Discounting is nothing new, but what this does for the first time is create a big resurgence in “mom and pop” businesses. Many of these small businesses were challenged to survive when, either through the recession or lack of marketing budgets, they lost their market share to bigger retailers and malls. Group buying sites allow them to capture market share, ensure customers on typically quieter times/need periods, and attract hundreds, or often times thousands of new customers in their city very quickly. Shoppers love it because not only are they getting a great deal, but they are finding out about new things they have never tried before, and often get better service and a better experience overall than they would have with a big chain.