MyDala is a Delhi based startup that brings the power of group bargain to the users. The site brings offers from restaurants, saloons, spa etc. at 35-80% discount. The discount is only valid if they manage to sell a certain quantity within a certain time. The user is charged only when the threshold quantity is reached else all the orders remain canceled. 
Currently the offering is only for Delhi but other cities are in the pipeline. The website is designed well, addressing all queries one may have. Though i would appreciate the efforts but it is a Groupon clone for India and almost everything seems to be copied, err inspired.
Indians, by nature, do support value buying but the offers should really make sense. Also, the masses are yet to adopt the culture of using gift vouchers and coupons while shopping.
This is surely a good online marketing opportunity for local businesses that ensures sales and WoM. MyDala should look at tie-ups with local search players for better response rates. The concept of value buying or sample sale is being explored by a lot of startups recently but sadly none of them are doing any different from their US counterparts.
If not the offers, give the interface a spin and share your views. I am still to figure out what “MyDala” means. Any suggestions?
[The article is sponsored by Sun Startups Essentials.] ![sse[1]](http://www.pluggd.in/wp-content/uploads/2009/12/sse1.jpg)
[Naman is a startup enthusiast and has worked with couple of Indian startups as Product Manager. He writes at The Inspire Blog]
Organized “group buying” started in China – See http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Tuangou
I remember an HBR Retail management case on this! Apparently, the retail owners were very reluctant initially to this concept but in course of time, they started allotting specific time every week for “group buyers” – that is, individual buyers cannot go inside the shop during that time!
Woot.com has a similar concept except that there is no ambiguity there i.e. no minimum numbers to achieve and hence there is an assurance that you would get the deal.
Good one. Why reinvent the wheel when you can make money by simply adapting err by copying err by getting inspired. Keep it coming.
Oh yeah. Why invent at all!
Inspiration drives Bollywood – so why not startups!
Woot is a Deal-a-Day site. Mydala seems to be a group buying site which offers services as deal, not products. In that sense Woot and mydala are dissimilar. Groupon clone, yes.
I too am at a loss to understand what mydala means!?!?
Oh, wait – Dala is sanskrit for group – (aka janta dal)
Read the faqs. Weird name still IMHO.
Good finding!
Weird indeed.
From what I can recall GoVasool.com also offers the same.
Rajs
Dala is hindi means a basket where you can put a lot of things together . Dala also is used by those ferrymen to sell the products where every products costs the same price. So i guess the name has got its origin with them [:)]
Thanks Naman for a good review!
Dala in sanskrit means “group”. The concept revolves around group buying. We at Media Redefined are the folks behind the social media consulting, strategy and implementation for the launch. It all triggered off with 3 contests on Facebook, Twitter and the website itself! What followed is what you see
Looking forward to see mydala across the country in a phased roll-out.
Cheers!
Checkout – http://www.groupndeal.com, first of it’s kind in India and probably even in the world!
Any idea if they make any money? I know Groupon is still bleeding!
The Groupon Clone from Agriya is now ready to be demo’ed and tested. Read on to find out how to get a sneak peak and access to the software we have developed over the last few months.
http://blogs.agriya.com/groupon-clones
o,So pretty,This is such an amazing series.Love all you website…I’m in such a happy place watching.
Mydala is a great find. It’s a proven system that makes money and gives value to its consumers. Keep up the good work and keep growing!
You better should try http://wroupon.com, i guess they have a better deal for groupon clone.
I do not believe that the sustainability of such companies are at risk. Its human nature that we are always skeptical about the new and unknown stuffs.But I guess its here to stay. Internet is penetrating deep into Indian masses. This is just the beginning and people will fall upon internet for any and every thing they require in the near future.I would like to highlight some of the facts in this case like:
-India has 81 million internet users
-Indian netizens are the India is now world’s third biggest online shoppers
-The government has planned to expand broadband coverage to connect every Gram Panchayat by 2012.
-More than one million developers and entrepreneurs from 180 countries use Facebook to spread their business and India is one of them.
So I believe its going to be a huge market but obviously only the ones with best deals and customer service would stay. There is one more new entrant in this field – CityOffers. Though the site is not yet ready but they have already started with major contests in facebook for their Ahmedabad, Kolkata and Mumbai page with giveaways such as mobile phones.
There is also one more popular deal site in india ie, http://www.snapdeal.com/ but this is not a group buying site.
checkout http://www.badiyadeals.com – a new deal aggregator site.
spam comment is not going to help you brother. It’s only gonna take you down.
- Arvind
These sites are coming up like crazy, everyday on an average you would have a new site coming up…. how are they going to sustain is a big question
Please see another portal http://www.c2cguild.com. They provide buyers a platform to combine their demand in a given city for a particular Product. After registering, Buyers can contact other buyers having the same demand in his / her city. Then they can bargain better for this cumulative demand. This is free of cost. This is a sort of social e-commerce. This site does not sell anything and does not charge any money for registering. Must try.
Now e commerce industry growing up by the Groupon success. Using this trend lot of people starts Groupon clone websites. You may also start your own deals website by trying this script at free.
http://www.ndot.in/products/ndotdeals-opensource-groupon-clone