摘要：In commercial environments consumers with limited order size can aggregate their demand through a group buying mechanism allowing them to enjoy the benefits of a wholesale deal. In electronic commerce, group buying was first introduced in the late 90s. Researchers in various fields conducted studies showing the business viability of the group buying model and it was even regarded as the shopping method for the 21st century. However, web-based group buying did not live up to its initial expectations and experienced an early fall down. In this paper, we provide an evaluation of some of the work carried out on group buying and an analysis of the group buying business model. Moreover, we examine a number of important trends in e-Commerce from a group buying perspective. Based on this analysis, we derive a set of conclusions regarding the re-introduction of the group buying model to the electronic marketplace.
关键词：Electronic commerce; group buying; customer coalition formation; group management; demand aggregation mechanisms " />
