Tag Archives: Groupon

55Tuan + Ganji: Group Buying Clean-Up Acclerates 窝窝团携手赶集网：团购洗牌加速

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Just a day after writing about a rumored merger between 2 mid-sized group buying sites, we’re getting even bigger news that the long-awaited consolidation in the overcrowded space is accelerating with word that 55tuan, one of the industry’s top players, is taking over operation of the group-buying business of a major player called Ganji. (Chinese article) The first tie-up that I wrote about yesterday has Gaopeng, the joint venture of US group buying giant Groupon (Nasdaq: GRPN), reportedly in talks to merge with another mid-sized player called FTuan, in a deal that is probably being brokered by leading Internet firm Tencent (HKEx: 700), which is a shareholder in both companies. (previous post) This kind of consolidation, which will include both mergers and also a large number of closures, has been a long time coming, and 55tuan’s entry to the picture marks the first such M&A by one of the industry’s top 3 players. I predict we’ll see the industry’s other top 2 names, LaShou and Dianping, announce their own new tie-ups in the next 2-3 months, with LaShou likely to make the first announcement as it tries to create hype for its moribund New York IPO, which it originally filed for last year but later had to put on hold while it cleared up some accounting issues from the US securities regulator. (previous post) Let’s take a look at the latest news first, which has Ganji, a mid-tier group buying player, confirming it has formed a strategic partnership that will see it and 55tuan combine their group buying operations. Since 55tuan is clearly the bigger player and both companies are probably losing big money, I suspect this so-called “strategic agreement” will ultimately turn into an outright sale that will see 55tuan completely take over the Ganji group buying business for a modest fee of $100 million or less. 55tuan itself has said it wants to make its own overseas IPO, and reiterated as recently as last month that its listing plan is still on track for sometime later this year. (previous post) This tie-up with another mid-sized player like Ganji should help to generate some investor interest in 55tuan’s offering if and when it happens, and 55tuan is undoubtedly negotiating with other similar mid-sized players about more M&A even as it wraps up the Ganji deal. This new flurry of activity could be just the tonic the battered group buying space needs to generate some interest in this upcoming parade of planned IPOs, as investors will undoubtedly be excited at the prospect that the ultra-fierce competition that has gripped the market for the last year may soon come to an end and a handful of major companies with potential to be profitable will emerge. To that end, look for both more mergers and closures to come in the next few months, and perhaps for even some investor enthusiasm to emerge if and when 55tuan, LaShou, or another big group buying site manages to finally make a public offering.

Bottom line: The new merger between the group buying business of 55tuan and Ganji marks an acceleration of consolidation that could rekindle investor in the overheated space.

Related postings 相关文章:

◙ Gaopeng, FTuan Lead Group Buying M&A 高朋网和F团或引领中国团购业并购潮

◙ Groupon.cn Becomes 2012 First Group Buy Victim 团宝网员工被放假 中国团购业料将加速整合

◙ 55tuan Restarts IPO Race With LaShou 窝窝团和拉手网重启IPO争先赛

 

