As Moms Seek Greater Value, Zulily Reimagines Their Online Shopping Experience

SEATTLE – Since its inception in 2010 as a digitally native retailer, Zulily^® has sought to deliver the best shopping experience for its core customers: moms. Each day, Zulily launches more than 100 flash sales, most lasting 72 hours or less, with thousands of new styles to browse and discover. Flash sales have and will continue to delight moms by delivering savings and the thrill of a great find, but — spurred by economic pressures that emerged during the pandemic — the value equation for shoppers has shifted, which means Zulily must play a different role in the lives of millions of moms. Thus, today, Zulily unveiled new features and functionalities that represent an evolution of its business model that is geared toward providing added value to its shopping experience. 

Moms are redefining “value” to mean the sum of all the parts of a shopping experience that provides service, convenience, availability, affordability, and fun, in a way that’s tailored to their specific wants, needs, and preferences. To deliver on this new concept of value, Zulily aims to provide an online superstore that invites moms to go fun shopping without breaking the bank. Featuring exclusive daily deals in conjunction with a new, always-on everyday offering, the company strives to simplify shopping so moms can feel freedom from the “to-do-list” mentality and discover fun new finds – all in the palm of their hands. 

“A universal truth about moms is that they are under a lot of pressure, whether it’s time, inflationary, financial, or societal, and these pressures are affecting the purchasing decisions and behaviors of moms. This is why we’re changing course and strive to be a solution for all moms’ wants and needs, every day,” said Courtney Kissler, SVP and Chief Technology Officer at Zulily. “We know moms are still motivated and excited by our flash sales and we must create environments where discovery is personalized, well-curated and easily shoppable to optimize the decision-making process and continue to delight moms.”  

Reimagining the Online Shopping Experience in a Post-Pandemic Future  

American households need to maximize value now more than ever before. Under an immense amount of pressure and stress, today’s moms are still responsible for over 75% of household purchases – the pressures of maximizing household budgets are virtually unprecedented: 92% of moms report that inflation has impacted their spending budget, with essentials like groceries and gas feeling the greatest impact.² Compounding this, the median U.S. household income in 2020 was $67,521, the first significant decline since 2011, while costs are increasing around every corner.  

As a result, the value equation has shifted. Not only do moms want to enrich their shopping experiences through simplicity and ease; they also want an experience that minimizes their cognitive load and frees them from the endless to-do lists of daily life. By evolving its business model, Zulily aims to be the online shopping destination that’s a little different and a lot more enjoyable. 

Three Key Shopping Experiences 

To create an experience that’s uniquely Zulily, new features and functionalities will include three key shopping experiences designed to help moms discover deals, create special moments for the family, and find the perfect unique items, guilt-free.  

1. Exclusive Daily Deals from Trusted Brands: Every day, Zulily will launch exclusively priced deals across more than 100 limited-time events, curated for each and every customer with unique and brand name items they won’t find in the average online shopping experience.​ Zulily’s exclusive daily deals enable moms to discover the best one-of-a-kind deals in retail each day.  
2. Virtual Brand Stores-within-a-Store: To maximize the time moms have, Zulily is introducing a new everyday offering that features an always-available selection of well-priced, quality brand names and on-trend styles. Through a series of more than 300 curated “virtual brand experiences,” moms can shop throughout the year with their favorite brands, including BOGS^®, Carter’s^®, Champion^®, Burt’s Bees Baby^®, Fisher-Price^®, LEGO^®, Levi’s^®, Melissa & Doug, SOREL^®, Steve Madden^®, and more. 
3. Everyday Value: Ninety-four percent of customers compare prices online¹ – and now, they’ve become even savvier. Zulily’s new everyday assortment offers a wide selection of daily essentials and basics across clothing, footwear, homewares, and more, at budget-friendly prices to solve for all of moms’ wants, needs and loves.  

The ‘Brain of The Planner’ Mom 

Moms have been at the center of Zulily’s universe since the very beginning, and the company remains steadfast in its commitment to understanding and anticipating their needs. Recognizing inflation is top of mind among moms, Zulily conducted a survey of 1,000 U.S. moms to gain a deeper understanding of how inflation is impacting their shopping habits and purchasing behaviors in order to better serve them.   

Top findings and trends from Zulily’s “2022 Brain of the Planner: Inflation Edition Report” include: 

• Planning remains the name of the game among an increasing number of moms. This year, the majority of moms (97%) see the importance of planning ahead for purchases, which can reduce stress and anxiety while also saving time and money.  
• Penny-pinching exists across the board, but to varying degrees. Moms are feeling the “inflation pinch” felt mostly on day-to-day essentials, like groceries and gas (72%), followed by discretionary spending on things like vacation, entertainment and dining out (25%). This holiday will impact 81% of moms’ gift-giving as 33% will be buying fewer gifts for everyone this year.  
• Moms find strength in numbers as they come together to share the load. In times of difficulty, moms are banding together and coming together with loved ones to find ways to save, like sharing a deal they see online or at a store (26%), buying in bulk and sharing (23%), and sharing money-saving tips, tricks and #lifehacks (21%).  

Moms everywhere can shop Zulily’s new online superstore now, with free shipping on all orders of $89 and above. For more information about what’s new, visit www.zulily.com.  

Methodology 

Findings are based on a Pollfish survey of over 1,000 U.S. based moms between the ages of 25-44, with kids aged 18 or below. The survey was fielded in August 2022.   

Sources 

1) Source: e-tailing Group, Comparison Shopping is a Way of Life 

2) Source: Zulily 2023 Brain of the Planner – Inflation Edition Report