Navigate Online Sample Sales Like a Pro and Score Fabulous Deals on Designer Duds

Bargain-hunting fashionistas no longer need to live in New York or Los Angeles to take advantage of sample sales. Traditional sample sales are held when labels want to unload excess inventory and sample sizes. These events promise the chance to buy merchandise at huge discounts, and crowds often wait for hours to get in the door to shop in a mad frenzy.

These days, almost everyone can participate in the latest trend in discount shopping with online sample sales. While the sites are often members-only, it’s easy to get invited through friends or a simple inquiry on the site. (Newcomers can also e-mail the author for an invitation to any of the sites listed below.)

Once signed up, shoppers receive an e-mail alert indicating which labels are on sale, and when the sale starts and ends. Some sites have sales every day with inventory that is typically limited and, in most cases, cannot be previewed in advance. These sites sell everything from fashion for women, men, and children … to lingerie, handbags, sunglasses, jewelry, luggage, and even home décor. Almost every site charges a shipping fee that ranges from $4-15.

Here are some of the most popular online sample sale sites with examples of a few recent sales:

• Gilt Groupe ~ Judith Leiber, Helmut Lang, Marc Jacobs

• Rue La La ~ Lululemon, Cole Hahn, Theory, Cosabell

• HauteLook ~ James Perse, Seven for all Mankind

• billion dollar babes ~ Bread and Butter, Black Halo, Ella Moss

• Beyond the Rack ~ Ed Hardy and Michael Stars

• Editor’s Closet ~ Gustto, Burberry Sunglasses

• The Top Secret ~ Curtsey, Zoe D

• Ideeli ~ Sweet Pea, Lucky brand, Lacoste

• One Kings Lane ~ Sells only things for the home, recently J. A. Henckels knives

Gilt Groupe is my personal favorite, because it carries high-end labels that I would not otherwise purchase, including Vera Wang, Missoni, Zac Posen, and Christian Louboutin. I recently snagged a Marc Jacobs top for $40 and Hunter Boots for $35! They will be launching Gilt Fuse on 12 August, 2009 to focus solely on women’s fashion. Gilt Fuse will feature sales by a single designer, with labels to include more reasonably priced brands like BCBG at up to 80% off.

Here are a few tips on navigating these sites to bag the bargains you want:

1. Know your sizes for your favorite labels, including European clothing and shoe sizes.
2. Understand the return policy before the sale begins, as customers often only have a few minutes to guarantee purchases after adding them to shopping carts.  Some sites allow returns; others are final sale. All require payment for return shipping.
3. Scroll to the bottom of the last page on a really popular sale. Those items will sell last.
4. Set up an account prior to the sale, and include important information: credit card, shipping address, etc.
5. Don’t schedule meetings, conference calls, or lunch dates between 11:00am and 12:00pm. Sales often occur during those times. Inventory disappears within minutes. (However, RueLaLa just launched a mobile app that allows fashionistas on the go to shop from their iPhones.)
6. Get on Twitter! Many sites tweet sneak peeks about upcoming sales and featured labels.
7. Check out your favorite designer to see if they have a Facebook fan page, Twitter account, or an e-mail list.
8. Consider sites like Ideeli and billion dollar babes which sell VIP level access that provides shoppers with first dibs on sales.

High-end sites like Neiman Marcus and online retailer Net-a-Porter, through their sister site Outnet (think Vivienne Westwood and Emilio Pucci at 80% off), have started to get in on the action with their own flash sales. These sales are announced with no particular consistency, and notices are sent via e-mail about an hour prior to the sale. Even handbag designer Rebecca Minkoff had an online sample sale a few weeks ago on her site that was promoted to her e-mail subscribers.

And finally, for Washingtonians who dislike the impersonal nature of online shopping, there is the semi-annual District Sample Sale, which features deeply discounted merchandise from local boutiques. The next one is on 16 September, 2009, and tickets go on sale Tuesday, 4 August, 2009 at 10:00am. Inside tip: buy the VIP ticket – it’s well worth the extra $60, plus the proceeds go to charity.