For a while, Wang Xiaoxiao admits she became addicted to a new development in online shopping called tuan gou. When she subscribed in April, she just couldn't help herself.
'The first two months was crazy,' said Wang, a marketing manager in Beijing. 'On average I bought three items every week, no matter whether I truly needed them or not. When I saw a 60 or even 70 per cent discount, I felt I'd lose a real bargain if I didn't buy,' she said.
'Later I became more rational. I normally concentrate on restaurants, because you always need to eat.'
Wang was recommended by a colleague to a website that's part of a new wave of group buying on the mainland. The websites list all kinds of bargains on items such as restaurant coupons and movie tickets.
Tuan gou, or group buying, has become the latest shopping fad in major cities on the mainland. The idea is that the group can get a better discount from the vendor if they buy in bulk. A group-buying website offers a potential deal every day or every few days from a local vendor to subscribers. If a certain number of people sign up for the offer, the deal becomes available to all. If the predetermined minimum is not met, no one gets the deal.
Since the first Chinese copycat of the successful American website Groupon was launched in the beginning of this year, hundreds have followed suit and stirred up a fervour in this new way of bargaining. As the Groupon website puts it, 'our subscribers get a great deal, and the business gets a ton of new customers'.
