Though Gilt has been shipping to Canada for at least a couple of years, I really only started shopping there late last year. There’s a great deal of choice, especially with higher end designers, but o course, the prices are very high. Shipping costs for Canada, are, however, fairly reasonable, considering the cost of items. Within Canada, there’s Beyond the Rack. A lot of choice there too and much more budget-friendly. However, considering that items can be less than $20, the shipping cost, at just under $6, is astronomical – unless one goes on a spree. But why should someone be forced to do that?
Flash sale sites are great to get brands at lower costs, but shipping can be pricy!
The $6 shipping at Beyond the Rack is what bothers me the most. What if I only want one item? I’m not going to spend $20 and then add on the shipping. This only encourages people to purchase items that they might not need (and one reason why I have yet to buy anything from Beyond the Rack) and stuffing their closets. Most women already have a good few thousand dollars worth of unworn clothing, shoes and accessories stuffed somewhere. We should all be encouraged to have a smaller closet (and yes, I’m guilty of over-stuffing myself). And in any case, those $30 shoes and dresses won’t sell all that well at consignment stores for those who want to get rid of things after a few seasons. The Peacock Parade, also Canadian, is better. Sure, they charge for shipping, but most items are pricier, so one won’t feel that there is a need to buy in bulk in order to make shipping worth the price. Most items are around $100 or more. In addition, there is only one new sale each day.
In my opinion, flash sale sites should not be offering items below $30 unless they’re willing to offer much cheaper shipping prices. Flat rates are usually over-priced and therefore, completely unreasonable unless one buys several items! In fact, ideally, shipping should be complementary if one’s purchases are over a specific amount (say, $100). Many non-flash sale stores do that already.
Image © Pgiam/iStockPhoto
