Bartering is common place now. Also if your home boutique does not carry a line, ie coco beach, coco neige, you can't even buy it from you SA. Chanel has become more challenging to shop for nowadays. Luckily I have a few SA from different stores but one main SA to buy most of my purchases from. But agreed, hot items may go quickly and any alternate sizes require a lot of bartering these days for you SA and manager.
Chanel RTW ~ Reveals, Chit-chat & Info thread
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Congrat that your problem now solved. The competition between branch is more challenging these days. I have a jacket that I want in store B, but my SA is in store A. I told my SA to transfer it for me but she said she couldn’t becuase an SA that I met at store B has already reserved it under my name (without my knowledge). She said that a jacket is a huge spending that store B doesn’t want it to slip from their hand, so they used this method to make sure that I’ll make a purchase in their branch, not another one.
Anyway, could I see your jacket. I wanna know what is a hot item they are talking about?Thanks for your insight! I have tried this and she said hot item cannot be transferredShe has asked other branches every day and they just wouldn’t allow the transfer saying it’s been “reserved”.
It’s the 25B 4-pocket LBJ. I’ve been waiting for an understated version, specifically with black /silver buttons, without too much bling.. and this season, it’s perfect for me! I hesitated at first because I did want to wait and see what Mr.Blazy would come out with. But, as with most Chanel pieces, you gotta get what you love as quickly as you could. lol!
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I understand their scarcity marketing, and I guess their brand is strong enough to employ these tactics. But for a loyal client, it’s just getting more and more frustrating and took a bit too much effort of shop.
With this price point, I don’t think it would be that hot. It resembles LBJ from Paris in Rome that I have from Karl era.
The background is so familiar to me. Is it Chanel temporary boutique at Emsphere?
That’s what I thought, too. Maybe they just made me believe that it was a hot item when it’s actually not! lol! Yes, it is the Emsphere
This. There were a few coco beach items I liked but none of the Canadian stores had access to them. They couldn’t even transfer them with prepayment/final sale (which they’ll typically do once the transfer “freeze” is off a new release).
Here in Canada, I have 2 SAs at 2 different stores due to this. Sometimes a transfer is impossible bc it’s a “hot item” and while the requesting manager may be more than happy to transfer in for you… the manager at the other store will not let the piece go. (And if no buyers ordered it, sometimes a transfer is impossible bc it’s not even on the system period).
That’s why it is so imperative to request items when the buyers do their shop (I know not every client is at that level). But even though I do this, I’m still guessing on size and sometimes I see something I missed in the show and I cannot get it. Despite status, it can be impossible to score some pieces. Hence the 2 SAs.
Sort of… depends on how “hot” the item is and what each SA is willing to do I feel (some SA’s have a lot of whale clients and some do not—the ones who do not seem to be more willing to go the extra mile in my experience). Also every store manager is different. Canada is also completely different than the states—All the policies are completely different. I am a 6-figure spend per annum on RTW. I’ve already hit that this year. Some perks I do have: I get to select what I’d like the buyer to buy from the shows and then those are brought in for me. I get to shop and pick my items before the official launch date as well. However, if I want a size that is not in my store and it shows there is one other one in Canada and the launch date is not yet passed, they will not send it. There are sooooo many clients who outrank me and their access may be different than mine and they may have that pull. I do not… and I do spend enough to get invited to private events, purchase custom pieces, etc. I swear every SA is so different and every store is so different, Nevermind each country too. My experience is Canada-specific. I will buy the odd piece in NY, Miami and Vegas… but I do my big shops from my 2 SAs in Canada.
Like right now I have 4 items being transferred from other boutiques to my main SA—beret, belt, platform heel and a sandal. However, they were unable to transfer a skirt I wanted as there were none left in Canada and unable to transfer a sweater I liked… maybe no size available… maybe it was being held by an SA for a client. I don’t know. However, Canada gets a LOT less inventory than USA. It’s so much more difficult to secure pieces here by comparison.
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Grateful for so many insightful info here. It seems pretty similar here in Bangkok. I have 3 SAs in 3 different branches. One of which I tried to keep most of my purchases with. In some situations though, for example, I wanted a pair of pink Maryjanes. She actually encouraged me to buy from another store, simply because there’s no way her store could get them.
I understand your frustration as you are such a good customer. I notice things have changed quite a bit since the years I used to be a Chanel customer in Thailand. Transferring wasn't such an issue. Anyway congrats on your 25B classic! I would definitely have considered it if I didn't have a few LBJs including Paris Rome.
Enjoy!!
I think it probably is a hot item. I have noticed with rtw it really depends on region and depending on the region also the size. In some regions size 34 and 36 are extremely popular and sought after so even if the item is not that “hot” - those sizes are hot because they might only buy 1 or 2 of each size and there are many clients wearing this size.That’s what I thought, too. Maybe they just made me believe that it was a hot item when it’s actually not! lol! Yes, it is the Emsphere
My size is 34 or 36 so I’m familiar with this happening and in certain regions where I shop I’ve noticed the same item in bigger sizes being much more readily available. In some regions pricing is totally irrelevant because rtw is very very popular. In other regions the same Rtw items will stay available for months after launch because leather good are more popular.
My SA sometimes has to write a number of special requests in writing; each item can take multiple emails IDKW; as well as get approval to offer up a special barter or horse trade. The haggling and the wait can take quite a bit of time and effort. I’m glad this paid off for you and your SA
I don’t buy Chanel from anyone else. Come to think of it, I’ve only pretty much shopped at one store (two SAs, but with a long hiatus in between) since I started buying RTW in 2001. So far, my SA has been able to get what I want Knock wood 😂
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It's more like hunting now......coco beach blouse and skirt were impossible to find....ended up getting a bigger size and altering it bc they were sold out....also the black Turnlock short card was also a hunt. I'm very loyal to my home store but sometimes they just can't get items, no matter how hard they try. It's nice to have a few SAs in other stores for that exact reason. I usually can get it from at least one of my contacts....