Gaopeng, FTuan Lead Group Buying M&A 高朋网和F团或引领中国团购业并购潮

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Finally there’s a rumored merger in China’s overheated group buying space that looks smart, with Groupon’s (Nasdaq: GRPN) struggling joint venture Gaopeng reportedly in talks to combine with another struggling firm called FTuan. (English article) Such mergers are sorely needed in the group buying space, where nearly everyone is losing money due to rampant competition and quality control problems are leading to growing signs that Beijing will step in to heavily regulate this unruly industry. According to the reports, citing an unnamed industry source, Gaopeng, a joint venture between Groupon and Chinese Internet leader Tencent (HKEx: 700) is negotiating a merger with FTuan, though no deal has been reached yet. This deal is no doubt being brokered by Tencent, which invested $30 million in FTuan last year, making it a stakeholder in both Gaopeng and FTuan. (English article) I won’t even ask why Tencent decided to invest in another group buying site just months after launching Gaopeng with Groupon, in what must have looked like a clear conflict of interests at the time. But regardless of the background, this combination, if it happens, looks like a smart move for both companies and the broader group buying space where many players are struggle to stay in business as they burn through their cash piles and investors refuse to provide more money. Gapeng itself began mass layoffs just months after its launch early last year, and it’s unclear how committed Groupon is to the venture, especially as Groupon itself comes under scrutiny after saying it will restate some of its financial information following its Nasdaq IPO last year. We don’t know very much about FTuan, but previous media reports indicate the company has received around $100 million in funding to date, including the $30 million from Tencent, meaning it should be a relatively large company whose scale is comparable to Gaopeng’s and thus should make it a meaningful merger partner. Honestly speaking, I’m surprised we haven’t seen more such merger talks these last few months, but perhaps that’s not surprising in China’s entrepreneurial Internet space where many bosses might prefer to simply see their firms go out of business rather than merge with a rival. One such company that looks headed in that direction is Groupon.cn, unrelated to the US Groupon or Gaopeng, which has reportedly cut most of its staff after it used up most of its cash and investors refused to provide more. (previous post) Another company that could probably benefit from a big merger is LaShou, whose New York IPO derailed last year after regulators reportedly had questions about its accounting. My sources tell me LaShou is reportedly preparing to file again for the IPO, but it could certainly improve its chances and even create some investor excitement if it were to merge with another major Chinese player first, such as 55tuan. Look for more of these mergers to come in the months ahead, along with a steady stream of closures by cashless companies, with a few interesting players likely to emerge in a much steadier consolidated industry by the end of this year.

Bottom line: Gaopeng’s rumored merger talks with FTuan are the first of what will be many mergers and closures for group buying sites this year, with consolidation likely to wrap up by year end.

Related postings 相关文章:

◙ Groupon.cn Becomes 2012 First Group Buy Victim 团宝网员工被放假 中国团购业料将加速整合

◙ Investors Shun Struggling Groupon.cn, Yaodian100 投资者规避挣扎中的团宝网和耀点100

◙ Group Buy Clean-Up Grows, E-Commerce Next 团购行业洗牌加剧，下一个是电子商务

Dangdang Cuts Back in Latest Internet Distress Sign 当当网战略收缩

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I’ll close out the week with the latest trouble signs for China’s overheated Internet sector, where Dangdang (NYSE: DANG), the country’s lone major listed e-commerce company, is starting scale back some of its operations to save money. Media are reporting on the cutbacks as separate newly released data is showing just how badly bloated the sector became last year, when a flood of new money gushed in from investors buying into the hype of China’s Internet growth story. Let’s look at Dangdang first, as the company is showing all the signs of becoming the latest victim to feel the pinch of super-heated competition in the e-commerce space, where it competes with big names like 360Buy, also known as Jingdong Mall, as well as online retail sites invested and operated by other global giants like Wal-Mart (NYSE: WMT) and Amazon (Nasdaq: AMZN). The latest media reports quote Dangdang CEO Li Guoqing saying his company is initiating a “strategic pullback” in its geographic coverage, in a bid to lower its transport costs. (English article) Li added his company will put more focus in the future on its VIP customers, who obviously offer better returns than the mom-and-pop buyers in smaller cities that are far more expensive to serve. His comments come after Dangdang swung squarely into the red in its latest reporting quarter, posting a net loss of nearly $21 million after earning a $2 million profit in the year-ago period. (previous post) Hyper competition in the e-commerce space is partly the result of a massive influx of money last year that saw both domestic and foreign investors pump tens of billions of dollars into start-ups and larger companies like 360Buy, which made headlines last spring when it received more than $1 billion in new funds. New data just released by venture capital tracking firm Zero2IPO shows venture capital and private equity firms, who tend to focus on start-ups with smaller investments of $1-$10 million, pumped a record $5.8 billion into young Chinese firms last year, with Internet companies emerging as the clear favorites as 276 such companies received $3.3 billion in new funds — a 3.6-fold rise over the previous year. (English article) Those figures only reflect the smaller investments that Zero2IPO tracks, but other firms like group buying sites Dianping and 55tuan received much larger sums in the hundreds of millions of dollars, truly bloating the sector. One executive at Groupon.cn, another group buying site unrelated to US giant Groupon (Nasdaq: GRPN) summarized the current situation nicely in a recent interview, saying the investors who once fawned on all these Chinese Internet companies have suddenly lost their appetite to provide new funds due to concerns of a bubble, causing companies like his to make mass layoffs just to survive. Dangdang seems big enough to survive this bubble in the long term, but look for more short-term pain at Dangdang and just about everyone else in the e-commerce and group buying spaces for the rest of this year and possibly into 2013 until the bubble finally finishes bursting.

