Chinese Search Giant Baidu Launches a Deal site

China's top search engine Baidu, on Wednesday launched its own Groupon-like platform (Deal site ). The new site will not only provide discounts to consumers, but will also allow businesses to freely promote their own group buying deals online.

Baidu launched a beta version of its group buying site on Wednesday, as part of its Youa e-commerce information platform. In Chinese, the site is currently called Youa Tuangou, which means "group buy".

Baidu is also letting merchants, by giving them tools, set up their own discounted deals through its Baidu Shenbian website, which provides consumer reviews on restaurants, hotels and other places to shop for goods or services. Those deals will then be promoted on the site and through Youa Tuangou.

Baidu’s closest rival in China, the Google, from whom Baidu quickly stole search share in world’s most polulaous country; is rumored to have acquired the U.S. based deal market veteran, Groupon.

Notably, Baidu's new platform’s approach is similar to a new service Groupon is launching this week. Groupon’s said new service, just like Baidu’s, allows businesses to create their own deals through Groupon Stores, reports PC World. Businesses, using Groupon, were demanding this feature for some time now.

At the same time, Groupon has made a move into Asia by buying three websites in the region, two of which serve Hong Kong and Taiwan. The company, however, has yet to expand into mainland China. --------

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