Gilt is like a dream come true for lovers of designer fashion and home goods. The innovative ecommerce site offers coveted luxury brands at jaw-droppingly low prices that seem almost too good to be true. With weekday flash sales and special deals of 50-90% off retail, the savings are simply staggering.
But in a world where quality craftsmanship and exclusive materials command eye-watering price tags, how can Gilt consistently undercut competitors?
The answer lies in a brilliantly engineered retail model optimized for steep discounts. Gilt identified inefficiencies in the luxury fashion system and crafted ingenious solutions to capture mind-blowing deals for customers.
They consolidated a fragmented industry plagued by excess inventory and middlemen markups onto a streamlined platform offering direct access to suppliers. The result? A discounted shopping utopia.
Reasons For Gilt Being So Inexpensive
- Inside Gilt’s Magic Formula
Gilt co-founders Alexis Maybank and Alexandra Wilkis Wilson spotted a lucrative opportunity to innovate luxury e-commerce while working at eBay.
At the time, sample sales were still predominantly old-school, in-person events clustered in fashion capitals that limited broader consumer access.
Simultaneously, designers grappled with huge surpluses from overproduction that often languished forgotten in warehouses.
Alexis and Alexandra conceived an online sample sale shopping hub revolutionizing liquidation. By utilizing savvy merchandising tactics fused with innovative web technology, Gilt provides a premier boutique experience right from our smartphones.
They quiz brands undergo a competitive application process stressing both quality and affordability. About 10% of labels who apply each month get approved to join the elite vendor pool targeting aspirational yet price-conscious shoppers.
So how does Gilt pull off such feat of finding glamorous designer fashion at thrift store prices? Several key interconnected strategies are at play.
Also Read: Reasons For Stylevana Being So Cheap.
- Scooping Up Overstock
A core way brands offer drastically reduced rates is by offloading leftover merchandise in bulk. Throughout the fashion world, overproduction runs rampant with retailers stocking excess inventory.
Previous seasons’ styles linger unwanted on racks, extras languish forgotten in backrooms, and discontinued or irregular items get markdowns.
Gilt capitalizes on this widespread inefficiency by absorbing surplus products other retailers refuse at fire sale prices. Designers jump at the opportunity to profit on merchandise gathering dust that would otherwise head to landfills. It’s a total win-win.
Brands regain cash flow while passing unbelievable savings onto Gilt shoppers hungry for luxury deals. We get overflowing sales racks without even leaving home!
- Seizing Sample Sales
Another secret behind Gilt’s unbeatable bargains involves exploiting the little-known world of insider sample sales.
In fashion capitals, brands host exclusive seasonal sales to unload runway samples, prototypes, and overruns at steep discounts unavailable to the general public.
Gilt sends expert buyers into these cutthroat events to cherry pick the best wares blending both high-end and emerging designers. They’ll battle swarms of resellers to uncovered hidden gems that translate into major scores for customers online.
By accessing the previously closed loop trade sales, the website can secure luxury goods straight from the source at up to 90% off!
Also Read: Reasons For YesStyle Being So Cheap.
- Direct From Designers
Instead of relying on a convoluted system of middlemen distributing items from designers to retail stores adding markup at each stop, Gilt streamlines the process. They foster close partnerships connecting niche artisans and leading fashion houses directly with consumers.
Around 5000 brands sell through Gilt’s ecommerce portal from launchwear AERIN to eco-conscious STEELE CANVAS reaching clients sans middleman fees inflating costs. Cutting overhead lets labels price exquisite craftsmanship and premium materials accessibly while upholding reputations for exclusivity.
For once, scoring straight-off-the-runway Jimmy Choos or Lanvin doesn’t require getting an invite to Fashion Week!
- Special Order Collections
An often overlooked reason behind rock-bottom rates comes from Gilt enticing designers to manufacture exclusive capsule collections specifically for sale on their site. These limited edition collabs crafted exclusively for Gilt push boundaries of quality and cost.
Take a recent team up with celebrity stylist Rachel Zoe. Her curves-flattering womenswear designed specially for Gilt merged glitzy old Hollywood glam vibes with real-world affordable pricing through lower pricepoints negotiated just for customers.
Big name designers also promise access at reduced rates by rolling out special options honoring Gilt’s mission to democratize luxury.
- Bulk Order Benefits
Scale enables savings when Gilt flexes its mammoth purchasing power while sourcing products. The team strategically consolidates orders for massive quantities at wholesale rates that translate into freefall prices online.