Bottom line: Dangdang’s business scaleback and new investment data from 2011 are the latest reflections of last year’s China Internet bubble, whose bursting is starting to accelerate.

Related postings 相关文章:

◙ China IPO Train Hits Bump With Vancl Resignation 中国上市事件撞上凡客诚品CFO辞职

◙  Mid-Sized Firms Suffer First In Internet Bubble Burst 中国互联网泡沫破裂

◙ Internet Investors Seek Refuge in Big Names 互联网投资者选择性支持中国市场领头羊

 

55tuan Restarts IPO Race With LaShou 窝窝团和拉手网重启IPO争先赛

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An IPO race pitting 2 of China’s top group buying sites, LaShou and 55tuan, is showing signs of restarting in the Year of the Dragon, though I’m still a bit dubious of whether either of these 2 companies will ever really make it to market. New reports in the Chinese media say 55tuan is denying rumors that it has scrapped plans for a New York IPO, saying it is moving forward with a timetable for an offering in the second quarter. (Chinese article) The denial marks the latest twist in a race that started to take form last summer, when both 55tuan and LaShou appeared to be moving ahead with plans for offerings to raise much-needed cash. Both companies had trouble finding underwriters for their offerings, with names like Goldman Sachs (NYSE: GS) and Morgan Stanley (NYSE: MS) resigning from LaShou’s plan (previous post), while Credit Suisse (NYSE: CS) and Merrill Lynch reportedly declined to bid for the 55tuan deal. (previous post) All the big banks were reportedly concerned about the accounting used by both companies for some of their many acquisitions, amid a broader series of accounting scandals that hammered US-listed Chinese stocks last year. LaShou ended up hiring several second tier-players, including domestic heavyweight CICC and Japan’s Nomura; but one of my sources tells me that even Nomura ended up dropping the deal and was replaced by Britain’s Barclays Capital. LaShou appeared to have the edge in the race when it made its first public IPO filing last fall, but then saw that plan derail after the US securities regulator grew suspicious and asked for more information. (previous post) That happened in November and we haven’t heard anything since then, leading me to believe that the plan could be delayed indefinitely while LaShou does some major reworking of its books to satisfy both regulators and its own underwriters. In the meantime, I’m also skeptical that 55tuan will really make a second-quarter IPO, as it is having its own problems in the highly competitive group buying space that saw it make mass layoffs last year. Turmoil in the space appeared to claim its latest victim earlier this week when Groupon.cn, which has no relation to US giant Groupon, reportedly put most of its employees on extended holiday after the Chinese New Year break. (previous post) At the end of the day, one or both of these companies could finally make it to market, but both would be well advised to wait until the end of the year when they can generate more excitement — if they have the financial resources to survive that long.

Bottom line: A second-quarter IPO timetable for group buying site 55tuan looks overly ambitious, and an offering closer to the end of the year looks both more prudent and realistic.

