With the closest upscale fashion malls located 30 minutes away from College Park, it’s hard for students without cars to have a successful shopping experience. But with bargain-luxe websites such as Gilt Groupe, students now have a way to obtain fashionable pieces for a discounted price. Gilt Groupe, whose founders, Alexis Maybank and Alexandra Wilkis Wilson, bring high-end labels discounted by as much as 70 percent to its members. The website is invitation-only and each of its sales last for 24 hours or as long as it takes to sell all the clothes.
Gilt Groupe’s invitation-only policy lends it the air of exclusivity that makes the company more appealing to designer labels.
“Until now, only 1 percent of Americans were able to access the invitation-only sample sales,” said Rachel Wolkowitz, Gilt Groupe’s Director of Marketing and Communications. “For the first time ever, Gilt Groupe brings the sample sale to all of America and we do it through our website, exclusively online.”
Added Maybank: “Consumers flock en masse to New York sample sales and are passionately committed to their favorite brands. Gilt Groupe brings the sample sale phenomenon and hand-to-access brands to all consumers nationally.”
Junior journalism major Rosemary Dorsett, however, said she doesn’t shop at Gilt Groupe frequently because their items are too high-end for her taste.
In August 2009, Gilt Groupe launched their little sister, Gilt Fuse, which focuses on less expensive brands that are more edgy, effortless and caters to a younger audience.
Dorsett, who buys most of her items at Gilt Fuse, said the website has more items that fit her style and gives her more time to shop with its 36-hour sales.
Gilt Groupe also launched a special website for men, Gilt Man, which will expand men’s categories to include clothing, gadgets, sporting gear and other lifestyle items. Like Gilt Fuse, it will have the same policies as Gilt Groupe.
Dorsett said these bargain sites will only let shoppers keep items in their shopping carts for 10 minutes before removing them. She referred to another bargain-luxe website, Rue La La, where the items were taken out of her bag not long after she had put them in.
“They were gone before I could even check out,” Dorsett said.
diversions@umdbk.com
