Stock Should Rise at Flash-Sale Sites

Last month, retail giant Nordstrom scooped up HauteLook faster than a savvy shopper will snap up a $425 pair of Tom Ford sunglasses discounted to $129. The luxury chain’s purchase of downtown L.A.’s HauteLook for $180 million in stock reflects the growing popularity of “flash sale” websites like HauteLook. It’s the first time ever that a brick-and-mortar retailer has acquired a flash-sale site company, showing the importance of such sites as traditional retailers look to tap into the $176 billion U.S. online shopping industry.