Shoppers reap the discounts when Gilt buys truckloads worth of sculptural Sister Jewels hoops or thousands of buttery-soft Cuddledown duvets for example. Supply partners enticed by large capped orders in exchange for decreased per unit rates.
Brands confidently invest in expanded manufacturing capacity counting on Gilt’s blockbuster bulk buys to meet demands.
- Minimal Overhead Costs
Another factor allowing Gilt to maintain such aggressively reduced pricing comes from an operations model differing markedly from traditional luxury retailers.
As an online-only platform, they skip substantial real estate property costs associated with running boutique flagships spread globally.
Without lavish high-rent brick-and-mortar spaces driving up operating expenses, Gilt reinvests savings into securing stellar discounts for customers. Refined website presentation captures coveted luxe ambiance without designer boutique price tags thanks to eschewing physical shops!
Also Read: This Is Why Hebeos Dresses Are So Cheap.
- Strategic Email Marketing
Many assume glossy fashion magazines or billboard ads drive brand discovery, but email is actually Gilt’s most vital marketing channel. Their database allows personalized targeting reaching subscribers most likely to purchase discounted products.
Through relentless A/B testing, Gilt discovers which customized email content resonates best with diverse customer segments. Matching desired price points and styles to various users means more eyes on relevant products and thus faster product sellouts fueling the addicting time-crunch frenzy inherent to flash sales.
Maximum impact marketing without costly print/broadcast promotions gets passed along to us as savings!
- Flash Sale Allure
Of course the sensation of scoring over-the-top deals forms much of Gilt’s hypnotic appeal by generating contagious buzz.
Offering stellar designer finds exclusively for abbreviated time windows builds breathless excitement.
The T48 and T24 flash sales whipping shoppers into a click-and-checkout furor are famous for decimating stock lightning fast!
While provoking blistering sales velocity, flash model tactics boost baseline savings too.
The short purchase windows pressure buyers to hastily pull the trigger on significant purchases they may waver over at full retail pricing.
Eliminating hesitancy raises order volumes letting Gilt secure steeper wholesale discounts benefiting everyone with special member access.
So in summary, the perfect storm merging luxury caliber goods marked down dramatically comes through overstock surplus, sample sale access, direct vendor connections, special order capsules, bulk quantity bargaining power, minimized overhead costs by operating online-only, targeted email marketing implementation, and good old fashioned flash sale thrill seeking.
Gilt cracked the code to deliver ridiculously reduced rates for designer fashion by reconstructing a flawed production system prone to waste and inflated pricing tiers.
They continue upholding standards of quality and good taste while opening accessibility to the once predominately elitist sphere of luxury commerce. Welcome to first class seats with economy level ticket prices! No wonder Gilt shaped a seismic disruption within retail.
Also Read: This Is Why Saks OFF 5TH So Cheap.
Frequently Asked Questions (FAQ)
Yes, Gilt rigorously vets brands sold on their site through stringent criteria checking legitimacy. Verification processes ensure merchandise legitimacy before hitting the virtual shelves. The offerings curated from over 5000 approved partners represent guaranteed authentic luxury goods so shop confidently knowing deals are real!
As outlined above, Gilt offers incredible discounts by acquiring surplus and overstock inventory, attending sample sales to buy in bulk, fostering direct-vendor relationships skipping middlemen markups, collaborating on custom order batch manufacturing driving down unit costs, placing enormous wholesale inventory orders for volume based rates, minimizing operating expenses through online-only operations, targeted email marketing campaigns, and employing strategic flash sales tactics.
No, Gilt operates as a completely separate entity from Saks since launching in 2007. In 2016 Gilt got acquired by Hudson’s Bay Company owning Saks properties, but the individual businesses continue functioning independently. Gilt maintains unique branding, designers roster, sales events, and corporate leadership while sharing a parent company with Saks OFF 5TH.
Gilt OUTLET serves as the clearance off-price extension site selling past season merchandise and discontinued products at even steeper price cuts up to 90% off! This auxiliary flash sales platform offers year-round savings on surplus stock across popular luxury brands that overflow from main Gilt channel. Consider it the budget-savvy shopper’s dream outlet for designer fashion deals and home goods!
Closing Remarks
So in summary, Gilt consistently captures phenomenal discount rates for customers through clever purchasing tactics, streamlined operational processes, mutually beneficial designer partnerships, and member-only shopping experiences creating irresistible deals on coveted brands.
The savings seem almost magical but boil down to strategic optimizations allowing more people access to quality and style!
