Has Hermes moved production to different countries?

[jmen]

ITA that it's up to the brand to protect it's integrity, and even more to never fall blindly in love with any brand, but if they cut labor costs to that degree, I think the consumer will rightly ask them to justify the price tag. Or at least the double-digit increases that occur most every year.

Bingo! That was the piont I was TRYING to make earlier about the looseness of regulations that allow product labeling to be so sketchy as to misrepresent to the customer. There is a fine line and that is where the looseness of regulations comes into play. Don't think for a second that how tight or loose the language isn't intentional. These laws are drafted, put out for public comment period prior to the vote.

An ostrich with its head in the sand sees nothing; but the general populace is seeing changes in all realms of business these days. It is not just luxury houses that are chargine more and giving less (quality/service -- sometimes both. The epidenic is sweeping society.

A substantial amount of work for me of late has been the economy, etc. A chord was struck recently when a man stated, "the model for business is the Wal-mart model -- drop the skids and sell it." When asked if the companies could afford raises -- a resounding yes. Some may argue the affordability of raises. The only way to know is by the financials -- the profit, the debt ratio. Unless the books are cooked, the research lies in the financials. If the company is publicly traded that info is easy to access; however for the luxury houses and any other company that is not publicly traded, the populace is clueless as to profit margins, etc. I doubt Chanel and Hermes are suffering yet but no one is immune to an epidemic.

 

[Ammietwist]

I put as much stock in Thomas' uncited sources as I did in Michael Tonnelo's brilliant and entertaining work of fiction.
If you cannot back up your sources, your "research" doesn't mean too much to me.

Let's be frank here, do you think anyone is going to allow her to go into the factory and then name them in a book? Really? Of course they wouldn't, and she didn't have to break the news to the world that quality is indeed not what it used to be. People have been talking about this for years, and when you notice that a brand isn't holding up like it used to, then you can bet they've cut some corners.

 

[Ammietwist]

If you choose to believe something just because it's printed, that's your choice and it's perfectly fine with me. I don't believe everything just because it's "published" because I've read enough things which are inaccurate or simply wrong from varies types of publications. The author you mentioned, if she's signed a non-disclosure agreement, how come she's telling everything in a book? Like I already said in my previous post, I don't really care about where it is produced, as long as it meets my quality expectation. If you think the quality is not up to your standard, simply don't buy. Nobody forces you to buy anything from anybody. So why don't we just agree on the disagreement and move on?

And FYI, I don't know about labelling law in the U.S. But where I live, this is reinforced quite widely by reputable retail companies. Even if it's just a cucumber from the supermarket, it will label the country of origin without fail.

I'm not believing this because it's "printed," I believe it because of what I've seen happen in luxury retailing over the last 40 years. What I've seen when I worked in sales, what managers of stores have told me, and what I've witnessed first hand with a lot of today's products vs. those that are considered vintage. Why do you think vintage is so hot? One of the reasons is because the quality isn't up to that level anymore, and people who adore quality are going to grab it up.

The reason she didn't say which brands is because of the non-disclosure agreement. They allow you to tell what you find out, but you're not allowed to tell your source. As I replied to someone else, do you really think that someone is going to let her into their factory, to spill the beans about what they're doing, and then let her go reveal this info to the rest of the world? Seriously? They'd be cutting the company's throat, and they'd lose their job.

I'm well aware of the fact that I don't have to buy this or that product, and if it isn't up to my standards, I certainly won't. I think companies should justify their pricing policies though if they're going to cheap it down to the lowest level possible. Does luxury still mean luxury when a company pays someone less than $3 an hour to make it while promoting their European heritage?

And yes, I can't buy a cucumber without it being labeled, but that's where the faking comes in. Obviously.

 

[Ammietwist]

An ostrich with its head in the sand sees nothing; but the general populace is seeing changes in all realms of business these days. It is not just luxury houses that are chargine more and giving less (quality/service -- sometimes both. The epidenic is sweeping society.

