If you are a savvy shopper, I am sure you know who ideeli is. I was first introduced to ideeli a few years ago by my cousin. At first I was a little clueless as to how it worked because back a few years ago their weren’t many deal shopping websites like there is present day. ideeli was founded in 2006 as members-only community and shop must-have brands from the worlds of fashion, home, and travel. ideeli is a well postion company that was placed No. 1 on Inc.Magazine‘s ranking of the nation’s fastest-growing companies this year.
How it works:
ideeli’s business model is based on acquiring excess or sample merchandise and selling it quickly at very deep discounts to their members. Sales typically last less than 48 hours.These “merchants,” as Ideeli likes to call them, sometimes get calls from manufacturers when stores return merchandise or cancel orders. But, more often than not, it’s because a brand realizes it’s more cost-effective to make extra and knows there’s a growing demand for deals on name-brand clothing and accessories. That’s when you and I score!
ideeli is considered a “flash sales” site while Groupon and other daily-deal sites typically feature one daily deal in a local market, flash-sale sites have limited-time sales that feature many pieces from one or more designers’ lines. What makes ideeli different from other competitors is they take the concept even further and often features sales from as many as 40 designers at a time, selling women’s, men’s and children’s clothing, as well as home goods.
“The great recession really, really accelerated our growth,” says CEO Paul Hurley. “Brands were more interested in working with us.”While there’s less luxury merchandise to be had at a discount for the site post-recession, Hurley says there are also far more shoppers in the “aspirational” or “mass affluence” segment the site targets. ideeli’s members are mostly women, though the site started offering men’s clothing. ideeli says its prices are 30% to 80% off retail prices.ideeli has something for everyone and that’s what keeps shoppers at all levels coming back. So sign up today if you are not a member already!