Check out the careers page where you'll find a plethora of postings for all types of job opportunities including one for an experiologist. What's the major for that? And another opening for a gourmet food specialist - a new expansion line for Gilt given the glut of online discounters?
/nancy brenner
Showing posts with label gilt. Show all posts
Showing posts with label gilt. Show all posts
Thursday, May 12, 2011
Monday, January 24, 2011
Jan 29: Gilt City Warehouse New York $10 Charge - Will Barney's Warehouse Start Charging Too?
Gilt City New York
Ticket to Warehouse Sale: $10
Includes ticket to Gilt Groupe Warehouse Sale for one. Enjoy complimentary cocktails, coffee, coconut water and treats.
Timeslots available for the $10 entry fee:
Sat 1/29 10:00AM; Sat1/29 12:00PM; Sat 1/29 2:00PM; Sat 1/29 4:00PM
For one day only--Saturday, January 29 -- men's, women's, and children's collections will fill a section of Manhattan's Altman Building. Brands: Gryphon, Cynthia Steffe and more. Also home design for your kitchen, bathroom, bedroom and beyond from Gilt Home.
On beauty: stylists from Mizu will be offering blowouts and styling from a pop-up salon.
/nancy brenner
Ticket to Warehouse Sale: $10
Includes ticket to Gilt Groupe Warehouse Sale for one. Enjoy complimentary cocktails, coffee, coconut water and treats.
Timeslots available for the $10 entry fee:
Sat 1/29 10:00AM; Sat1/29 12:00PM; Sat 1/29 2:00PM; Sat 1/29 4:00PM
For one day only--Saturday, January 29 -- men's, women's, and children's collections will fill a section of Manhattan's Altman Building. Brands: Gryphon, Cynthia Steffe and more. Also home design for your kitchen, bathroom, bedroom and beyond from Gilt Home.
On beauty: stylists from Mizu will be offering blowouts and styling from a pop-up salon.
/nancy brenner
Sunday, October 10, 2010
Target - Mulberrys Gone - Customer Service Useless
Uh oh, Target, you messed with the wrong online shopper:
"Even though I had a highly coveted Mulberry Satchel, not the patent or leopard, but velvet, a good choice in this season's highly touted fabric, in my Target shopping cart, Target unceremoniously dumped it out as I was trying to check out. Waste of time for this heavily promoted alleged bonanza from the luxe English line. I called Target to complain. How many bags were available from the get-go? The call center girl Terry told me she had no idea why, but it was now sold out. I wanted to know why they heavily promoted an item and how many pieces did they originally have to offer and why my merch was dumped - this had never happened before at another retailer. I asked for a manager, but there was none available - turns out that it was too early for the call center on the Caribbean. The Gilt promotion of the Mulberry sold out within a minute or two. If it sounds too good to be true.... Companies should come clean - stop hyping these promotions if they have limited stock or be candid about how much they do have - like holiday door busters "limited stock" and each store may only have 50 items. Make nice to customers if you desire their patronage."
~Nancy Brenner
"Even though I had a highly coveted Mulberry Satchel, not the patent or leopard, but velvet, a good choice in this season's highly touted fabric, in my Target shopping cart, Target unceremoniously dumped it out as I was trying to check out. Waste of time for this heavily promoted alleged bonanza from the luxe English line. I called Target to complain. How many bags were available from the get-go? The call center girl Terry told me she had no idea why, but it was now sold out. I wanted to know why they heavily promoted an item and how many pieces did they originally have to offer and why my merch was dumped - this had never happened before at another retailer. I asked for a manager, but there was none available - turns out that it was too early for the call center on the Caribbean. The Gilt promotion of the Mulberry sold out within a minute or two. If it sounds too good to be true.... Companies should come clean - stop hyping these promotions if they have limited stock or be candid about how much they do have - like holiday door busters "limited stock" and each store may only have 50 items. Make nice to customers if you desire their patronage."
~Nancy Brenner
Friday, May 07, 2010
"Beat the Clock" at Flash Sales Without Breaking Your Budget
Five Tips to Gilt, Rue La La, Haute Look, Totsy and the ever-breeding flash sales, by Nancy Brenner
Put any items you might want immediately into your cart. Invite friends, family and foes to join (you can earn a credit anywhere from $5-$20 each time one person makes a purchase). Don't want the UPS man to be your new BFF as you race around returning stress-triggered purchases? Send a pic to a shopping buddy and make sure items fits into your budget, lifestyle and CLOSET.
