Hermes boutiques in London

TPF may earn a commission from merchant affiliate
links, including eBay, Amazon, and others

#2,941
PrincessTotoro said:
I think a lot of us have the same issue. Like you I have a SA at Selfridges and she is a star, she's been very frank about the fact that stock levels has been very disappointing. There's a bag that I want and I want a specific colour as well, she straight out informed me she hasn't seen it in two years she's been working there despite the fact this is not a quota bag. I do agree with you that the boutique is quite small, especially if you want to have a look at the ready to wear, the new Bond Street or Cadogan place is a better choice.

I also agree with you that although it really depends on the individual, it can be a lot more work if you do decide to shop at Cadogan exclusively. Same has been said about the NBS boutique as well. Purely based on stocks, NBS is a logical choice, I'm not exactly sure that Cadogan has much larger stocks than Harrods or Selfridges. I popped in couple of times for bags and silk items but they never had what I was looking for.

My own wishlist is about to expire in a couple of days so I will have to renew it somewhere. If I were to only think about the experience and my SA, I would choose Selfridges but because my SA had specifically advised me about the stocks, I am a little bit hesitant. I am aware that for some, they were able to receive the quota bags relatively easily and without too much wait but I would bear in mind that that was in the past and now we live in a post-covid world where the situation really is totally different, especially in the UK.

It is far-fetched but if you ever do get a chance to visit and travel to New York, I would definitely go to the boutique there. They used to cater to tourists but since the pandemic there are no tourists and somehow the stock levels have not changed (this is what I heard from my cousin who lives in NY). She put in a request for a black, gold hardware B30 just before Christmas last year and she received the bag couple of weeks later in January. I was so jealous but at least I got to see her enjoy it through our video chats hehe
Click to expand...

Thanks for your insights ! It's funny to see how we have the same "problem" right now :). NBS would be the best indeed, but I feel like if you don't spend £10K per quarter nor a super VIP, they wouldn't barely look at you.
What are you planning to do for your wish eventually ? (which store will you choose). That's really good to know for New York, but I think it will more be for 2022...
 
  • Like
Reactions: PrincessTotoro
#2,942
asperge said:
Thanks for your insights ! It's funny to see how we have the same "problem" right now :smile:. NBS would be the best indeed, but I feel like if you don't spend £10K per quarter nor a super VIP, they wouldn't barely look at you.
What are you planning to do for your wish eventually ? (which store will you choose). That's really good to know for New York, but I think it will more be for 2022...
Click to expand...
No problem! I like talking about my experiences in the boutiques and sharing them with others :)
It may be a shock to some people but I cannot disagree with what you say. Of course, every brand prioritises VIPs and rightfully so, but some sales associates make it more obvious than others and this does put off many people. But NBS does have many SAs, and I definitely took note of those who I enjoyed shopping with and those who I hadn't. Some SAs have been very accommodating and it was very easy to talk to them whilst in complete contrast some SAs, when you ask if something is available, they just shake their head and walk away without even trying to search on their iPads for availability.

I actually haven't decided yet but I'm leaning towards choosing Selfridges. Like you said, even if there are more stocks technically available, if most of them are going straight to the super VIPs, the logical conclusion is that there are even less stocks available for people like me. There is also the factor that communication is much easier with the Selfridges boutique (a topic on its own, I swear I can write a full page for a detailed review lol). Have you made a decision yet? There are definitely lots to think about...
 
  • Like
Reactions: asperge and maxroxxherhandbags
#2,943
I’m relatively new to Hermes and have only recently begun to make purchases; shoes, homeware, makeup etc. I just wondered if it is normal fo my SA to also be a department manager? I’m just unsure as to how much weight these titles hold and if they normally provide service to regular clients? I am in no way a VIP!
 
#2,944
Billionaireswife said:
I’m relatively new to Hermes and have only recently begun to make purchases; shoes, homeware, makeup etc. I just wondered if it is normal fo my SA to also be a department manager? I’m just unsure as to how much weight these titles hold and if they normally provide service to regular clients? I am in no way a VIP!
Click to expand...
Does it matter?
Be pleased that you are dealing with someone of managerial status.
 