Related postings 相关文章:

◙ Groupon.cn Becomes 2012 First Group Buy Victim 团宝网员工被放假 中国团购业料将加速整合

◙ LaShou IPO Derails

◙ 55tuan: A Company in Denial 窝窝团拒不接受现实

Groupon.cn Becomes 2012 First Group Buy Victim 团宝网员工被放假 中国团购业料将加速整合

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While recently listed Groupon (Nasdaq: GRPN) struggles with a tough group buying market in its US home base, one of its Chinese copycats, Groupon.cn, may be facing an even grimmer future as a much-needed cleanup of the ultra-competitive China market continues. Chinese media are reporting that Groupon.cn, which has no relationship with the US Groupon, has told most or all of its staff to stay on extended vacation following the end of the weeklong Chinese Lunar New Year holiday that ended on Sunday. (Chinese article) It also says a group of Groupon.cn’s partners are preparing to sue the company, presumably because it failed to pay them for their products that it offered for sale on its group buying site. Groupon.cn has denied the reports through a Weibo microblog posting, saying all of its activities have returned to normal since the end of the Lunar New Year holiday. Of course it’s possible the Chinese media reports are exaggerated, but I’m inclined to believe there’s at least an element of truth to them considering the disarray and rampant competition in the China’s group buying space. Gaopeng, the group buying  joint venture between the real Groupon and Chinese Internet giant Tencent (HKEx: 700), struggled during most of its first year of business last year, laying off hundreds of employees in the process. (previous post) Meantime, LaShou, China’s largest group buying site, is in the midst of trying to make a New York IPO that is showing few if any signs of moving forward after the securities regulator asked for more information, reportedly over concerns about some of its accounting. (previous post) Other signs of turmoil also emerged in the second half of last year, including layoffs at another top player 55tuan, giving this latest report about problems at Groupon.cn even more credibility. I would look for more headlines on this company once the situation becomes clearer, as it won’t be able to hide massive layoffs for too long if they really are happening. Perhaps the company will even sell itself to a rival, though such deals are relatively rare in China due to the big egos of bosses who hate to give up control of their businesses. Meantime, this development looks like the latest sign of distress for an overheated industry that is set for a major clean-up in 2012.

Bottom line: Reports of woes at Groupon.cn mark the latest phase in a cleanup for China’s overheated group buying space, which will see a major acceleration this year.

Related postings 相关文章:

◙ LaShou IPO Derails

◙ Latest Group Buying Turmoil Shows Up at 24quan, Meituan

◙ Lashou Files For IPO, Launching Race With 55tuan 拉手网与窝窝团打响IPO竞争战

News Digest: October 26, 2011

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The following press releases and media reports about Chinese companies were carried on October 26. To view a full article or story, click on the link next to the headline.

══════════════════════════════════════════════════════

◙ Wal-Mart (NYSE: WMT) Reviews China Mgmt as Pork-Label Scandal Leads to Apology (English article)

◙ Nokia (Helsinki: NOK1V) Names Gustavo Eichelmann As New China Head (Chinese article)

◙ TAL Education (NYSE: XRS) Announces Unaudited Results for the Second Fiscal Quarter (PRNewswire)

◙ CNOOC (HKEx: 883; NYSE: CEO) says Bohai Bay oil spill sources all sealed: Xinhua (English article)

◙ Groupon’s Gaopeng Loses $46.45 Mln in First 9 Months of 2011 (Chinese article)