Best categories to buy: items where you absolutely know your fit, like lingerie, or fit is not an issue, like, luggage, baby clothes, picture frames, blow dryers.
Check color before you click - a trigger-happy shopper trying to buy a shoe before it's gone may not realize the switch from the picture in the color (black) to the one that's available (hence I have a Tory Burch nearly never worn pair of orchid hued flat with navy studs in my closet).
Absolute must have - or maybe not so much - if you're teetering, wait for the final sales, when you'll swoop in and get best buys (if there is something left in your size).
And lastly, flash sales can be addictive, someone told me she drops at least $100 every time she goes on Gilt, so try not to log on every day out of habit.
And for more insights, read today's USA Weekend article (GSNYC is mentioned!): http://www.usaweekend.com/article/20100507/MONEY/5090304/Online-flash-sales-offer-quick-savings
Put any items you might want immediately into your cart. Invite friends, family and foes to join (you can earn a credit anywhere from $5-$20 each time one person makes a purchase). Don't want the UPS man to be your new BFF as you race around returning stress-triggered purchases? Send a pic to a shopping buddy and make sure items fits into your budget, lifestyle and CLOSET.
Best categories to buy: items where you absolutely know your fit, like lingerie, or fit is not an issue, like, luggage, baby clothes, picture frames, blow dryers.
Check color before you click - a trigger-happy shopper trying to buy a shoe before it's gone may not realize the switch from the picture in the color (black) to the one that's available (hence I have a Tory Burch nearly never worn pair of orchid hued flat with navy studs in my closet).
Absolute must have - or maybe not so much - if you're teetering, wait for the final sales, when you'll swoop in and get best buys (if there is something left in your size).
And lastly, flash sales can be addictive, someone told me she drops at least $100 every time she goes on Gilt, so try not to log on every day out of habit.
And for more insights, read today's USA Weekend article (GSNYC is mentioned!): http://www.usaweekend.com/article/20100507/MONEY/5090304/Online-flash-sales-offer-quick-savings
Tuesday, February 23, 2010
Gilt Groupe is the World
Gilt Groupe is the World’s Most Innovative Fashion Company (so says Fast Company magazine)
Posted using ShareThis
Posted using ShareThis
Thursday, July 23, 2009
Behind the E-curtain at Gilt.com
Yes!, more from Nancy Brenner:
I'm a die-hard in-person sample sale shopper, but was super curious about the inner workings of one of the most popular online sample sale sites - Gilt.com. I am also one of their 1.2 million members.
Tonight I learned shopping secrets from gilt.com's Alexandra Wilkis Wilson at a Gilt fest at the Tribeca Y: "Put as much in the cart as you can" akin to a real life sample sale where you need to grab as much merchandise as possible and decide later. And "Refresh, refresh, refresh." Any serious sample saler already knew that. C'mon Wilson, what's the online equivalent of a "Friends and Family" sale?
What's the most expensive item that didn't sell? A $23,000 diamond bracelet. Ca Ching.
What doesn't say "sold out" within minutes, but sells "incredibly well?" Fine jewelry, which can cost thousands of dollars. I was surprised since I was wondering who would spend thousands of dollars to purchase a piece of jewelry , without seeing how earrings frame your face or exactly how a necklace falls across your skin - plus the added pressure of final sale. Because of the expense and final sale policy, Wilson did note that shoppers do their research and take the time to share it with significant others, parents, friends, etc. before buying.
What's next for Gilt? What's not next for Gilt? In the Fall, expect the launch of a travel site that will sell cool niche summer rentals and ski chalets. For fashionistas without sugar daddies to foot the bills, or a C-suite position and paycheck to match (my observation), there will be Gilt Fuse which will be "our own version of Barney's Co-Op." Colleges and big-tent schools can expect big time attention from Gilt since Wilson describes them as target customers. Also Gilt has been selling "nothing too big, nothing too heavy, nothing breakable" home items once a week. This will increase to daily. But crystal and china shoppers need not despair, Gilt will soon be selling those too.
