Flash Sale? The New Business Mantra

Flash sales are a time-limited offer of high discounts on big ticket luxury items. The system is a win-win for both retailers and consumers: retailers can build brand loyalty and at the same time sell surplus stock within a short span of time.

How they work
The offers are ‘abrupt’ and lasts for a brief time. It is also one of the safest deal takings. In other words you have to avail the opportunity as soon as you are offered the services. Consumers normally receive online offers including even invitations in the mail/emails, for offers averaging 50% off.
In the US, online sample sale site Gilt Groupe have launched an iPad app allowing users and buyers to access  flash sales of  luxury goods on its site.

Where flash sales are headed
A report by Business Insider estimate that flash sales will be a $6bn market by 2015.
Given the uniquely large supply glut in 2007, offline retailers of all stripes were likewise incentivized to convert their own inventories to cash positions, translating to even deeper discounts and fewer brand protections for manufacturers.
Into the void stepped flash sale sites to offer companies a novel strategy to off excess inventories while simultaneously creating an illusion of exclusivity.

Amazon’s flash sales
Amazon has launched a US private sale website for designer clothes, with members-only shopping and time-limited “flash” sales with discounts of up to 60%.
They opened the site called MyHabit.com last year, competing with start-ups including Gilt Groupe and Rue La La that have won well-off young female customers with their brief sales and urgent marketing.
Amazon promised a rolling series of cut-price deals – available for 72 hours each – from more than 800 brands.

Achica - an online breakthrough
Achica, the members-only home and luxury lifestyle UK website, defied the retail gloom after the fledgling company reported strong sales growth as it expands in continental Europe.
With the homeware sector being one of the hardest-hit areas on the high street as people delay refurbishment projects and trim spending on non-essential items, Achica has bucked this trend by focusing on offering premium homeware goods such as Anglepoise lamps and Le Creuset kitchenware at discounts of up to 70% via “flash” sales, typically lasting for 48 hours.

Apart from obvious opportunities in categories at the upper end of the market, how about suppliers anticipating the spread of flash sales into other categories, and pre-empting the competition, proactively…?