Group Buying Turmoil Grows With 55tuan Layoffs 窝窝团撤站裁员 团购业整合在即

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After a week or two of relative quiet, trouble in the group buying space has come bursting back into the headlines with the latest report of mass layoffs at one of the industry’s biggest players, 55tuan. (Chinese article) According to a report in the Chinese media, the company, which was having trouble finding an investment bank in July in its bid to raise new cash with an IPO (previous post), has been forced to close some of its regional offices and lay off 1,500 employees in a number of cities, including Shenzhen, Tianjin and Chongqing. The report also cited one consumer in the Guangdong city of Shaoguan saying he couldn’t use one of his group buying coupons issued by the company, and worrying that all of 55tuan’s coupons might become worthless. A company spokesman confirmed that some smaller outposts had been closed, but insisted that it was business as usual for 55tuan’s group buying website and that unsatisfied buyers could return their coupons for refunds. (Chinese article) Word of the layoffs actually first emerged last month, though the company denied any mass job reductions at that time. (previous post) The woes at 55tuan follow similar mass layoffs earlier this year at Gaopeng, the group buying joint venture between US giant Groupon and Tencent (HKEx: 700), and come as Lashou, another top group buying site, struggles to launch an IPO as it too grapples with fierce competition and a looming cash crunch. (previous post) One source told me earlier this week that 55tuan has finally managed to find an investment bank, though he declined to name the bank, leading me to believe that it’s not a major player. Regardless, the fact that most or all of China’s group buying sites are losing big money will make IPOs by Lashou or 55tuan highly unattractive to investors, who would rightly fear the companies could easily go out of business. Accordingly, I doubt we will see any IPOs by Chinese group buying sites either this year or in 2012, and more likely we’ll see a major market consolidation that will force many players either to combine or close before 2 or 3 large, profitable companies finally emerge.

Bottom line: Mass layoffs by 55tuan are the latest sign of distress in China’s group buying market, with IPO bids by Lashou and 55tuan likely to fail as the sector undergoes a major consolidation.

Related postings 相关文章:

◙ Lashou Ropes in Small Potatoes For US IPO 拉手网聘二流承销商赴美上市

◙ 55tuan Layoff Rumors Mark Latest Group Buying Distress Call 传窝窝团大裁员 团购业前景黯淡

◙ 360Buy $5 Bln IPO Plan Looks Like Desperation 京东商城50亿美元上市计划凸显绝望

 

 

Lashou Ropes in Small Potatoes For US IPO 拉手网聘二流承销商赴美上市

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Turmoil and discord continue to plague the online group buying space, with industry leader Lashou taking a dubious step in its struggle to make an IPO before the market collapses by hiring a couple of second-tier investment banks to underwrite the offering. Reuters is reporting the company has hired leading Chinese investment bank CICC and top Japanese investment bank Nomura to lead the New York offering to raise $100-$200 million (Chinese article). The hire  comes after Goldman Sachs (NYSE: GS) and Morgan Stanley (NYSE: MS) abruptly resigned from the case last month due to concerns over accounting records at some of Lashou’s recent acquisitions, and after another leading group buying site, 55tuan, reportedly failed to find an underwriter for its planned IPO for similar reasons. (previous post) I applaud Lashou for its tenacity in making an IPO; but it’s also painfully apparent the company had to resort to CICC and Nomura after the first-tier US and European investment banks all shunned the deal. Neither CICC  nor Nomura has particularly strong ties to US investors, which means that Lashou’s IPO, if it really goes ahead, will face an uphill battle attracting investors to this offer from a sector in crisis. The turmoil first surfaced earlier this year when Gaopeng, the group buying joint venture between US group buying pioneer Groupon and Tencent (HKEx: 700) launched mass layoffs. Groupon.cn, a China competitor unrelated to US-based Groupon, has also reportedly laid off many employees (Chinese article); and 55tuan itself has also started some layoffs, though the company has denied gossipy reports that it was laying off up to 70 percent of its staff. (English article) A sector in so much turmoil will hardly be attractive to US investors, who are already wary of Chinese companies due to several recent high-profile accounting scandals. That said, and considering the weakness of Nomura and CICC in this space, I would look for Lashou’s IPO to price at the low end of its range and ultimately raise less than the minimum $100 million it is targeting, as investors avoid this highly problematic offering — if it even makes it to market at all.

Bottom line: Lashou’s upcoming New York IPO is likely to attract little or no investor demand due to weak underwriters and turmoil in China’s ultra-competition group buying space.

