Today, I'm launching "Buckits", a new e-commerce business model that I think you'll find interesting. Hoping to get some feedback on the concept side and on the business / implementation side. (Also trying to figure out how to best explain this concept to less-technical viewers!)

We are launching a new e-commerce model where groups of customers can pool together to receive discounts. A "Buckit" takes the simple idea of a group discount and augments it for the modern Web. Anyone can create a Buckit, or join one that already exists. The more people who sign up for a Buckit, the less everyone pays for his or her own item. The final price each Buckit member pays for their itemis based on the number of people in the Buckit, and the amount keeps going down as more people join. This model lets people take advantage of their social networks (online and offline) to spread the word about a cool product and save money at the same time.

NerdKits is launching this today and applying this to the educational kits we've sold online since 2007, but we're also interested in applying the concept to other e-commerce areas where there's a "social or network utility" to a product: event tickets, multiplayer video games, etc.

For more information, we have a 2-minute video demo:

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=B4vVhaUj8r0

Our live website:

http://www.nerdkits.com/buckits/

Plus this morning's press release with more details:

http://www.prweb.com/releases/2010/02/prweb3632034.htm