‘Woot’ is an Internet commerce company based in the Dallas, Texas suburb of Carrollton, Texas, which operates a website of the same name. The site debuted on July 12, 2004. Founded by electronics wholesaler Matt Rutledge, Woot offers a new discounted product every day with the product “expiring” each night at midnight. Woot’s novel, irreverent approach quickly attracted a robust community of customers, who share their opinions on the site’s community forums. Product selections tend to emphasize (but are not limited to) computer components and electronic gadgetry, all sold at closeout prices.

Woot takes its name from the widely-used online interjection “w00t!” Each product sold is referred to as the “woot.”

Woot’s tagline is “One Day, One Deal.” Generally, Woot offers one product per day until its stock of that item is sold out or the product is replaced at midnight Central Standard Time Zone with the next offering. If a product sells out during its run, the next item still does not appear until midnight, except during WootOffs. Products are never announced beforehand and often sell out in a few hours or even minutes of frenzied buying. In contrast to a market characterized by ever-expanding consumer choice, the Woot.com approach relies on the elements of simplicity and surprise.

Customers may typically buy up to three of the day’s item, although the site has been known to limit product quantity to one per customer on occasion. Woot does not reveal how many units remain available in a given sale, but animates the “I Want One” button when 10 percent or less remains. Woot does list how many products were available after they are sold out.

Shipping is a flat rate of $5.00 per order, regardless of quantity of items purchased, size and weight of purchase, or shipping destination (as long as the destination is in the continental United States).

The company’s marketing style runs counter to conventional wisdom in other ways. Typically, product descriptions will mock the product, the customer, or Woot itself. Product drawbacks are preemptively acknowledged and buyers are advised to beware. Community users often do their own research and post their opinions — positive, negative, or indifferent — on the user Internet forum. The Woot staff identifies “Quality Posts,” or quality excerpts from posts, and features them at the top of the forum. They tend to feature not just positive comments about the item, but also helpful negative comments and reviews – as well as competitive pricing links that users have posted.

Dear Jerkface

WootOffs

Bags Of Crap

Launch Event

Two for Tuesday

Woot Wine

Woot Podcasts

Woot Contests

November, 2006

December, 2006

January, 2007

March, 2007

April, 2007

May-June, 2007