“Most online shopping mirrors brick-and-mortar stores,” says Susan Lyne. “They’re not taking advantage of what’s uniquely possible online, the heightened sense of entertainment and competition.” As CEO of Gilt Groupe, Lyne has reimagined online retail, offering 36-hour flash sales on everything from designer handbags to golf clubs to travel deals. Completely swapping out inventory daily–or employing Kiva robots to fill orders from the ever-expanding warehouse–is no small feat, but Lyne’s prowess at managing the technical dance has goosed Gilt’s revenues sixfold last year and it’s on track to hit $500 million in 2010. As copycat flash-sale sites spring up, all eyes are on Lyne–who formerly ran Martha Stewart Living Omnimedia, ABC Entertainment, and Premiere Magazine–to keep innovating forward. Next up? Serving hyper-customized sales based on user demographics.
collections
NewsletterCourses and LearningAdvertiseCurrent IssueFast Government
The future of innovation and technology in government for the greater good
Most Innovative Companies
Fast Company's annual ranking of businesses that are making an outsize impact
Most Creative People
Leaders who are shaping the future of business in creative ways
World Changing Ideas
New workplaces, new food sources, new medicine--even an entirely new economic system
Innovation By Design
Celebrating the best ideas in business
Follow us:
