eLuxury is Closing

By LAUREN CRIGHTON

Updated 5:30 PM EST, Mon, Jan 12, 2009

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Courtesy of eluxury.com

In one of the more apt-sounding headlines of the year, upscale online retailer eLuxury is closing its doors starting in mid-2009. Now, while most of you are probably thinking "it's the economy, stupid!", apparently eLuxury says it's actually because most of the major retailers they carry have launched their own web stores.

Now, bear in mind: The site was launched back in 2000 by none other than LVMH (Louis Vuitton Moet Hennessey) - thusly, the reason that they have an entire section devoted to Louis Vuitton. Now that it's 2009, a bunch of these folks (LV specifically) have their own web stores—many of which are even e-commerce—so it makes sense that the site would be suffering. Granted, it also stands to reason that people aren't buying Pucci with quite the degree that they used to.

According to a spokesperson: "eLuxury's new mission will be to create an 'e-window' into the world of luxury, by serving as an information reference for luxury in fashion, art de vivre, leather goods, wines and spirits, watches and jewelry, gastronomy, cars, yachts and services." Um, and e-window? Like a blog? Or a magazine? And wait ... "yachts"? That's a hell of a thing to throw in last minute.

We certainly wish eLuxury the best with their new endeavors—perhaps with this "e-window," they can start catering to those pesky ultra-rich shoppers The New York Times was referring to: You know, the ones who have to shop in secret, in shame? Yeah. That sounds rough.