Ozon is the first among Russian marketplaces to launch a group buying service, which allows sellers to sell large quantities of goods from 10 units and up. Customers will be able to make group purchases at discounts starting from 20%.
The procedure for group buying is similar to a regular Ozon order. Customers add products to their cart, pay for them using their preferred method and wait until the remaining customers in the group place an order. The order is canceled if enough customers do not make a purchase within 30 days.
Group buying offers are published by marketplace sellers, and participation in the service is voluntary. Sellers independently set the size of the discount – which must start at 20% – as well as any limits on the purchase and the period during which orders must be placed. This format allows sellers to sell goods in bulk and thereby save on logistics.
Evgeny Shirinkin, Chief Product Officer at Ozon, commented:
“Group buying is a trend that is actively spreading across the global e-commerce market. For Ozon, this is another step towards making the site even more convenient for its customers and sellers. Customers now have another option to find good deals, while sellers have another mechanism for managing their sales and assortment – for example, for testing new product categories or selling their backstock.”
The service is currently available to users of the Ozon mobile app. At the first stage of the service launch, customers can buy goods from sellers who trade from their warehouse. The service will soon become available on the web version of the Ozon site, and the option for group buying will expand to goods that are sold from the Ozon warehouse.