Flash Sale Sites – What is Belle & Clive?

Bluefly’s new Flash Sale Site:  Belle & Clive

While not being available for hammering into a URL, the ol’ Ampersand sure is getting a workout these last few years.  Park & Bond, Frank & Oak, Fifth & Brannan, Dapper & ed.  At the intersection of style and the internet, there appears to be lots of intersections.  Now there’s a new pair of cross streets thrusting their “&” on the map.

Belle & Clive is to Bluefly as Park & Bond is to Gilt.  But unlike Gilt, the flash sale site for Bluefly didn’t come first.

What’s the same

• Daily sale events that start (mostly) at a consistent time – For Belle & Clive it’s 11:30am ET.
• Referral Bounties – If you refer Belle & Clive to a friend using your specific URL/code, you get a $25 credit the first time they buy something.
• You have to “request” a membership – If you’ve already setup an email/password with Bluefly, you’re in.  If not, you have to do the song and dance of asking for a membership.  Can’t imagine it’ll take long to get in, since the exclusivity play all of these sites use seems to be smoke and mirrors anyway.

What’s different

• Free Shipping both ways… sorta – They won’t charge to ship it to you, but if you’re returning something, it’s only free returns if you accept Bluefly / Belle & Clive store credit.  If you want your cash back, you’re on the hook for returns.  They do provide a $6.95 prepaid shipping label.  Seems a bit misleading with all the “Free Shipping Free Returns!” verbage on their site.

Like Bluefly, they seem real big on high end designer names.  But there’s some more affordable stuff in there too.  Examples of their goods that have been on sale this week, plus from the hip analysis are below:
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Ermenegildo Zegna Navy Tonal Stripe Suit – $1435 ($2850)

WHOA.  All right.  So, guessing that not many of us think of Zegna when asked to conjure up a brand that might be slinging suits on a flash sale website.  They’ve also been offering products from Gucci, Prada, Salvatore Ferragamo, etc…  Sure everybody loves a deal, but if someone has the bank account to shell out $250 on a belt, is that person really the type who’s going to invest the time to look for the 20% off deal?

 

Ray-Ban Caravan sunglasses – $117.00 ($130)

Actually not a bad price for new Caravans, and the silver frames aren’t the easiest to find.  Buying sunglasses over the web is a little like buying a watch.  There are plenty of websites out there that make you squint and wonder if the product is legit, but Bluefly (and now Belle & Clive) doesn’t cause that reaction.  Ships free as well.

 

J. D. Fisk Edgar Wingtip – $108 ($169)

The Edgar from J. D. Fisk has always looked like a (very) poor man’s slimmed down version of the Allen Edmonds McTavish.  But the thing is you can almost always find them at LastCall during a sale for less than $100.  They’re almost out of stock there as well as across the web at other sources, but it’s not a mind blowing price here.

 

Hilfiger Brown Glen Plaid Wool/Linen Suit – $299 ($650)

Another item that’s interesting, but the price isn’t going to make you jump out of your chair.  52% wool and 48% linen, which is a mix that’s awfully hard to get your hands on.  But the color isn’t for everyone, it’s also a glen plaid, and most of us are pre-programmed to wait on buying a Hilfiger suit until it dips into the mid $200s.  Description claims: “Tailored fit with structured, lightly padded shoulders“… wait, we’re talking about Hilfiger suiting right?

You have to give Belle & Clive this… they seem different.  The free shipping is nice, and range between Prada and Hilfiger doesn’t seem to be the norm, but is that enough to stand out in the very noisy field of flash sale sites?  As the immortal masters of poetry, Asia, once said, only time will tell.

Thoughts on this new site guys?  Have you lost interest in Flash Sale sites in general?  Leave it all below.  After what first came to mind upon seeing the name of this new site.  Can’t explain why:
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