Related postings 相关文章:

◙ Lashou Begs for an IPO Banking Partner 拉手网拼命寻找上市承销商

◙ 55tuan Layoff Rumors Mark Latest Group Buying Distress Call 传窝窝团大裁员 团购业前景黯淡

◙ Group Buying Sites: The First to Fall? 团购网或将在互联网泡沫破灭时应声而倒？

55tuan Layoff Rumors Mark Latest Group Buying Distress Call 传窝窝团大裁员 团购业前景黯淡

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I’m usually reluctant to report on rumors, but a posting on Sina’s (Nasdaq: SINA) Weibo late yesterday that group buying giant 55tuan was launching massive layoffs seemed too big to ignore, reflecting troubles at both the company and in the money-losing group buying space. Sina itself followed up on the Weibo post by contacting the  poster, who reiterated that 55tuan had cut 22 of the 31 people in the local markets division where he works, or about 70 percent of the division. (Chinese article) I suspect we’ll see domestic media follow up on this rumor today, and clearly you can’t extrapolate big cuts in a small regional division to an entire company. But at the very least, assuming this worker is really from 55tuan, this kind of a big cut in a single division probably points to major adjustments being made at 55tuan, which in July had to abandon plans for a US IPO after several investment banks refused to handle the deal over concerns about accounting records at some of its recently acquired assets. (previous post) Rival Lashou, China’s biggest group buying site, was racing to find an investment bank for its own IPO earlier this month, after Goldman Sachs and Morgan Stanley reportedly resigned from the case over similar concerns. (previous post) Both 55tuan and Lashou raised $100 million or more earlier this year amid a boom in China’s group buying sector that resulted in fierce competition, drawing the field of money-losing players deeper into the red. The layoffs at 55tuan, if true, would be the most significant in the sector so far, following major cuts at Gaopeng, the group buying joint venture between US giant Groupon and China Internet leader Tencent (HKEx: 700) earlier this year. Investors look unlikely to pour more funds into these money-losing companies anytime soon, which means that unless they can raise money some other way most are likely to go into a “cash preservation” mode by implementing severe spending cuts including layoffs and reduced marketing activities. When that happens, look for a ripple effect to hit other web firms like Baidu (Nasdaq: BIDU) and Sina, that rely heavily on ad revenues for their income.

Bottom line: Rumors of layoffs at group buying site 55tuan, if true, would mark the most significant sign to date of distress in the overheated sector, which is poised for a major shake-up.

我通常不愿探讨传言，但昨晚新浪(SINA.O)微博上称窝窝团将大规模裁员，这则消息实在不容忽视，它反映了该公司以及整个团购行业面临的困境。新浪後来与微博作者取得联系，对方称其曾在窝窝团工作的部门大幅裁员。我估计今天国内媒体会就此追踪报导，当然我们不能基于一个部门的裁员来推测整个公司。但我们至少可以这麽想，若一个部门大幅裁员，可能意味着公司正进行重大调整。窝窝团此前曾打算赴美上市，後来因多家投行对其收购的一些资产的会计记录存在顾虑，拒绝接手其上市事宜，导致窝窝团7月放弃赴美上市。另一团购网站–拉手网本月早些时候也苦苦寻找投行安排上市事宜，此前摩根士丹利(MS.N)和高盛(GS.N)出于类似顾虑，退出拉手网上市案。今年早些时候，中国团购业如火如荼之际，窝窝团和拉手网均曾筹资至少1亿美元，但後来行业竞争加剧，团购网站亏损严重。如果窝窝团大幅裁员消息属实，则将是高朋网今年大规模裁员後，团购业最轰动事件。短期内投资者不太可能再向这些亏损公司投入更多资金，这意味着它们除非能有别的筹资渠道，否则就不得不保存现金，通过裁员和减少营销活动等途径削减支出。一旦出现这样的局面，势必波及百度(BIDU.O)和新浪等严重依赖广告收入的网络公司。

一句话：窝窝团裁员传言若属实，则是团购业陷入困境的最明确信号，意味着该行业将出现重大调整。

Related postings 相关文章:

