There is an inherent problem with the “daily deals” concept. At what point does saving money on items get trumped by buying too many items that we don’t need? The lure of getting a killer deal on something is too strong for many to fight, but is it really saving if we end up buying more things that we normally would never had purchased if they weren’t on sale. Sites like Groupon and LivingSocial will likely remain popular for at least a couple of years, but the real winners in this industry will be the niche markets. Those who can stay focused and attract a smaller but passionate following are the ones that…

One might argue that the concepts of “flash sales” and “daily deals” are very new concepts, but they have been working well for over a decade online. The recent attention is based on the incredible influx of users that has turned the retail cottage industry into a mega-business model of its own. Sites like Groupon and Living Social have been making the biggest splash in the last couple of years. The concept of short-term, group buying deal making is translating into niche industries such as Mighty Deals for web professionals and Dealers United for car dealers. In this infographic, we explore the…