Shoppers may have fewer dollars these days, but they still want to make the most of them. That’s the idea behind Gilt Groupe, the members-only shopping site featuring daily deals, or “flash-sales,” on limited quantities of designer goods. (Click here for a post about Gilt CEO Susan Lyne, formerly head of Martha Stewart Living Omnimedia).
Now Gilt is bringing the same formula to the luxury travel sphere with a new site called Jetsetter. Before you start thinking this is just another Orbitz/Expedia/Travelocity/Priceline copycat, check out my story on the Fortune Brainstorm Tech site. I explain how Jetsetter departs from the norm, with destinations like the Cotton House on the Isle of Mustique, and the Bauer Hotel, overlooking Venice’s Grand Canal. The list of mass-market travel sites may be long, but according to Jetsetter CEO Drew Patterson, “The luxury travel industry has a lot of white space.” –Jessica Shambora