Tunisia’a economy has been through a difficult time since the first spark of revolution. Since December, the nation has been experiencing a terrible recession on all levels: tourism, employment, and raise of prices. As a result, Tunisia is in desperate need for effective and immediate solutions to solve prevent the collapse of the national economy.

One of the attractive initiatives that have attracted Tunisian consumption is the appearance of a new activity called the “Group-buying concept.”

This concept is spreading through the world, including Tunisia, with the sudden rise of many websites specializing in creating deals for their members. Among these Tunisian websites are Dealoo.tn, Chtarsoum.com, topdeal.com, afariet.com and myzenclub.com.

The group-buying concept is simple: the website negotiates deals with local merchants and promises to deliver the product or service in exchange for a large community.

The merchant is ensured of a large group of customers, as well as the exposure of their business brand, while the group of users receives sizable discounts on products or services they want.

Dealoo.com has so far around 70,000 users in its portfolio and about 9,000 fans on Facebook. The concept platform was launched in July 2011, inviting Tunisian consumers to discover deals in hotels, restaurants, well-being, clothing, travel, fitness, entertainment, and more. It offers discounts from 30% to 80%.

Originally, Groupon was the first “deal-of-the-deal” website to feature discounted gift certificates usable at local or national companies. Groupon was launched in November 2008. Its first market was Chicago, followed soon by Boston, New York City, and Toronto. As of October 2011, Groupon serves more than 150 markets in North America and 100 markets in Europe, Asia, and South America. It has amassed 35 million registered users.