BlocBuy.com - New Concept in Buying

Scubadevils

Hi All,

We've recently launched a new group or 'bloc' buying concept on our website. It's been in the making for about a year now and we've been selling products while building this 'unique selling point' which is now finally ready for use.

We find that people don't always immediately get the concept but typically when the penny drops they love the idea. I'd love some feedback, good or bad on the concept delivery here please. Basically I'd like to know how quickly the concept is understood and if we are being clear enough in how we describe it. Also if a working example as linked to below comes across clearly and you quickly understand how to use it etc. You won't see prices unless you sign up - this is intentional mainly due to the fact that many online stores using scraping technology to gather price data from competitors and we want to screen this.

We've started mainly with electronics as that's our background but the plan is to diversify into many other products and services. Lots of plans also to further develop the bloc concept into clusters etc but that's a few weeks away yet. We will also sell products that may not be in the bloc/group format as a regular 'purchase now' item. In addition, we've a supplier back-end that allows any supplier to log-in, upload products via an online system, check customer orders, enter tracking info, manage their portfolio etc.

https://www.blocbuy.com/what_is_blocbuy
https://www.blocbuy.com/567/product
https://www.blocbuy.com/

Thanks and would love to hear some feedback!

cormee

Hi, this review is only really applicable to the business model.

The process seems a little convoluted - I express an interest in a product, I wait to see if there is enough interest, if there is I receive an email and I have to return to the site to complete my purchase - that's an awful lot of steps (could the process be simplified by including a link in the notification email that would complete the purchase?.)

As a consumer myself, when I want to purchase something I want it there and then. I'm not going to want to wait around on the off-chance the bloc-buy might be going ahead, and I'm not sure if a small saving on the purchase price would make me want to wait longer than normal to receive the product - especially on smaller/cheaper products.

If I can't buy something, there and then, on your site I'll head straight to eBay and click the Buy Now button on the same product.

What happens if there isn't enough interest? Do I get an email stating that, and then that's the end of the process? A few negative experiences like that in succession, and I'd probably stop using the site, to be honest.

I probably sound a little negative, but my main concerns are only really applicable to smaller products, I wouldn't wait around to purchase them. On bigger products, or on products that are not universally available, I would probably be a little more tolerant.

Scubadevils

cormee wrote: »

Hi, this review is only really applicable to the business model.

The process seems a little convoluted - I express an interest in a product, I wait to see if there is enough interest, if there is I receive an email and I have to return to the site to complete my purchase - that's an awful lot of steps (could the process be simplified by including a link in the notification email that would complete the purchase?.)

As a consumer myself, when I want to purchase something I want it there and then. I'm not going to want to wait around on the off-chance the bloc-buy might be going ahead, and I'm not sure if a small saving on the purchase price would make me want to wait longer than normal to receive the product - especially on smaller/cheaper products.

If I can't buy something, there and then, on your site I'll head straight to eBay and click the Buy Now button on the same product.

What happens if there isn't enough interest? Do I get an email stating that, and then that's the end of the process? A few negative experiences like that in succession, and I'd probably stop using the site, to be honest.

I probably sound a little negative, but my main concerns are only really applicable to smaller products, I wouldn't wait around to purchase them. On bigger products, or on products that are not universally available, I would probably be a little more tolerant.

Hi Cormee, thanks for the feedback.

Yes, currently the steps you describe in the first paragraph are required. We are still looking at ways to simplify this - i.e. people actually use their credit card but the money is only taken when a bloc succeeds - our concern on this however is that people may not want to use their cards on the basis of it not going through, again we'd love to hear peoples views on this (maybe PayPal offer a solution here...). I like the idea of a method via the confirmation email to complete the transaction and will say it to our developer.

And yes we certainly get that lots of people want something right now and won't wait for a bloc to complete - there is the option on all products to buy as a regular full price item - so for example the two links below, the first being the bloc offer and the 2nd the regular price item - we are adding a 'buy now' button also to the bloc offers in the coming days. So like EBay people can choose to wait or just buy immediately. I think it will really depend on the price of the item and the type of purchase - so for example the weekend is coming up and you plan to cut the grass but you know the lawnmower is fecked - you are not likely to hang around for a bloc deal that closes after the weekend - on the other hand it's March and you don't need to cut the grass yet but you know you do need to replace the lawnmower, in that case there is no hurry so a bloc can make sense. Its about 'intention' purchases in many ways and we'll be developing this concept further. Also, if its a strong offer that you really want, the logic would be that you'd share on Facebook, Twitter etc to encourage others to join and as such drive the bloc to completion.

https://www.blocbuy.com/567/product (bloc offer)
https://www.blocbuy.com/50/product (regular product listing at full price)

Yes if there is not enough interest in an offer an email will be sent to say the bloc has not succeeded. We are considering doing it in such a way that there could be a scaling discount - so after 2 people join there might be a 10% saving and the saving increases at various other increments of members being added - this is work in progress though and we are still thinking through the logic. Definitely appreciate also that people may get frustrated if they join a few and they don't succeed and we are certainly thinking carefully about how we manage that.

Agreed also on lower value items, we don't see much of a market for people saving €5 say on a €20 item - it really will be driven by higher ticket items or more niche/new to market products. The model exists in the Far East and India and is much more focused on things like cars and property. It also exists in areas such as insurance whereby groups of people get a saving based on say their geographic location. Our model for 'clusters' is to ultimately allow members create their own groups/clusters with the aim of achieving bulk buying on items they choose - so for example someone starts a football cluster and it grows to large member base - when a number of them need new kit we can ping relevant suppliers who can then offer a bloc price - or maybe then plan a trip away - get blocs of hotel rooms, car hire, insurance etc.