◙ Lashou Begs for an IPO Banking Partner 拉手网拼命寻找上市承销商

◙ Group Buying Sites: The First to Fall? 团购网或将在互联网泡沫破灭时应声而倒？

◙ Gaopeng Lay-Offs Auger Ad Spending Downturn 1高朋裁员预示网络广告支出或大幅下降

 

Renren Finds Video Bargain in China Web Bubble 人人网低价收购56网 凸显中国互联网困境

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Renren (NYSE: RENN), often called the Facebook of China, appears to have purchased up-and-coming video sharing site 56.com for a bargain price in its first major M&A, casting a spotlight on the growing pressure that young Chinese web firms are facing in the current Internet bubble. The Renren news, which saw it buy money-losing 56.com for a modest $80 million, is just the latest sign of a Chinese Internet under duress, with media reporting new mass layoffs at two additional firms, B2B marketplace operator DHGate and group buying site Groupon.cn, which is no relation to US industry leader Groupon. Let’s take a look at 56.com first. (company announcement) According to industry data, 56.com has about 66 million unique visitors and nearly 1 billion page views a month. Video sharing leader Youku (NYSE: YOKU) has about twice as many unique visitors, and 4 times as many page views. And yet even after the latest market sell-off, Yoku still has a market cap of $2.3 billion, or nearly 30 times what Renren paid for 56.com. Obviously traffic alone isn’t the only way to determine a company’s value, but in the Internet world it’s one of the best measures of its potential. Combine that with the fact that 56.com lost a relatively modest $500,000 in the second quarter, and this looks like a very good deal for Renren. Now let’s look at the latest layoffs, which again point to the incredible pressure that money-losing web firms are facing to quickly turn a profit or risk being forced to close or sell themselves at bargain prices to companies like Renren. Domestic media are citing a company employee in saying that DHGate, has laid off more than half of its technology and marketing staff, reportedly under pressure from major investor Kleiner Perkins Caufield & Byers which has cut off additional funding until the company can show some better financials. (English article) That news comes as domestic media are also reporting that Gaopeng.cn has laid off more than half of its staff (Chinese article), not long after Gaopeng, the group buying joint venture between US-based Groupon and China Internet leader Tencent (HKEx: 700) made similar layoffs. Look for more of these mass layoffs, plus some sales of promising but money-losing web firms like 56.com at bargain prices in the months ahead as China’s Internet bubble works its way through a painful correction.

Bottom line: Renren’s purchase of a solid video sharing site at a bargain price, coupled with mass layoffs at two other web firms, are the latest signs of distress in China’s Internet bubble.

人人网(RENN.N)似已低价收购视频分享网站56网，这是人人网第一笔大规模并购案，凸显中国年轻的网络公司在目前互联网泡沫时代所面临的压力。人人网斥资8,000万美元，收购目前亏损的56网，是中国互联网业承压的最新迹象。另有媒体报导，B2B小额外贸批发平台敦煌网（DHGate）和团购网团宝网（Groupon.cn）将进行新一轮大规模裁员，後者与美国Groupon并无关联。我们先来看看56网。行业数据显示，56网约有6,600万名独立访客，每月页面浏览量近10亿次。视频分享领军企业优酷网(YOKU.O)这两个数据约为 56网的两倍和四倍。即使经历了近期的市场抛售，优酷网市值仍有23亿美元，是人人网收购56网价格的近30倍。流量显然不是决定公司价值的唯一依据，但 在互联网领域，这是衡量一个公司潜力的最佳标准之一。再加上56网第二季度亏损50万美元，收购56网对人人网来说是一笔不错的交易。再看看近期的裁员事件。这再次表明，亏损的网络公司面临诸多压力，要麽迅速实现盈利或被迫倒闭，要麽以低价出售给人人网等公司。国内媒体援引一名企业雇员 的说法称，敦煌网技术和营销部裁员逾半，原因是主要投资方Kleiner Perkins Caufield & Byers（KPCB）削减额外资金，除非敦煌网财务状况有所改善。国内媒体还报导称，继高朋网裁员不久後，团宝网也裁员逾50%。随着中国互联网业经历 痛苦修正，预计未来数月还将有更多大规模裁员，以及前景看好但目前亏损的企业被出售。

