The Boom of FLASH Sales

FLASH sales website have taken the shame out of discount and have made it chic.  The idea is to offer great discounts on merchandise for a limited time (usually a couple of days).  While it started as a way for brands to unload excess inventory at a discounted price, it soon became a free way for brands to advertise and find new customers.  Paving the way is the Gilt Groupe who started this phenomenon in 2007 with the first FLASH sales website www.gilt.com.  They are still the leader today but a few websites have given them a run for their money, www.ideeli.com, www.ruelala.com and www.hautelook.com.  While most of these websites focus on fashion, they offer other categories such as home, travel and lifestyle.  In order to shop or view these websites, you must become a member.  This is as easy as entering your email and a password.  Once you're a member, you receive daily email alerts on the latest deals (you can turn these alerts off). To the skeptic who thinks there must be a catch, there isn’t.  While some items are “final sale” and cannot be returned, most things can be, and the returns are FREE. I have met no one who has not been completely satisfied with his or her experience, including me!  So, if you don’t mind your email inbox being cluttered with daily alerts and you don’t mind saving a buck or two, get on the band wagon and enjoy the deals with out the guilt.