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Today, we have a brand new, social-commerce-y way to work from home: Fashion website Shop My Label, which is due to launch today. (As of right now, though, it's pretty bare beta bones.) The site isn't just your typical Rue La La, though they do share a technology firm—you can actually make money with it, instead of just spending money.
Here's how it works: Anyone (over the age of 14, of course) can curate an online boutique, which will then be gloriously named after them and promoted via social media sites like Twitter. On every sale that's made, the shopowner gets a commission cut. Are you waiting for the catch? We can't really find one, but we came across this little nugget of crazy: Boutique curators don't need to pay any start-up fee, nor do they ever purchase the inventory they sell. They just get the money.
There's 1,000 brands to pick from, most of which come from Saks, plus lines like the Jessica Simpson Collection, Nine West, Rachel Rachel Roy, Delia's, Alloy, (remember them?) and DL1961. So how the hell does this actually work?
WWD reports:
Shopkeepers will get a 5 percent commission on each sale, and incentives when they convince others to also become Shop My Label shopkeepers. Shop My Label itself will get up to 15 percent commission on revenues. "The financial model is revenue sharing—it does eat into retailers' margins, but retailers are excited by the prospect of new customer acquisition," said [Shop My Label investor Mortimer] Singer.
Oh, and to really top this sundae off with a cherry, there's free shipping.
· Social Commerce Site Shop My Label Launches [WWD, subscription req'd]
· Shop My Label [Official Site]