Article: Clicking with customers ; Even in a rough economy, shoppers still crave bargains. Online retailer Rue La La may just have their number.

For a website devoted to discount high-end shopping, the home page is strikingly subtle. Simple black script declares, "Most wanted brands. Private sale prices." A cursor blinks invitingly near a box marked "Password." A pink door is hemmed in by velvet rope.

Since its launch in April 2008, members-only sale site Rue La La has taken a bite out of the online retail marketplace. Consumers, skittish about spending, still love a bargain, and Boston-based Rue La La - along with online competitors Gilt Groupe, Ideeli, and HauteLook - are luring shoppers, even as upscale retail stores take a beating.

While some high-end department stores lose revenue and trim staff, Rue La La, which now claims a ...

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