I just see this as a company leveraging their expansive user base to sell T-Shirts.
Their is synergy between their core business and their new t-shirt venture.
Actually, I don't really think there's any "synergy" with their "core business". It's the reverse of their business model. They have odd lots and closeouts and (usually) crap that no one wants except for the ridiculously low price that they offer. They fill their warehouse with remainders and decide which day we're most likely to go nucking futs over it.
With shirt.woot, they're venturing into manufacturing this themselves (at least, if the photos are any indication). These are not ugly, stupid designs that no one else wanted. There is very little margin and it seems to serve mostly as a marketing outlet for promising t-shirt designers.
I'm not complaining, I just don't understand why they're doing it. The only thing shirt.woot has in common with woot! is the massive built-in audience. Methinks that a bigwig at woot! just loves t-shirts. Not that there's anything wrong with that, of course.
Last edited by Rodney; July 26th, 2007 at 02:32 PM.
Reason: removed unnecessary chinese comments
Actually, I don't really think there's any "synergy" with their "core business". It's the reverse of their business model. They have odd lots and closeouts and (usually) crap that no one wants except for the ridiculously low price that they offer. They fill their warehouse with remainders and decide which day we're most likely to go nucking futs over it.
With shirt.woot, they're venturing into manufacturing this themselves (at least, if the photos are any indication). These are not ugly, stupid designs that no one else wanted. There is very little margin and it seems to serve mostly as a marketing outlet for promising t-shirt designers.
I'm not complaining, I just don't understand why they're doing it. The only thing shirt.woot has in common with woot! is the massive built-in audience. Methinks that a bigwig at woot! just loves t-shirts. Not that there's anything wrong with that, of course.
i See selling cheap shirts at low margin in line with their core busines model of selling cheap technology at low margins.
Both models selling to their cheap customer base.
i See selling cheap shirts at low margin in line with their core busines model of selling cheap technology at low margins.
Both models selling to their cheap customer base.
Sorry, I guess I think of a business model as being more than "sell cheap at low margin". My comment was not a criticism of yours, although I admit that buzzwords kind of set me off. It was more of a curious observation because it's intriguing when companies appear to move away from their business model.
If you think my assumptions are wrong you are welcome to tell me, but saying that selling more cheap stuff for cheap is the same business model is pretty vague. You might as well be describing Wal-mart, Fry's, or every flea market out there. Come to think of it, if I heard that woot! opened a storefront or started selling at flea market booths, I would be less surprised than hearing that they are going into the manufacture of t-shirts.
It interests me that they're now moving into the realm of celebrity by having Cory Doctorow design a shirt. I was shocked it took so long to sell out... until I realised they doubled the print run.
Today's shirt.woot is pretty good. They are getting some big hitting designers in the mix.
Getting a t-shirt for $10 that was designed by someone who has designed for Christian Audigier and True Religion ain't bad.
You might like to know that buying this woot led me to this forum. I'm not even really into t-shirts... I just like to read people who are passionate... about practically anything!
Has anyone else had trouble joining Shirt Woot? I created an account but got no joining mail and can't log in. I tried a second time with a different email and had the same trouble, emailed them and had no response so far.
__________________ British themed drinking, political and motoring T Shirts from http://www.uk-tshirts.co.uk
revisiting a old thread wondering how everyone feels about the site today?
At first I found them interesting, but quickly moved on to thinking of them as pretty irrelevant.
I almost never look at their site. When I do it's never with a view to buy, just to see what they've been up to. I'm usually disappointed in the quality of their design. Most of what they sell couldn't make it on a regular t-shirt site. Some of it would do well anywhere.
They don't keep me awake at night, as I might have expected $10 aa shirts to.
Re: shirt.woot.com...the threadless killer? 
