Pre-launch Chromebooks to be sold on luxury goods flash sale site

[bw100]

Google is teaming with luxury seller Gilt Groupe to distribute some of the first machines.

Reported by [allthingsd.com ].

This is an interesting choice of a deals site for early sales of the Chromebook - one of the few deals sites that doesn't compete in the mass arena. Gilt is a high-end fashion / luxury goods flash-sale site. Alleged demographics for the site are: 18-24 year old, college-educated women with an income > $100K. Assuming some validity of the demographics, it is a very curious selection of a market segment to target. Why would Google go in this direction?

The Samsung Chromebook Series 5 3G is listed at $499. Anyone know how this compares to the prices to be in effect June 15th?

[edited by: goodroi at 1:21 pm (utc) on Jun 2, 2011]
[edit reason] Added link to story [/edit]

[bw100]

As reported earlier in Engadget [engadget.com...] regarding participation in this sales event:

Google's now sending out emails like the one above to at least some folks that signed up to be a part of the Cr-48 pilot program, telling them that they can join a "limited time" sale on the high-end discount site starting today, June 1st.

Gilt was originally a "by invitation only" site, and always sells limited quantities, so maybe that was the "fit". "High-end" product?

Interestingly, the product was apparently not discounted. A nice gambit to gauge interest in the product, based on product sales (they sold out ... but the quantity available was not disclosed) and waiting list signup. Not to mention the amount of press coverage this little gem generated in both the popular and tech sectors . Classic publicity, as part of the marketing mix, at work. Now, we can wait to see what happens next.