn’t opt to buy through those sites as they involve credit card payments on line. Moreover, I didn’t like to buy my TV without seeing it physically. My preference is to buy from a local store which gives me some personal touch to my shopping.

When I started out I knew I cannot cover a lot many shops. I just noted down the addresses of few of them. I went around the shopping areas and I finished my window shopping and collected the details about the television sets and prices for them. I got to agree that I didn’t have enough time to visit couple of more shops that were in my wish list. But I had already exhausted all my body energy. Although physically tired my mind was still enthusiastic and energetic in pursuing my way. I said to myself, I had to make at least one more round to finish my window shopping another day. Even after all these efforts I was not happy and I was indecisive about a deal I should be confirming to.

When I reached home my wife was having happiness on her face as if I have already brought the television to home. When I got out t to explain my efforts and resulting tiredness she said she called her cousin and convinced him to join our shopping. I was double-happy that I have a group-shopping partner now. I saw her cousin waiting at my home.

With her cousin I went to the city center again and started searching for a good deal. I realized some increase in my confidence and my bargain tone has also become stronger. Before even enjoying my bargain power, I realized something else too. My hesitations, while asking the prices! I am missing something - the freeness in exercising my bargain skills! My wife was peeping into my mind constantly cautioning me about my bargain skills. I kept on mounting a smile on my face and looked at my shopping-partner each time I talked on the price to the sales person. I was not comfortable in freely bargaining as I was not sure how my partner will take my bargain capability.

For some reasons we couldn’t buy the television that day and we both returned back home. I sat down and tried to assimilate all the events that happened since morning. Questions started appearing to me. What if one could avoid all the hurdles in forming a group for buying any item at any point of time! This is the first of my requirement in group-shopping. Well, what if I find a group? – then, I want to freely exercise my wisdom in bargains.

In my search for answers I founded a web platform, doing all these magic. It works exactly the way I wished. I would bet, this is first of its own kind - Innovativeness in solving some peculiar shopping problems. Though it has its own downsides, at least it relieves some hurdles in group-shopping. The big plus point comes when the website allows the people to bargain for themselves but in an impersonalized way.  I mean, I do not like to put a fake smile on my face to my friends when I bargain for a group.

I just want a group of people buying the same item. I should not be spending any time searching for my group. More importantly, the wait time to find such groups should not be too long. I do not like to even know who I am with in a group because I don’t like to wear a fake smile in convincing about my bargain capabilities.

I wanted to pool up the collective skills of such enthusiastic bargainers- even the calm but potential ones too. The web platform should offer equal opportunity to the members of the groups in bargaining and submitting their quotes without any one’s intervention.

Here is my web platform. Go shopping with www.ShoppingReps.com

Please review and share your suggestions and observations. It is really a Social Networking based group shopping towards volume discounting.

Methodology: Collect similar buying intentions into small groups that can be bargain potential. Allow the shoppers to bargain from their local stores for their respective groups. Select the best of the submitted quotes and serve to all in the group. Simple, isn’t it?