Gilt.com uses the “sample-sale model” to let all consumers (or at least those who are invited to become members) enjoy the sales that attract “determined luxury-bargain seekers” to New York and Los Angeles. Sales are organized by brand, date, and duration. Discounts can run up to 70 percent, though many items will only seem like bargains when compared with the “astounding” retail prices.
RueLaLa.com requires new subscribers to either be recruited by an existing member or to join its waiting list. All sales last 48 hours—measured by an online “countdown clock” visible on the website and on its iPhone application. Discounts have been known to run as high as 80 percent.
Subscribe to The Week
Escape your echo chamber. Get the facts behind the news, plus analysis from multiple perspectives.
Sign up for The Week's Free Newsletters
From our morning news briefing to a weekly Good News Newsletter, get the best of The Week delivered directly to your inbox.
From our morning news briefing to a weekly Good News Newsletter, get the best of The Week delivered directly to your inbox.
-
Amazon's 'James Bond' deal could mean a new future for 007In the Spotlight The franchise was previously owned by the Broccoli family
-
Why are Republicans suddenly panicking about DOGE?TODAY'S BIG QUESTION As Trump and Musk take a chainsaw to the federal government, a growing number of Republicans worry that the massive cuts are hitting a little too close to home
-
What is JD Vance's Net Worth?In Depth The vice president is rich, but not nearly as wealthy as his boss and many of his boss' appointees
