Are we being unfair to Chanel re prices?

Young1987

O.G.
May 1, 2013
635
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There’s a lot of discussion about how ridiculous Chanel’s prices are these days, but are they really?

Hear me out.

A medium Lady Dior is $6100 USD.
A medium Fendi Peekaboo is $5600.
A YSL Icare tote is $4900.
Bottega Veneta Jodie is $4100 and the medium Cabat is $9100.
Even Gucci is up there these days with the Blondie at $3600.
And we all know about Hermes pricing.

So again, I ask, are we being unfair by being so hard on Chanel? Yes, ALL high-end bags are crazy-expensive, and Chanel is top tier, so I guess what I’m saying is that it makes some sort of sense when you compare their prices to other luxury bag prices.

Am I wrong? What do you think?
(p.s. I’m by no means saying that I’m happy about any of it!!)
 
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IMO, All these houses started raising prices because of Chanel...Chanel kept doing it, so they started doing it. Chanel's sales only got better, profits soared. So, why would other houses also not do it? They were the pace car, again IMO.

Hermes hasn't raised prices, as a percentage, anywhere near what Chanel or the above houses have. They even stated at one point, during COVID, that any price increases were for *real" factors, actual prices of materials, labor, tariffs, etc, not a way to position themselves in the marketplace. If only these increases came with better quality of materials or craftsmanship, maybe they would seem less opportunistic ...more substantiated.

Capitalism is capitalism. All are "guilty" of testing limits with what customers are willing to pay, completely incommensurate with actual costs of production.
 
IMO, All these houses started raising prices because of Chanel...Chanel kept doing it, so they started doing it. Chanel's sales only got better, profits soared. So, why would other houses also not do it? They were the pace car, again IMO.

Hermes hasn't raised prices, as a percentage, anywhere near what Chanel or the above houses have. They even stated at one point, during COVID, that any price increases were for *real" factors, actual prices of materials, labor, tariffs, etc, not a way to position themselves in the marketplace. If only these increases came with better quality of materials or craftsmanship, maybe they would seem less opportunistic ...more substantiated.

Capitalism is capitalism. All are "guilty" of testing limits with what customers are willing to pay, completely incommensurate with actual costs of production.
Great points, @TraceySH !!
 
There’s a lot of discussion about how ridiculous Chanel’s prices are these days, but are they really?

Hear me out.

A medium Lady Dior is $6100 USD.
A medium Fendi Peekaboo is $5600.
A YSL Icare tote is $4900.
Bottega Veneta Jodie is $4100 and the medium Cabat is $9100.
Even Gucci is up there these days with the Blondie at $3600.
And we all know about Hermes pricing.

So again, I ask, are we being unfair by being so hard on Chanel? Yes, ALL high-end bags are crazy-expensive, and Chanel is top tier, so I guess what I’m saying is that it makes some sort of sense when you compare their prices to other luxury bag prices.

Am I wrong? What do you think?
(p.s. I’m by no means saying that I’m happy about any of it!!)
The reality is that none of them make sense if you only look at quality of construction and materials. It would be one thing if they were all artisan made, 100% saddle-stitched and using the best leather quality available.

However you don’t judge a painting from the cost of canvas and paint so they may still be worth it design wise.

However they charge what people are willing to pay and so far the wall doesn’t seem to have been met.
 
Disclaimer: I like CHANEL but I don't buy Chanel and I'm not planning to. I'm fine with the price increases because as luxury goods go, demand always INCREASES with price increases. However, I do wish they took that money and invested it into the quality and design of the bags more. I don't care if they are machine made or human made, but they should be more durable and higher quality for the prices they are demanding.
 
I’m one of the few who have bought chanel for decades and don’t actually see much difference in quality. At least in what I chose to purchase. As the prices spiral upwards, I simply buy less and choose more carefully. Re whether the prices are fair; it’s premier big brand. Only you can decide if it’s worth it in terms of how much you desire an item and it’s cost per wear
 
The reason to buy a brand like Chanel is that you want the name. There is no real justification for the price other than the name. The materials, quality and workmanship on any of these brands do not come anywhere near being worth the prices charged. Many brands charge much MUCH less for the same level of quality.

It's about paying a premium to be part of a brand. If someone is already paying such high costs for a brand name, why complain when they have to pay even more? It just makes it even more "exclusive" and "luxury" which is the point anyway. I would argue that if the price increases are pricing someone out of the brand, then they probably couldn't really afford to be there in the first place.
 
I’m one of the few who have bought chanel for decades and don’t actually see much difference in quality. At least in what I chose to purchase. As the prices spiral upwards, I simply buy less and choose more carefully. Re whether the prices are fair; it’s premier big brand. Only you can decide if it’s worth it in terms of how much you desire an item and it’s cost per wear
I agree. I have not personally witnessed any decline in quality, and I’ve purchased a lot of bags over the past few years. The craftsmanship has been impeccable, which is why I’m a fan. (So sorry if any of you have had problems with your bags!)
 
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I purchased my first Chanel bag in 2012 and have built a (very) small collection over this past decade. All my bags have been top-notch quality until even recently. They show very little signs of wear and I have never been disappointed. I am not an extremely wealthy person where the price increases wouldn't bother me, they do! But I am still ok to purchase a Chanel bag at the exorbitant price because it offers what I'm looking for - an extremely stylish accessory that is beautifully designed, is part of a fashion brand's history over a century, has a timeless aesthetic that doesn't go out of trend, and has great heirloom value.

I think as long as there are people who value what Chanel gives them in exchange for their money, the prices will keep going up. You can't expect a brand to stay within a price bracket to serve you when they already have enough customers ready to buy their items at a higher price.

Since the perception of value is very personal to each person, at whichever price point we feel it's 'not worth it', we can opt out - there are lots of other nice bags in the market.
Sorry, just my unpopular opinion!
 
I purchased my first Chanel bag in 2012 and have built a (very) small collection over this past decade. All my bags have been top-notch quality until even recently. They show very little signs of wear and I have never been disappointed. I am not an extremely wealthy person where the price increases wouldn't bother me, they do! But I am still ok to purchase a Chanel bag at the exorbitant price because it offers what I'm looking for - an extremely stylish accessory that is beautifully designed, is part of a fashion brand's history over a century, has a timeless aesthetic that doesn't go out of trend, and has great heirloom value.

I think as long as there are people who value what Chanel gives them in exchange for their money, the prices will keep going up. You can't expect a brand to stay within a price bracket to serve you when they already have enough customers ready to buy their items at a higher price.

Since the perception of value is very personal to each person, at whichever price point we feel it's 'not worth it', we can opt out - there are lots of other nice bags in the market.
Sorry, just my unpopular opinion!
Agree with you 100%!
 
Fashion can be a bit weird in that respect though. I’ve had products that went unsold but once I tripled the prices, they sold out immediately.

People sometimes see value in a high price :giggle:
Very true. I learned this when I took marketing 101 in college. It's an actual marketing strategy. Where is a brand positioning itself in the market? Price is a huge determinant of that. Quite interesting really how people think and behave.
 
I’m one of the few who have bought chanel for decades and don’t actually see much difference in quality. At least in what I chose to purchase. As the prices spiral upwards, I simply buy less and choose more carefully. Re whether the prices are fair; it’s premier big brand. Only you can decide if it’s worth it in terms of how much you desire an item and it’s cost per wear

Agree completely.