You’re likely already familiar with the discounts you can score on Rue La La, the Boston-based e-commerce site that sells brand name items at marked-down prices for members. Each sale, featuring brands like Givenchy and Lancome, is live online for a limited time, a window during which shoppers can scoop up the bargains before they’re gone for good. These Rue La La ’boutiques’ have always been stocked with wholesale items previously available elsewhere for full price – until now, that is.
Yesterday, September 15, Rue La La launched its first exclusive online boutique through a partnership with British retailer Boden. The clothing company released all new merchandise to Rue La La, a collection that’s unavailable anywhere else. In the Boden boutique, shoppers will find over 100 styles, including overcoats, tops, shoes, dresses, skirts and more for women, as well as collections for boys and girls, available at 20 percent off the retail price (items in the women’s shop run between $28.50 and $230.40). In less than 24 hours after the boutique opened to Rue La La’s 12 million members, some items have already sold out.
According to the official release, the partnership between Rue La La and Boden is part of the retailer’s move to build its presence in the U.S. Shanie Cunningham, Boden’s head of U.S. marketing, said:
Rue La La’s Members look to the company for a compelling, unique shopping experience that brings them the styles and brands they love every single day. They are a brilliant partner for us as we expand into the United States, serving as a springboard for us to reach an extensive and engaged audience.
In addition to the three collections available for purchase, the Boden boutique on Rue La La is outfitted with an interactive timeline of the British company’s history, styling tips and “how to wear” guides, as well as a sweepstakes. Rue La La members can enter to score a Boden shopping spree with four opportunities to win: They’ll be giving away two $1,500 shopping sprees and two $500 shopping sprees.
After launching on September 15 at 3 p.m., the Boden boutique will be up and running on Rue La La until September 22. Lisa Rhodes, Rue La La’s new president and chief marketing officer, said in the release that the partnership is a “prime example of what [Rue La La] deliver[s] every day.”
In July, Reuters claimed that the e-commerce site, whose headquarters are located in South Boston, was exploring selling the company, and that top flash-sale competitor Gilt was interested in buying; there hasn’t been any new word on whether or not Rue La La will sell. The company is currently valued at $400 million.
Images via Rue La La
