Only 943 Chinese group purchase websites, or fewer than 20 percent of the number at the industry's peak, have survived, the Yangcheng Evening News reported on Wednesday.

The newspaper said there used to be more than 5,000 group purchase websites in China.

The decrease was because large-scale websites in the sector had been very competitive and attracted the most customers, the report said.

After this year's Spring Festival, many of the less successful website entrepreneurs gave up their business and sought opportunities in other sectors.