Wayfair.com cozies up to Justin Timberlake

Wayfair.com and HomeMint.com have teamed up to sell a collection of home goods selected or designed by pop star Justin Timberlake. HomeMint.com says its intent is to expose its products to Wayfair’s home décor-minded audience, and to build interest in HomeMint.com’s own e-commerce business.

From its launch this spring until this week, Timberlake’s line was sold exclusively at HomeMint.com. HomeMint.com is one of a handful of celebrity-infused e-commerce “mint” web sites owned by BeachMint LLC, which started operations in 2010. Other BeachMint sites include JewelMint.com, with actress Kate Bosworth; BeautyMint.com, with singer Jessica Simpson; and ShoeMint.com, with actress Rachel Bilson.

Consumers who visit Wayfair.com will see many of the same products available for sale at HomeMint.com, although the pricing is different. A BeachMint spokeswoman says the prices for HomeMint goods on Wayfair.com are not lower than what HomeMint.com’s paid subscribers pay for the same products. HomeMint.com works on a two-tier pricing model. Consumers can buy a product outright without having to pay a monthly $9.99 subscription fee, although members pay less for the same product. For example, HomeMint.com sells a washed linen fitted sheet to non-members for $116.99. It sells the sheet to members for $89.99. On Wayfair.com, the same sheet is listed for $103.49.

The BeachMint spokesperson declined to provide details on the sales arrangement but says BeachMint spoke with Wayfair  representatives before Timberlake’s line launched this spring. “We talked about this from the start as a way to size up the mailing list for HomeMint,” the BeachMint spokeswoman says, adding that the company considers the arrangement with Wayfair.com a test.  She says other BeachMint sites have occasionally sold goods through other e-retailers, although those were typically flash sale e-retailers. BeachMint has sold JewelMint.com jewelry through Gilt Groupe, for example. Gilt Groupe is No. 49 in the Guide. Wayfair.com, No. 50, did not respond to inquiries.

Wayfair.com is promoting the availability of HomeMint goods with “exclusively at Wayfair” messaging and photos on its home page of Timberlake and the line’s co-designer Estee Stanley. Stanley also wrote a Wayfair.com blog entry introducing her design approach. Clicking the Shop Now button from the home page takes consumers to a page with HomeMint product selections, where consumers are also urged to sign-up for HomeMint.com e-mails. Orders and payments take place wholly within Wayfair.com’s systems.

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