Online retailer zulily brings the fun of White Elephant gift exchanges with a mobile twist this December

SEATTLE, Dec. 4, 2018 /PRNewswire/ -- zulily, the online retailer that launches thousands of products every day at up to 70 percent off, is helping thrill seekers get their festive fun on with the launch of a mobile gift service, available on Wednesday, Dec. 5 and Thursday, Dec. 6, 2018 in 10 markets around the U.S. More than 36 million Americans could take part in the rising trend of gift exchanges called White Elephant Parties: a party game in which friends and family exchange joke or gag gifts which are revealed, swapped and even stolen throughout an evening. And though the exchange may seem like a silly tradition, White Elephant parties could result in major consumer spending: the same survey found Americans could spend up to $22 billion in gifts purchased.ⁱ

"White Elephant gift exchanges are a holiday hit because they're an entertaining way to crank up the fun and friendly competition around the holidays," said Lori Twomey, chief merchant at zulily. "At zulily, our 6.6 million active customers always shop with us for the things they love at prices they can brag about, and this holiday season, we're excited to bring our fun, game-like shopping experience to life, in a special way, perfect for the holidays!"

Here's how the zulily White Elephant Gift Service will work:

1. On Dec. 5 and 6, partygoers in San Francisco, Oakland, Los Angeles, Las Vegas, New York City, Philadelphia, Pittsburgh, Seattle, Boston and Miami can tweet at @zulily with the hashtag #zulilygiftsweepstakes and an optional elephant emoji from 12:00 p.m. ET to 8:00 p.m. ET time each day.
2. Then, @zulily will respond with an automated link to sign up for the chance to win something totally LOL-worthy.
3. If chosen as one of the randomly selected winners throughout the day, thrill seekers will play a quick round of White Elephant gift exchange and will be faced with a choice to either "steal" a featured unwrapped gift or take a chance on a mystery wrapped gift curated from zulily's top trending White Elephant gifts.
4. Then, zulily's White Elephant herd will deliver the gift within two hours!

In New York City only, zulily will host an extra-special White Elephant event where locals can come out to play offline! Thrill seekers have the opportunity to line up to meet and greet the zulily White Elephant street team and play to win straight from the trunk while supplies last. Party stops will be: Bryant Park (39th Street between 5th and 6th Avenues) on Dec. 5 and Madison Square Park (26th Street between Broadway and 6th Avenues) on Dec. 6. On both days, the event will be at each location from 1 p.m. to 6 p.m. ET.

So why is the steal-focused gift exchange party a white-hot trend? zulily research found that Americans are hoofing it to more White Elephant parties to connect with their loved ones: 35 percent of Americans said what they love most about attending a White Elephant is spending time with friends and family, versus 24 percent who are in it for the gifts.

Plus, exchanges take the ho-hum out of the holidays: almost a quarter of Americans (24%) reported their favorite part about a White Elephant party is getting an unexpected gift. Whether it's prosecco pong or a whimsical garden gnome, consumers will aim to surprise and delight to win bragging rights.

And last, "Shoppers want to discover and purchase a gift that's an extension of their own lifestyle, whether it's a kitschy kitchen accessory, a pet recovery cone for a furry friend, or a comedic coloring book," continued Twomey. "White Elephant gifting is another opportunity to entertain and connect through gift giving, and to showcase personality with friends and family – and at zulily, we're more than happy to help with those connections." 

For more fun, visit zulily.com and zulily's social pages: Facebook, Twitter, Instagram and Pinterest; and for the full data and methodology behind zulily's White Elephant Trends, please visit zulily's White Elephant Trends Report and rules and regulations.

About zulily, llc

zulily, llc, is a retailer obsessed with bringing its customers special finds every day—all at incredible prices. zulily features an always-fresh curated collection for the whole family, including clothing, home decor, toys, gifts and more. Unique products from up-and-coming brands are featured alongside favorites from top brands, giving customers something new to discover each morning. zulily was launched in 2010 and is headquartered in Seattle with offices in Nevada, Ohio and Pennsylvania. For more information visit www.zulily.com. zulily, llc, is a wholly owned subsidiary of Qurate Retail, Inc. (NASDAQ: QRTEA, QRTEB), which includes QVC, HSN, zulily and the Cornerstone brands (collectively, "Qurate Retail Group"), as well as other minority investments. Qurate Retail Group believes in a third way to shop -- beyond transactional ecommerce or traditional brick-and-mortar stores -- and is #1 in video commerce, #3 in ecommerce in North America and #3 in mobile commerce in the U.S. (according to Internet Retailer). For more information, visit www.qurateretailgroup.com.

CONTACT: zulily, llc

Andrea Conrad, 206.724-0500 x. 5408 (Media), [email protected]

ⁱ What's White Elephant? America's Rising Obsession with the Quirky and Hilarious Gift Exchange: https://cfcdn-skin.zulily.com/media/catalog/treatments/1542245550530/zulily_white_elephant_trend_report_FINAL.pdf

SOURCE zulily, llc

Related Links

http://www.zulily.com

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