Why don't you see certain brands on Gilt? "We are like an airport in a weird way." We only have a certain number of slots and can't sell every brand they want to sell. It could be the collection isn't deep enough, or the price negotiations didn't work out, says Wilson.
Gilt fun facts: Zac Posen was the first "get," and one of the first 10 brands to sell was her eye doctor's sister who married Judith Ripka's son. Super-fast sellouts - Laura Mercier (I failed to sign in right away and was locked out of this one myself) and Louboutin.
Gilt can decide to cap membership if they want to at a certain point. Or, they can select to sell their merchandise in a number of different ways, if they chose to - they can sell specific brands to targeted customers, sell only to certain parts of the country, or decide to only target 5,000 or 20,000 if a designer doesn't want wide exposure.
Worldwide domination?
In March, they launched in Japan with a localized team and approach and have 200,000 members - so far.
Will they have enough merchandise as manufacturers cut back, go into bankruptcy or disappear? Will shoppers still open their wallets no matter how high unemployment numbers climb? Can frugalistas resist a bargain?
We are all...Guilty!
I'm a die-hard in-person sample sale shopper, but was super curious about the inner workings of one of the most popular online sample sale sites - Gilt.com. I am also one of their 1.2 million members.
Tonight I learned shopping secrets from gilt.com's Alexandra Wilkis Wilson at a Gilt fest at the Tribeca Y: "Put as much in the cart as you can" akin to a real life sample sale where you need to grab as much merchandise as possible and decide later. And "Refresh, refresh, refresh." Any serious sample saler already knew that. C'mon Wilson, what's the online equivalent of a "Friends and Family" sale?
What's the most expensive item that didn't sell? A $23,000 diamond bracelet. Ca Ching.
What doesn't say "sold out" within minutes, but sells "incredibly well?" Fine jewelry, which can cost thousands of dollars. I was surprised since I was wondering who would spend thousands of dollars to purchase a piece of jewelry , without seeing how earrings frame your face or exactly how a necklace falls across your skin - plus the added pressure of final sale. Because of the expense and final sale policy, Wilson did note that shoppers do their research and take the time to share it with significant others, parents, friends, etc. before buying.
What's next for Gilt? What's not next for Gilt? In the Fall, expect the launch of a travel site that will sell cool niche summer rentals and ski chalets. For fashionistas without sugar daddies to foot the bills, or a C-suite position and paycheck to match (my observation), there will be Gilt Fuse which will be "our own version of Barney's Co-Op." Colleges and big-tent schools can expect big time attention from Gilt since Wilson describes them as target customers. Also Gilt has been selling "nothing too big, nothing too heavy, nothing breakable" home items once a week. This will increase to daily. But crystal and china shoppers need not despair, Gilt will soon be selling those too.
Why don't you see certain brands on Gilt? "We are like an airport in a weird way." We only have a certain number of slots and can't sell every brand they want to sell. It could be the collection isn't deep enough, or the price negotiations didn't work out, says Wilson.
Gilt fun facts: Zac Posen was the first "get," and one of the first 10 brands to sell was her eye doctor's sister who married Judith Ripka's son. Super-fast sellouts - Laura Mercier (I failed to sign in right away and was locked out of this one myself) and Louboutin.
Gilt can decide to cap membership if they want to at a certain point. Or, they can select to sell their merchandise in a number of different ways, if they chose to - they can sell specific brands to targeted customers, sell only to certain parts of the country, or decide to only target 5,000 or 20,000 if a designer doesn't want wide exposure.
Worldwide domination?
In March, they launched in Japan with a localized team and approach and have 200,000 members - so far.
Will they have enough merchandise as manufacturers cut back, go into bankruptcy or disappear? Will shoppers still open their wallets no matter how high unemployment numbers climb? Can frugalistas resist a bargain?
We are all...Guilty!
Saturday, July 11, 2009
The customer is back in vogue!
Why is there a resurgence in customer service in the "invite only" retail sector when sales numbers for traditional stores are hitting rock bottom and even malls are renegotiating their leases.? In the last ten days, two online "invite only" sample sale houses are seeking to seduce customers not only with prices that are paltry compared to retail, but enticements of customer service. Online retailer, Gilt, proclaimed, "Tada! A Better Way To Shop Consolidated Sales." And, in an e-mail admission, the CEO says, "I am well aware that navigating our consolidated sales has been….let's say 'less than optimal'. You've weighed in on this issue often enough that I couldn't bear the idea of hosting another Final Sale until we had a more elegant solution."