一句话：人人网低价购买视频分享网站56网，敦煌网和团宝网大规模裁员，这些都是中国互联网陷入困境的最新迹象。

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◙ More Internet Froth in Alibaba Valuation, Dangdang Price War 阿里巴巴估值奇高凸显网络泡沫

◙ 360Buy IPO: Let the Delays Begin 京东商城放缓IPO进程

◙ Wal-Mart Finds Bargain in China’s Internet Bubble

Lashou Begs for an IPO Banking Partner 拉手网拼命寻找上市承销商

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Lashou, China’s top group buying site whose name literally means “join hands” in Chinese, is desperately shopping for an investment banking partner to underwrite an IPO in a sudden race against time among Chinese Web firms to go public before a looming Internet bubble bursts. At least that’s my interpretation of the latest media reports saying Lashou is racing to find new underwriters for the planned offering, after Morgan Stanley (NYSE: MS) and Goldman Sachs (NYSE: GS) resigned from the case. (English article; Chinese article) If this news sounds familiar to some of you, it’s because it is. Just last month, similar reports emerged that another leading group buying site, 55tuan, was abandoning plans for an IPO after several major investment banks, including Goldman Sachs, refused to underwrite the listing over concerns about accounting records for some of its previous acquisitions. (previous post) A report issued earlier this week said the group buying space has exploded to 5,000 players this year from just 2,000 at the end of 2010 (previous post), as Chinese companies pile into the latest Internet trend in a bid to become the country’s next Groupon. The only problem is, even Groupon is struggling in the overheated China group buying market right now, laying off hundreds of employees in the last month from its troubled Gaopeng joint venture with leading Chinese Internet firm Tencent (HKEx: 700). (previous post) This new problem at Lashou is just the latest development on a list of signs of crisis in group buying that is growing so long I won’t even bother to repeat them here. But I predicted earlier this week (previous post) that group buying sites look set to become the first domino to fall in China’s dangerously overinflated Internet bubble, and this latest Lashou development just adds more fuel to that argument.

Bottom line: Lashou’s inability to find an underwriter for a planned US IPO is the latest sign of distress in China’s overheated group buying sector, which could enter a full-blown crisis by year end.

拉手网正拼命寻找一家可承销其首次公开募股(IPO)的投行夥伴，加入中国互联网企业争分夺秒赶在互联网泡沫破灭前上市的行列中。这至少是我对媒体报导的拉手网正急切寻找新的承销商助其上市的解读。此前，摩根士丹利(MS.N)和高盛(GS.N)退出了拉手网的IPO承销案。如果你们中有些人觉得这听着很耳熟，原因是这种新闻的确不陌生。上个月就有类似报导称，中国另一家主要的团购网站“窝窝团”放弃赴美上市，因包括高盛在内的多家投行因担心其之前的并购产生的会计问题而拒绝承销其IPO。本周早些时候的一篇报导称，中国国内今年的团购网站数量已经从2010年底的2,000家激增至5,000家，因中国企业纷纷涉足这个互联网新趋势，希望成为中国的下一个Groupon。唯一的问题是，Groupon自己还在中国过热的团购市场中自顾不暇，且上月对自己在中国的合资企业“高朋网”进行了大规模裁员。拉手网遭遇的这个新问题只是团购业种种危机迹象的最新发展。这种迹象有很多，所以我也不想在此反复赘述。但我本周早些时候曾预言，团购网站有望成为中国过热互联网泡沫中首个倒下的多米诺骨牌，拉手网的最新进展只是为这一断言增加了更多证据。

一句话：拉手网无法找到一个助其上市的承销商是中国过热的团购业出现瓶颈的最新迹象。中国的团购业或许在今年年底前陷入全面危机中。

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