Newspapers were once a tool for advertising or selling products to consumers.
But this month The International Herald Tribune has teamed up with a seasoned online fashion retailing expoert to launch its own online store to sell products to its readers.
The IHT – the global edition of The New York Times – has partnered with Couturelab.com to launch a luxury goods store IHTGiftStore.com.
Couturelab.com was created by Carmen Busquets, a co-founder and cornerstone investor in net-a-porter.com. She planned Couturelab.com as a “laboratory of ideas” and a brand focused on supporting craftsmanship and heritage. Today, Couturelab.com is an e-commerce gift site which sells rare products from around the world.
The IHT Gift Store offers a selection of exquisitely crafted gifts and unique products sourced from specialist craftsmen, artists, designers and brands curated by Couturelab.com.
From unique artisan jewellery to elegant travel accessories, customers can easily browse gifts for him, for her, for home and holiday gifts. It also features a books section where illustrated Folio Society editions of carefully selected classics are available. As an added feature, the site also enables visitors to create, manage and share a gift list in five simple steps.
Stephen Dunbar-Johnson, Publisher of the IHT said the IHT Gift Store said Couturelab.com was the ideal partner for IHT because of its “focus on quality, heritage and craftsmanship which fits perfectly with the values of the IHT.”
Busquets says she is passionate about supporting some of world’s top creative talents and educating consumers about the story and intrinsic value of the product they purchase.
“And as both Couturelab.com customers and IHT readers have global lifestyles which transcend trends and seasons, we are the perfect collaborators in this exciting project.”
Busquets says Couturelab.com’s mission is to “demonstrate the significant effect consumer purchase decisions can have on sustaining the artisan and bringing prosperity to numerous cultures and societies around the world”.
