After two years, Gilt Taste is closing. Today an email went out to members announcing that the products previously available through Gilt Taste will now be available through the Gilt Home. This move signals the nail in the coffin for the high-end grocery site, which nine months ago announced serious cutbacks to their editorial side. The site stopped producing editorial content altogether in the Fall. Gilt Taste's editorial maven Ruth Reichl called the site "over" this past February, but beginning tomorrow (Friday, May 24th), Gilt Taste will cease to exist. According to a rep from The Gilt Groupe, "Two employees were affected and we are actively looking for positions internally."
According to the email that circulated today: "On May 24th, gourmet products previously found on Gilt Taste will be offered through our home store, during holidays and special occasions throughout the year." Gilt Groupe's rep confirmed that the site will now only be selling gourmet items on "a seasonal basis" because "We found that the Taste customer predominately shopped during peak holiday times." What does that mean for all the old editorial on Gilt Taste?
At this time, it is unclear whether the editorial content will be archived somewhere on the Gilt site or whether it will simply disappear. Eater has reached out to Gilt to find out what is happening to the old editorial content and are waiting on comment. While there has not been word on whether Reichl will continue to "consult," former Gilt Taste features editor Francis Lam is joining Clarkson Potter as an editor-at-large.
Since first launching back in 2011, Gilt Taste has won four 2012 International Association of Culinary Professionals (IACP) awards for: Culinary Product or Brand Website; Culinary Writing With or Without Recipes; Culinary Writing with Recipes; and Culinary Travel Writing or Memoirs and Personal Essays. Gilt Taste also received several James Beard media award nominations in 2012 and 2013 nominations including: Food Coverage in a Food-Focused Publication ('12); Food, Culture and Travel ('12); Visual Storytelling ('13); and the M.F.K. Fisher Distinguished Writing Award for a piece Tamar Adler published on Gilt Taste ('12).
Below is the email that Gilt Taste sent today as well as a statement from a Gilt press rep. Stay tuned for more information on the closure.
The email:
From Gilt Groupe:
Starting tomorrow on May 24th, gourmet items and gifting products will be offered on a seasonal basis within Gilt's home business. This will allow our customers to shop for home, gourmet entertaining and gifting products all in one great location. There is significant overlap between the gourmet food and home customer and this strategy will allow us to better serve the needs of the customer. We found that the Taste customer predominately shopped during peak holiday times. We'll be able to continue to meet that demand.Upcoming gourmet sales include: Memorial Day sale (starting tomorrow), Father's Day June 9th and a 4th of July sale as well.
· All Gilt Taste Coverage on Eater [-E-]