Thanks again for your feedback and we absolutely welcome all comments good and bad!

Graham

Scubadevils wrote: »

We find that people don't always immediately get the concept

PANIC NOW, this is what you absolutely have to fix, this should have been addressed before you started.

In 10 words (or less), or in 3 pictures, explain the concept.

As an aside, what's new about the group buying concept?

As a further aside, I'd recommend you get a graphic designer look at the images in the top slider and possibly revisit the logo.

P.S. feel free to rip the design (referenced in my 'new-layout' post) to pieces, that's exactly what I'm looking for.

cormee

Graham wrote: »

PANIC NOW, this is what you absolutely have to fix, this should have been addressed before you started.

In 10 words (or less), or in 3 pictures, explain the concept.

I agree a concept/process does need to be simple, I just don't go for catch-all metrics like 'explain it in 10 words' or 'three clicks and you're lost' - trying to shoehorn complex functionality like that can have a negative impact on the UX

Graham

The metrics can be considered an example, a loose target, whatever you prefer to call it.

The fact remains though, if the user can't understand the concept they are unlikely to remain a user.

I do agree that 'trying to shoehorn complex functionality like that can have a negative impact on the UX'. Simplify the functionality, or at the very least its explanation.

Crowd Shopping:

1) See a product you like
2) Buy it in a group
3) Save money

a) Shop
b) Buy together
c) Save

i) Shop together
ii) Buy together
iii) Save together

Not ten words but you get the gist. From those headlines you can launch into the degree-level user explanation.

Small print: the above examples were not copied from anywhere but I can almost guarantee they were at least inspired by other group buying websites.


OP, have you considered starting with a single product, preferably something very desirable with very significant savings? Use that as a lead in for members and you can also walk them through the process.

Scubadevils

Sorry been busy at it - hard to find a moment to drop back here. Thanks for the comments, all very much taken on board!

Cianos

Re the business model, how do you source deals, and how do you ensure low prices for your customers? If someone joins a bloc, why should they bother if they don't have an idea of what kind of savings they can make?

If I join a bloc and then get a mail with an underwhelming "Amazing deal!" on something that I've already seen a better price for on Amazon, why would I join another bloc?

obliviousgrudge

Had a look at the site.
The idea is good, but from looking at the site it says the prices of things are only viewable to members. While the idea is, I assume, to get people to sign up, this puts me off. I don't want to have to sign up to see the price.

Most people won't either

Scubadevils

Cianos wrote: »

Re the business model, how do you source deals, and how do you ensure low prices for your customers? If someone joins a bloc, why should they bother if they don't have an idea of what kind of savings they can make?

If I join a bloc and then get a mail with an underwhelming "Amazing deal!" on something that I've already seen a better price for on Amazon, why would I join another bloc?

We source deals through industry contacts, a combination of distributors and retailers excess stock or where they just want to move some volume. The price becomes visible once you become a member - so that being you sign up with email, password and username and then the price becomes visible - you can then decide if you want to join the bloc based on the saving you are being offered. We'll very much benchmark against the likes of Amazon as fully agree that there is no point in running an offer if you can buy it straight off from Amazon.

Thanks for the feedback.

Scubadevils

obliviousgrudge wrote: »

Had a look at the site.
The idea is good, but from looking at the site it says the prices of things are only viewable to members. While the idea is, I assume, to get people to sign up, this puts me off. I don't want to have to sign up to see the price.

Most people won't either

Its actually less about getting people to sign up and more to do with keeping the reduced price invisible to scrapers used by other businesses - this way we protect the brand or vendor when they are running an offer.

Again we need to take your comments on board and thanks for the feedback - we are very much building this 'on the market' so customer feedback is vital for us! Cheers.

Cianos

Scubadevils wrote: »

We source deals through industry contacts, a combination of distributors and retailers excess stock or where they just want to move some volume. The price becomes visible once you become a member - so that being you sign up with email, password and username and then the price becomes visible - you can then decide if you want to join the bloc based on the saving you are being offered. We'll very much benchmark against the likes of Amazon as fully agree that there is no point in running an offer if you can buy it straight off from Amazon.

Thanks for the feedback.

I don't really see the draw for the user so. You're pitching it to the user as a way to use the power of numbers to get a better deal - but if the deal is already formed, then there's no real difference between buying it as a group and buying it as an individual - it's presented as a group purchase when it's really just a regular ecommerce store selling stock that you have negotiated a better price on. So joining a bloc seems to be just an abstract notion and doesn't really have any effect on the economics of the deals/prices, unless I'm missing something?

Scubadevils

Cianos wrote: »

I don't really see the draw for the user so. You're pitching it to the user as a way to use the power of numbers to get a better deal - but if the deal is already formed, then there's no real difference between buying it as a group and buying it as an individual - it's presented as a group purchase when it's really just a regular ecommerce store selling stock that you have negotiated a better price on. So joining a bloc seems to be just an abstract notion and doesn't really have any effect on the economics of the deals/prices, unless I'm missing something?

Yes fully get that and I should have been clearer in my description... a bit all over the place at the moment in building a startup! The project will become very much a model where people tell us what they want/form groups and we then negotiate with suppliers/services etc to achieve better prices. The coding is being built at present but I can't really get into that detail right now as to how it will work, but we believe its very smart!

The current format is actually within a group concept as the suppliers choose the volume of sales required to hit a reduced price, if the number/bloc isn't achieved, the deal doesn't go through - we haven't actually bought the stock, its only when the deal is achieved that we confirm the offer. What is important right now is that we build a large member base as clearly the more members we have, the more powerful the concept will become as it evolves.