A substantial amount of work for me of late has been the economy, etc. A chord was struck recently when a man stated, "the model for business is the Wal-mart model -- drop the skids and sell it." When asked if the companies could afford raises -- a resounding yes. Some may argue the affordability of raises. The only way to know is by the financials -- the profit, the debt ratio. Unless the books are cooked, the research lies in the financials. If the company is publicly traded that info is easy to access; however for the luxury houses and any other company that is not publicly traded, the populace is clueless as to profit margins, etc. I doubt Chanel and Hermes are suffering yet but no one is immune to an epidemic.

ITA, the whole business model is sweeping the world, and I suppose we should have had an inkling of what was coming when it became more and more difficult to reach a human when you called customer service.

I've placed quite a few orders with Hermes lately, and every item came from a different store. I'd say about half the time I wouldn't bother keeping the associate's name on file because they weren't anything better than okay in service. Something is going on though because all of the great associates I've used in the last four years have left their respective Hermes stores, and I know that three of them had originally planned to be with the company long term since their paychecks were great.

 

[Balto Bag Lady]

Let's be frank here, do you think anyone is going to allow her to go into the factory and then name them in a book? Really? Of course they wouldn't, and she didn't have to break the news to the world that quality is indeed not what it used to be. People have been talking about this for years, and when you notice that a brand isn't holding up like it used to, then you can bet they've cut some corners.

Funny story. DH just read the Thomas book. He soaked it in through and through because he loved the "tell all" aspect of it. He read it as if it were a raunchy novel. And what I choose to believe and what he chooses to believe are two different things from what you choose to believe. Of course brands are suffering. Especially in soft goods. You cannot buy a garment anymore and expect it to last more than a season or two. It makes me nuts. I'm not talking about schlock or schmattes, either. I'm talking about bridge line clothing and better.

I'm not believing this because it's "printed," I believe it because of what I've seen happen in luxury retailing over the last 40 years. What I've seen when I worked in sales, what managers of stores have told me, and what I've witnessed first hand with a lot of today's products vs. those that are considered vintage. Why do you think vintage is so hot? One of the reasons is because the quality isn't up to that level anymore, and people who adore quality are going to grab it up.

The reason she didn't say which brands is because of the non-disclosure agreement. They allow you to tell what you find out, but you're not allowed to tell your source. As I replied to someone else, do you really think that someone is going to let her into their factory, to spill the beans about what they're doing, and then let her go reveal this info to the rest of the world? Seriously? They'd be cutting the company's throat, and they'd lose their job.

I'm well aware of the fact that I don't have to buy this or that product, and if it isn't up to my standards, I certainly won't. I think companies should justify their pricing policies though if they're going to cheap it down to the lowest level possible. Does luxury still mean luxury when a company pays someone less than $3 an hour to make it while promoting their European heritage?

And yes, I can't buy a cucumber without it being labeled, but that's where the faking comes in. Obviously.

I've seen Hermes scarves that have made it to retail that are subpar. Meaning that they have printing errors, yet the general public wouldn't see it, but I do. They sell because it's a hot pattern. I check carefully every scarf to make certain the printing is totally in register. Yes you can tell if you know how to see it. But, on the other hand, it is done by human hands, so that's part of it's charm. When it is too off, I'll leave it for the next person.

ITA, the whole business model is sweeping the world, and I suppose we should have had an inkling of what was coming when it became more and more difficult to reach a human when you called customer service.

I've placed quite a few orders with Hermes lately, and every item came from a different store. I'd say about half the time I wouldn't bother keeping the associate's name on file because they weren't anything better than okay in service. Something is going on though because all of the great associates I've used in the last four years have left their respective Hermes stores, and I know that three of them had originally planned to be with the company long term since their paychecks were great.

My SA is very good to me. I tried on a bracelet the last time I was in the boutique. I wasn't interested to begin with but she wanted me to see it because of a dress I was waiting for was the same color -- navy/white.
She pulls scarves for me that she knows I will love and she called the other day about some and the bracelet (which I had forgotten about.) She ordered, from another store, a scarf the boutique hadn't ordered for FW. She's holding something else for me. Her service is impeccable and she does go out of her way for her clients. I would never go to another store without first checking with her. I want to give her the first chance.
Look, I'm not a big buyer, I may buy a couple of small bags a year, but I am very well-thought-of in that store. I buy a good number of scarves every season.