11/14/2011

Sale Site Roundup

Around 11am on most weekdays (when time permits), I do a quick browse of a few daily sale sites. Some are definitely better than others but I've learned that you never know what brands will end up where, so it's worth keeping tabs on all of them. Here's a sampling of the kinds of things I've seen on the sales sites lately...

Bungalow 5 table - My Habit
C.G. Sparks Milk Glass Pendant with Cage - The Foundary
Jeffan Madeleine Side Chair - Haute Look
Modern Alchemy Water Lily Candle - Rue La La
Sunpan Modern Mystique Chair in Lemoncello - Joss & Main
Global Bazaar Gridlock Pillow - Joss & Main
George Smith Somerville Sofa - One Kings Lane
Horizon Rugs Bombay Hand-Tufted Rug - Gilt Home
Pure Fiber Ayrika Classic Fouta Towel - Gilt Home
Cenedese Small Vase - Gilt Home


I only cruise the decor/home-specific sales, so that portion of each site's business is the determining factor in my ranking. Here are the ones that I regularly shop, in order of preference:
  1. One Kings Lane - to me, OKL is by far the best in class. Most of you are probably familiar with OKL. They are a great source for everything from linens to furniture...they have multiple sales per day and the variety will keep you on your toes. Besides hosting sales for luxe brands like Baker, Waterworks, and Madeline Weinrib, OKL also hosts tons of Tastemaker Tag Sales during which renowned designers and dealers sell their unique finds and bespoke pieces. I've purchased a number of things from OKL and have been very happy with the shipping time and packaging. Plus, after having to return one item, I found that their customer service is second to none.
  2. Gilt Groupe - Gilt is another staple and has recently relaunched the decor facet of their empire which is simply called Gilt Home. While they added lots of extras like designer profiles and a consistent inventory of home furnishings, I don't love the redesign. I'm mainly interested in the "Flash Sales" and I feel like the quality of those isn't as good as it used to be. They do lots of themed sales, as in they'll do a bedroom sale in which multiple brands (that make anything related to the bedroom) are included. I'm not a big fan of these amalgam sales...I prefer the more focused, brand-centric ones.
  3. My Habit - this is a relatively new site and I've been impressed with some of the sales they've had since I signed up. For instance, Bungalow 5 was on there yesterday. The only downside is that the quantity of items in each sale is relatively small.
  4. The Foundary - I've bought an Arzu rug, a glass lamp, a kantha from the Foundary so I can vouch for the fact that they can have good stuff, but don't set your expectations too high.
  5. Joss & Main - They have a wide variety of brands, items, and price points, but the offering is almost too schizophrenic. For instance, they'll have a nice piece of furniture in the same sale as a cheesy piece of "wall art." I wish they wouldn't do that because it degrades to perceived value of the good stuff and everything ends up looking cheap.
  6. Haute Look - mixed bag in terms of quality of sales...very hit or miss.
  7. Rednook - is another newcomer and so far I'm not super impressed. Hopefully they'll get some better brands.
  8. Rue La La - meh. Don't often see anything impressive on here but do keep about seven "boutiques" running at a time, so there's always a chance that one of those is worth checking out.
  9. Ideeli - another meh. Their home section is obviously not a high priority and ends up being a catch-all...for example, today luggage and toys are featured sales in that section.
Do you shop at any of the above sites regularly? If so, what have you purchased? Do you have any favorite sale sites? Any that aren't on my list?

4 comments:

  1. I regularly check OKL, Gilt, The Foundary, and Rue La La. I must be a little out of the loop -glad to hear of the others! I found a rug on Gilt that I was pretty sure I wanted but it was a final sale. I did a quick search and found the same rug elsewhere - returnable and cheaper. I do find Gilt and RLL to be great sources for hostess gifts.

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  2. The art and Bolivian blankets are my favourite! And those brass objects complement them perfectly!

    It's true. OKL is so far ahead of the bunch. And yeah, I've unsubscribed from Rue Lala and Hautelook. Blehhhhhh. Off to check Rednook and My Habit!

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  3. I agree about Rue La La, I check it sporadically. But boy was i bummed when i missed their Hermes boutique sale last month!! I have never seen Hermes on any of the pop up sale sites before.

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  4. Eddielicious - I missed the memo on the Hermes sale...that is pretty shocking that H participated. I wonder if the sale had mostly china and tableware?

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