Vente-Privee Offers Deals on Luxury Brands

Long before there was Gilt Groupe or ideeli, there was French e-commerce designer flash sales website vente-privee. vente-privee translates as private sale in French.   vente-privee started in France in 2001 offering European consumers a way to buy top designers at affordable prices. In 2011, vente-privee opened its website to customers in the United States.   Since expanding to the US, the brand has partnered with American Express to build a loyal membership base.  So how does this e-tailer offer deals on coveted brands like Victoria Beckham, Rachel Zoe, Love Moschino and many more at up to 70% off of retail prices? I interviewed executives at the company to get the answers. 

Love Moschino for Women is a featured brand on ventee-privee today. The event ends Thur 10/2 @ 9am ET.

Last week I meet with Greg Maliczyszyn, Director of Brand Strategy & Communications, vente-privee USA and Meira Lavin Merchandising Director at vente-privee  for Men’s Women’s RTW Collections & Women’s Footwear to get an overview of how  vente-privee USA works to deliver the best deals to their customers. 

Surprisingly much of the merchandise that goes on sale at vente-privee’ is apparel and accessories that are still in stores.  Many of the items are still in market and are not “past seasons.”  In the US there are 1.2 million members of the website, in Europe there are 22 million members.   That makes vente-privee an attractive platform for designers.  The sheer amount of consumers that a designer is able to reach via the sales site makes it an attractive e-commerce platform for them.

Love Moschino, by the famed Italian fashion house Moschino, is on sale at vente-privee today.

So how does vente-privee work with designers to deliver deals on a regular basis for both men and women?  ” It comes down to being able to deliver excitement to customers with branded, limited three day events to customers”, explains  Meira Lavin Merchandising Director at vente-privee. ” It’s all about brand integrity and brand discretion.”  According to the site’s founder, Jacques-Antoine Granjon,  vente-privee  offers an enviable collection of luxury brands that distinguish it from sites like Amazon’s MyHabit.  “They think it’s important to sell products. We think it’s important to have the best brands,”  Mr. Granjon told Fortune.  After all, the best brands at the best prices is an unbeatable marketing combination.

Vente-Privee partners with luxury brands to create online boutiques with customized photos and images.  With Victoria Beckham,  vente-privee’ is the only flash sale that Victoria Beckham has ever worked with.  Twice a year, vente-privee’offers flash sales on Victoria Beckham, including Victoria Victoria Beckham and Victoria Beckham Denim .  The sales are never pre-announced in advance.   Members need to check their email in-box to find out when specific sales are running.  Typically, 48 hours before a sale takes place, an invitation email is sent to all members.  The flash sales usually start at 10:00 am EST daily and lasts  three days.  The limited time of the sale incentivizes members to get in and buy what they want quickly, before it’s gone.  The goal is to create excitement by continually offering new sales on the sale.   That continual flow of designer deals, keeps customers coming back to the site to see what is new.

As consumers head into the Holiday buying season, vente-privee  is a resource to put on your lists. I’ve been a member for a few years and have bought some great Desigual items on their flash sales.   I’ve also saved  on items because of my American Express card membership.   Check your American Express cardmember offers for discounts on vente-privee offers.   vente-privee members can also earn rewards for shopping the site when they refer their friends.   In the age of social media sharing, sharing the deals can bring you credits you can use to shop.

If you shop vente-privee today, you’ll notice the flash sales include savings on Adrienne Vittadini  bags and Love Moschino for Women.  If you shop, let me know what you think of the sale. Love Moschino  is a brand that is difficult to find on sale, so this is an very rare offering.