Japanese Shoppers Loosen Up Online

摘要

Gilt Japan executives reacted to the Mar. 11 earthquake and tsunami in the same spirit of jishuku, or self-restraint, that characterized much of the country. For the week and a half following the quake, the online luxury retailer didn't send the usual 9 p.m. e-mail blasts to its 600,000-plus members promoting "flash sales." It held a fundrais-ing sale to help with disaster relief, agreeing to match contributions. When Gilt Japan resumed sending e-mail alerts on Mar. 22, Peter Glusk-er, its chief executive officer, was surprised at the response. "It was within a hair of being our best weekend ever," he says of the days that followed. While Glusker won't disclose sales figures, he says "the demand for luxury goods was incredibly strong."