RowNine Offers First Online Private Sale Website That Focuses Exclusively on Luxury Products with Expert Concierge Services

RowNine today announced the launch of www.rownine.com, the first online private sale website exclusively dedicated to luxury goods and accessories combined with the high-touch concierge services demanded by discerning consumers. The company provides its members with 72-hour access to online private sales of genuine luxury brand merchandise, offering significant discounts off MSRP.

Started by veterans of the e-commerce and luxury retail worlds, RowNine is exclusively focused on the specific needs of luxury consumers. While offering significant discounts for genuine, luxury products, the site differs from existing private sale websites by:

• Focusing exclusively on luxury brands. The site will focus on leather goods, jewelry, timepieces and accessories and not feature low-end commodity categories that are on other third-party private sale sites, such as children’s toys, books, etc.;
• Its ability to attract luxury brands that are concerned about diminishing their brands by participating on the lower-end third-party private sale sites;
• Providing professional concierge services that move the pampered brick and mortar luxury retail experience online, such as:

• Certified gemologists and factory-trained timepiece experts;
• Personal shopping assistants with detailed brand knowledge;
• Detailed information on customer preferences and shopping history to provide the most customized service.

“Over the past few years, online private sale sites have taken off, growing at more than 400%,” said Steve Shonebarger, former senior vice president of Bulgari and Harry Winston. “However, these sites have grown so large that, by definition, they have eroded the exclusivity that comes with the luxury retail experience. They offer high-end and low-end merchandise and everything in between in an attempt to move large volumes of goods to keep up with the growth. You’ll find a $10,000 watch next to children’s toys. The shopper must spend a great deal of time wading through products they aren’t interested in purchasing to find that gem. RowNine provides luxury brands within a luxury environment.”

RowNine blends a deep understanding of the luxury retail market with a technical understanding and background in online marketing and e-commerce technology. The company’s founders, Lawrence Kosick and Ned Taylor, were early employees at Yahoo! who left the company in 2003 to pursue their common interest in luxury timepiece collection by purchasing a luxury watch and jewelry store. They quickly realized that their retirement hobby in brick and mortar retail would not be a quiet pursuit of a shared passion, as the disruptive presence of the Internet was beginning to transform one of the last holdout industries: luxury retail. Leveraging their deep understanding of the Internet and online activity, they developed a technology platform to bring the luxury retail store experience online.

RowNine is funded by consumer retail experts, JH Partners, whose portfolio has included Frette, La Perla, Design Within Reach and Bare Escentuals, and by the venture capital arm of one of the world’s leading luxury goods companies.

“Just in time for the holiday shopping season, we’re pleased to introduce a totally new online private sale experience designed specifically for luxury consumers that are looking for great brands and great values,” said Lawrence Kosick, CEO of RowNine. “In the few weeks that we have been beta testing the site, we have already had a sale in excess of $50,000 for a luxury timepiece where the customer took full advantage of our concierge expert consultant.”

Invitations to join RowNine can be provided by friends that are already members, or by requesting an invitation at www.rownine.com. For a limited time, users can join by visiting www.rownine.com/invite/launch@rownine.com. During the next two weeks, RowNine will offer sales of designer eyewear, fine timepieces, leather accessories and ladies handbags.

About RowNine

RowNine ( www.rownine.com) is the first company to offer an online private sale site dedicated exclusively to luxury goods and accessories, with high-touch concierge services that bring the true-luxury experience of brick and mortar luxury shopping online. It is also the only company to offer a technology and marketing platform that gives luxury brands and retailers the ability to develop a customized online private sale website for their high-end overstock merchandise. RowNine is funded by consumer retail experts, JH Partners, whose portfolio has included Frette, La Perla, Design Within Reach and Bare Escentuals, and by the venture capital arm of one of the world’s leading luxury goods companies.