When was the last time you heard that from a CEO of any type of company? According to today's Wall Street Journal, Gilt just landed an additional $40 million in funding from Matrix and General Atlantic. Valued at $400 million, Gilt is planning to expand its offerings. Their revenue is expected to hit $500 million in 2010.
Gilt is even soliciting additional feedback offering, "We'll keep tweaking the format and functions till you tell us it's 'just right.'" Where are the rest of the retailers? Why has it taken so long for the retail industry to notice its customers?
Another player in this invite-only space, Rue La La, asks its customers if they are having an "ooh la la moment?" They launched several new initiatives creating an easier shopping experience by making a significant change in their shipping policies. They are offering free returns on shipping and now customers don't have to pay twice if they order more than once during the same day before a 10 pm EST deadline. This week's wares includes everything from name brand clothes to pots to watches. Although they were overcrowded this week and needed to shut down the site for the better part of the day. This reminds me of the good old days when Zappos first started.
These two online invite only sample sale purveyors are taking the customer service piece seriously. According to the "Customer Experience Blog" by Bruce Temkin, Vice President & Principal Analyst at Forrester Research, this attitude adjustment will reap revenues. Temkin analyzed data on customer loyalty and how that can affect revenue. The bottom line is that investment is customers are a key revenue booster.
Some key findings:
o The difference in loyalty between companies in the top quartile of customer experience (when measured against industry averages) and the companies in the lowest quartile:
- 14.4% more customers willing to buy another product
- 15.8% more customers reluctant to switch
- 16.6% more customers likely to recommend
o Temkin also examined the revenue change from a 10 point increase in a firm's Customer Experience Index. It results in a $284 million change for every $10 billion in revenue (average across 12 industries):
- Additional purchases: $65 million
- Reduction in churn: $116 million
- Word of mouth: $103 million
Temkin's bottom line: Customer experience is a great investment. Apparently both online retailers agree and are investing in their customers.
.........................
By Nancy "when I'm not shopping I'm writing about shopping" Brenner
When was the last time you heard that from a CEO of any type of company? According to today's Wall Street Journal, Gilt just landed an additional $40 million in funding from Matrix and General Atlantic. Valued at $400 million, Gilt is planning to expand its offerings. Their revenue is expected to hit $500 million in 2010.
Gilt is even soliciting additional feedback offering, "We'll keep tweaking the format and functions till you tell us it's 'just right.'" Where are the rest of the retailers? Why has it taken so long for the retail industry to notice its customers?
Another player in this invite-only space, Rue La La, asks its customers if they are having an "ooh la la moment?" They launched several new initiatives creating an easier shopping experience by making a significant change in their shipping policies. They are offering free returns on shipping and now customers don't have to pay twice if they order more than once during the same day before a 10 pm EST deadline. This week's wares includes everything from name brand clothes to pots to watches. Although they were overcrowded this week and needed to shut down the site for the better part of the day. This reminds me of the good old days when Zappos first started.
These two online invite only sample sale purveyors are taking the customer service piece seriously. According to the "Customer Experience Blog" by Bruce Temkin, Vice President & Principal Analyst at Forrester Research, this attitude adjustment will reap revenues. Temkin analyzed data on customer loyalty and how that can affect revenue. The bottom line is that investment is customers are a key revenue booster.
Some key findings:
o The difference in loyalty between companies in the top quartile of customer experience (when measured against industry averages) and the companies in the lowest quartile:
- 14.4% more customers willing to buy another product
- 15.8% more customers reluctant to switch
- 16.6% more customers likely to recommend
o Temkin also examined the revenue change from a 10 point increase in a firm's Customer Experience Index. It results in a $284 million change for every $10 billion in revenue (average across 12 industries):
- Additional purchases: $65 million
- Reduction in churn: $116 million
- Word of mouth: $103 million
Temkin's bottom line: Customer experience is a great investment. Apparently both online retailers agree and are investing in their customers.
.........................
By Nancy "when I'm not shopping I'm writing about shopping" Brenner
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