A week ago, my friend went grocery shopping at Costco.
He complained that whole day was draining. He waited in long queues and it took up his entire Sunday. He filled his cart with bulk quantities of groceries for his family and his friends.
Why did he buy in bulk and put himself through this?
To get discounts and save money.
While this is the classic workaround we see in the bulk-buying space, “Buy more to save more” has its disadvantages:
▶️ higher quantities increase storage space costs
▶️ items get wasted if we don’t consume them before expiry
▶️ the per-unit cost decreases but overall expenses increase
The reason for these disadvantages is that people bulk-buy as individuals, not groups. Here’s an example of what I mean —
Tom wants to buy an item that costs $10.
He identifies a “10 for $80” deal (i.e. $20 bulk discount).
If Tom buys the deal as an individual, he will be subject to the disadvantages mentioned above.
But what if?
Instead of buying as an individual, he forms a group with nine of his friends who are interested in the same item. Tom and his nine friends buy the deal and each friend pays $8 for their unit (saving $2).
Tom didn’t have to buy 10 units to get the $2 benefit.
Buying a single unit was enough.
Each of his friends got the benefit, too.
No storage costs, no wastage, and no unnecessary expenses, all because of buying as a group.
The group buying platform OneAnt is launching soon.
You can:
Find local deals for ‘Groceries’, ‘Kitchen Essentials’ & ‘Cleaning’ and more.
Create a group for a deal you choose
Invite friends using a deal invitation link
Do you see yourself using this platform frequently? Comment to let me know.
What if I told you that product-market fit isn’t about your product?
When I started building OneAnt, I thought success was all about solving a clear problem—helping people save money on groceries through group buying. Logical, right? But as I engaged with potential customers in Vancouver, something wasn’t clicking.
People weren’t as excited about “saving money” as I thought they’d be.
So, what was missing?
People don’t just want solutions; they want to feel a connection.
Customers in our target market wanted a sense of belonging, a way to support local businesses while sharing experiences with their community.
We realized that group buying wasn’t just about savings; it was about building connections and shared values.
This realization completely changed the way we approached our product. Instead of focusing on discounts, we leaned into creating a platform that fosters community-driven shopping.
Imagine inviting your friends to join a group and collectively supporting a local farmer or bakery, it’s no longer just a transaction; it’s an experience.
And you know what? That shift started to resonate. It wasn’t about what people could buy, but how they felt while doing it.
At the end of the day, customers don’t remember the features you built; they remember how your product made them feel.