Piperlime: A Multichannel Diversion

A month ago, Gap launched an online shoe business called "Piperlime". This business competes against multichannel shoe retailers and online pureplays like Zappos. You might enjoy some of the comments about this new business from various bloggers. And the end of the blogger section, I'll ask for your opinion.

Styledash --- might take business from Zappos.

Celebrity A-List stylist Rachel Zoe and guest editor for Piperlime, from Soles4Souls.org, an organization that uses donated shoes to help the world.

Brief discussion of some of the brands Piperlime carries.

From the Second City Style blog.

More important, what do you think of a multichannel retailer launching an online-only "pureplay" brand? Does this fly in the face of what pundits tell us about how we should executive multichannel retail strategies? What do you think? What chance does this startup have of succeeding? Is Gap crazy, or brilliant?