PurposeThe purpose of this paper is to investigate how perceived benefits, perceived risk, and trust influence Chinese consumers' online group buying organized by institutional initiators. Design/methodology/approachIn total, 578 valid samples were collected via an online survey. Multiple regressions were used to test the research model. FindingsThe results show that three perceived benefits (price benefit, convenience benefit, and recreational benefit) and three factors that together represent trust of the initiator (perceived reputation, structural assurance, and website trustworthiness) significantly positively influence consumers' attitudes toward online group buying. Originality/valueThis study is the first one to specifically focus on how perceived benefits and perceived risks influence consumers' attitudes toward online group buying.