Many domestic and overseas scholars hold different definition of online groupon. Kaffman(2001) defines groupon as collective shopping online: online group buying refers to the gathering of consumers of the same purchasing intention through network joint venture to increase bargaining power of suppliers, and at a relatively low price to buy goods. (p. 24). Apart from researches abroad, in China, Zidong Que(2005), a famous scholar, adds his understandings to this term on the basis of its original concept, emphasizing the purchased are not limited to ordinary goods, services should also be included. Besides, Que(2005) thinks that collective online shopping refers to the gathering of consumers through a variety of tools provided by the Internet, virtual community and other ways to gather a product or service, on this basis, to strengthen the bargaining power of buyers. (pp.27-30).
To sum up, we can first determine that the online group buying is one of the electronic commerce pattern; Secondly, its sponsors are uncertain with various ways, some may be initiated by the buyer, some may also be initiated by the seller, or launched by a third party, and the way to organize group-buying is uncertain too, some can participate in the group through the network BBS consultative organization, or professional group, and some obtain target goods or services through gathering buyers intended to professional group in public. The purpose of the network group purchase is based on cumulative number of purchases or buyers to strengthen the bargaining power between sellers and buyers, the eventual purpose is to make a successful deal, make both of parties profitable.
Current researches at home and abroad on group-buying mainly concentrated on the group-buying model (Kauffman & Wang, 2002, pp.99-137), pricing (Anand & Aron, 2003, pp.37-38), discounts (Lai & Zhuang, 2004, pp.1-12) and profit pattern (Rezabakhsh, Bornemann, Hansen, & Sehrader, 2006, pp.3-36). And scholars from the perspective of empirical, discuss the influencing factors on network group purchase and pricing model of the optimization (Kauffman & Wang, 2001, p. 123). At present, the domestic researches still in its infancy, some scholars focus on the explanation of group-buying (Wu, 2003, pp.36-38), the development of the online group purchase mode (Zhao, 2005, p. 28), the network group purchase industry (Qian, 2006, pp.36-37) and existing problems (Song, 2007, pp.24-39). Some scholars focuses on factors that influence consumers’ intention to participate in network group buying, for example, trust (Yang, 2006, pp.22-42), IWOM (Li, 2007, pp.58-74), business reputation (Shen, 2009, pp.13-26) and shopping guidance (Huang, 2008, pp.47-66). At present, the study on irrational consumption behavior still is limited. 电子商务环境下大学生团购中的非理性消费分析(3):http://www.751com.cn/yingyu/lunwen_20661.html