Seattle Culture
The Rise, Fall, and Rise of Zulily
New owner plans to reopen the former Seattle-based online retailer
By Rob Smith July 31, 2024
Beyond Inc. plans to relaunch Zulily September 10.
Beyond — which also owns Bed Bath & Beyond and Overstock.com — acquired the intellectual property and brand assets of Zulily in March for $4.5 million. The e-commerce company once known for its flash sales shut down late last year after laying off several hundred employees.
Beyond executives told investors that the company has signed more than 100 legacy vendors and another 100 suppliers for Zulily, and has added “key legacy Zulily leaders.”
“We hired a team of experienced merchants who were with legacy Zulily, know the Zulily customer and have established working relationships with important brand partners,” President and CEO David J. Nielsen told investors. “Their efforts are bearing fruit as we’ve made great progress on onboarding key legacy vendors, while also adding some new vendors to the mix. In addition to offering exciting flash (sales), we’ll also be offering an evergreen assortment of must-have basics.”
Zulily was founded in 2009 in Seattle by executives who had previously worked at jewelry company Blue Nile. At its peak, the company offered daily sales on apparel and other items aimed at moms and their kids. The company once said that Zulily members could get up to 70% off retail prices.
Utah-based Beyond has also had its struggles. Executives said the company’s net revenue fell by almost 6% year over year and lost $43 million.
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