  • Like
Reactions: maxroxxherhandbags
#2,946
Billionaireswife said:
It doesn’t matter- it was just out of curiosity as I know so little about the brand. I think my assumption is they will be so busy and not want to serve a little customer like me :blush:
Click to expand...

Please don't put yourself down like that, especially in this country.
Every customer is important. You might be right in your self assessment that you are a little customer at the moment, but little customers of the present become the big customers of the future.
 
  • Like
  • Love
Reactions: luzdetaiwan, asperge, maxroxxherhandbags and 1 other person
#2,947
Billionaireswife said:
It doesn’t matter- it was just out of curiosity as I know so little about the brand. I think my assumption is they will be so busy and not want to serve a little customer like me :blush:
Click to expand...
Is this in one of the London boutiques? I've seen store managers but not exactly 'department' managers, I'm not too sure what that means. Of course, the managers are employees of Hermes too! Whilst they may not work the usual schedule as other sales assistants, I'm sure everyone at some point will get a chance to interact with them. I'd be surprised if the manager in question gave his or her direct email or even phone number for future correspondence though.
 
#2,949
Billionaireswife said:
It doesn’t matter- it was just out of curiosity as I know so little about the brand. I think my assumption is they will be so busy and not want to serve a little customer like me :blush:
Click to expand...
I think if you are a sincere and kind customer and get on well with your SA, whether they are a department manager or not doesn’t matter. A loyal customer who is interested to learn about the brand is always valued and everyone starts somewhere. Do not think of yourself as “little”. It might come to a point where your SA may be able to help a bit more if you need something falls under is his/her responsibility, but otherwise they can help you across all areas. I wish you a long and happy relationship with Hermes.
 
  • Like
Reactions: JA_UK, maxroxxherhandbags and Billionaireswife
#2,950
PrincessTotoro said:
Is this in one of the London boutiques? I've seen store managers but not exactly 'department' managers, I'm not too sure what that means. Of course, the managers are employees of Hermes too! Whilst they may not work the usual schedule as other sales assistants, I'm sure everyone at some point will get a chance to interact with them. I'd be surprised if the manager in question gave his or her direct email or even phone number for future correspondence though.
Click to expand...
Hi yes, this was at Cadogan and they did indeed given me their card with direct email
 
#2,951
Billionaireswife said:
Hi yes, this was at Cadogan and they did indeed given me their card with direct email
Click to expand...
Interesting, I don’t know too much about this particular boutique except for the fact when I visited couple of times unfortunately they did not have in stock what I wanted. But then again what I had in mind was very specific, I hear in general they have a better range of items than the department stores. Happy shopping!
 
  • Like
Reactions: Billionaireswife
#2,953
Billionaireswife said:
Out of curiosity how long does it normally take for Hermes London SAs to get back to their clients via email?
Click to expand...
You'll figure this out over time, but there is no such thing as 'normal' when we are talking Hermes ha! how I wish there was. Many SAs don't reply at all. In my experience, some do in a couple of days if they want to and if they are not too busy. It definitely won't happen everyday but if you do meet a SA you really 'clicked' with, and the feeling has to be mutual, replies may come instantly or within a couple of hours. It really does depend on the SA but the key point here is that it's really up to that individual.
 
#2,954
PrincessTotoro said:
You'll figure this out over time, but there is no such thing as 'normal' when we are talking Hermes ha! how I wish there was. Many SAs don't reply at all. In my experience, some do in a couple of days if they want to and if they are not too busy. It definitely won't happen everyday but if you do meet a SA you really 'clicked' with, and the feeling has to be mutual, replies may come instantly or within a couple of hours. It really does depend on the SA but the key point here is that it's really up to that individual.
Click to expand...
Thank you so much for filling me in! I am gradually beginning to see that everything in the world of Hermes works in a completely different way than any other luxury house!
 
  • Like
Reactions: maxroxxherhandbags and PrincessTotoro
You must log in or register to reply here.
Top