Who is the Gilt customer?

→Fashion-conscious women and men
-->Working Mother
→From age 25-45
→ Immediate desire of easy access to the most trendy new apparel and accessories
--> Disposable income: 30-35K

How Gilt Works?

ADDRESSIBILITY OF THE SITE
Gilt Groupe visitors must be members to access the website. Membership is through invitation only. There is no fee to log in. Once you are logged on, the website addresses you. Each member will receive email notifications about sales events. The website is personalized because based on what kind of sales you’ve gone in the past, the website will remember the brands you are interested in. You will then receive emails notifications of certain sales that you would be interested in. Every day, each member receives an email about the sales coming up the same day, usually at noon.

INTERACTIVITY OF THE SITE
Gilt Groupe interactivity with their customers is mostly done through Facebook. The website doesn’t offer real communication except for emails to contact the customer support. A personal shopper would go online and answer questions on Gilt Groupe Facebook page. For instance, for jewelry diamond sales, a diamond expert could go online and answer all questions about jewelry. Another interactivity between customers would be the type of exposure on Facebook and Twitter. Guest celebrities would be on Facebook to chat with the customers.

MEMORY OF THE SITE
On the website, you are able to see your account information such as your past orders, credit cards and billing addresses, shipping addresses, wait list, nickname, sent invitations, email preferences and password, and other information about your account.

CONTROL OF THE SITE
Gilt Groupe website is easy to navigate. On top of the home page, categories are clearly represented: Women, Men, Home, Children, Gifts, Jetsetter, and City. You are able to select and focus on what you specifically wish to buy or look at. The navigation is clear, and you can look up merchandise by brands. All products are well photographed. The aesthetic of the website has a lot to do with the show of the website. When you select an item to buy, you can choose the color and size. The product is described in details. You can see the original price of the item and the estimated delivery date. The shopping cart is located at the top of the home page. There are a few links on the website such as Facebook, Twitter, and Gilt On The Go (for iphone apps).

ACCESSIBILITY OF THE SITE
Gilt Groupe is a private company. Therefore, you won’t be able to find as much information on the website as a public company. Under “about us” at the top of the home page, you can find information about the company, the employers, and the press. You are also able to access to information about your account such as your past orders, your addresses, and so on. Also, at the bottom of the home page, you are able to see terms of service, privacy, security, feedback, return policy, shipping and tax, FAQ, sizing, careers, and about us (again).

DIGITALIZATION OF THE SITE
Gilt Groupe website is fast. The server is always accessible and active. The checkout is fast. After you purchased your first item, your credit card is registered in the system. You can choose to add or modify your payment method as well. Overall, the website is fully functional and fast.

Why Shop at Gilt?

Gilt Groupe offers a variety of luxury brands with unlimited access online. All merchandise is sold at discounted prices, up to 70% off retail. It’s a “one-stop shop” because everything you can think of is sold at Gilt.com.

Gilt Groupe has more of a competitive edge because of the aesthetic of the site as it is very appealing to the customer’s eye. The navigation also contributes to the aesthetic of the site. The placements of sales draw the customers’ eyes from top to bottom. The editorials on their site tell a story about merchandise. Gilt’s limited inventory creates a culture of avid buyers who log in before sales start to get their hands on the limited inventory. Another competitive advantage is that Gilt is able to liquidate just-out-of-season inventory, while still protecting the brands.

While other boutiques or stores such as Nordstrom Rack offer high end merchandise, Gilt takes the lead on offering luxury goods at sample sale prices. Nordstrom Rack offers a wide range of products including apparel, accessories, shoes for women, men, and children goods. After merchandise has been sitting on their floor for a certain amount of weeks it is then marked down. However, Gilt offers the lowest prices and can not be compared to other retail stores and online businesses. Gilt was built on the principles of quality, value, selection and service.

Customers want a unique personalized experience and that is what Gilt offers! Although Nordstrom's has highly trained employees giving their customers personal interaction, Gilt is known for their top customer service 24 hours a day, 7 days a week. They are there to answer every inquiry a customer may have.

As the "working mom" becomes the norm, there is less and less time for women to shop at a store. Gilt has become an easy access online e-commerce store. Store hours of a brick and mortar store make it difficult to shop at your convenient time compared to Gilt's unlimited access 24/7.

What's New with Gilt?

Gilt City offers spa treatment and skin care for its members. We want to inspire customers in a unique way. Our editorial staff highlights the things they truly admire. Today, we want our members to hear about our new beauty experience at Gilt. Our new tab, “beauty services and products” is to help you understand the beauty products Gilt is selling. It allows you to chat with experts on the website, and then make a purchase. This tab is all about customer satisfaction and comfort. When’s this all going down, you ask? This Thursday, April 28th! Check out the sale preview here and be sure to come back this Thursday at noon ET, to snatch up beauty products to get you glowing for spring.

Jennifer Aniston: Model Icon Forever?

Jennifer Aniston represents the beauty. She is the icon of “Friends”, the most broadcasted TV show worldwide. Her relationship with Brad Pitt for several years made her who she is today. They have been the glamorous couple of Hollywood. Jennifer Aniston relates to fashion, beauty, and elegancy. She creates a buzz in terms of make up, hairstyle, beauty, and fashion. She is known worldwide, and she best portrays the Gilt Groupe culture and its customers.

Get Bliss for Spring

Gilt Inspiration

When logging onto the Gilt Groupe website, each store looks aesthetically pleasing to the customer’s eye. From the colors to the product, each image or editorial creates an emotional feeling that are in harmony with the theme of the website. The site looks elegant and warm. Online shoppers look for the “right” look and feel, comfort and welcoming, and that is what Gilt portrays. The site is inspirational to the customer.

Gilt Groupe