Hermes boutiques in London

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more stock out there for walk ins
IMO only, I would not assume there is more stock or first come, first served, for the average brand new walk in. For the most desirable bags, I assume the store will simply pressure the SAs to encourage their strongest clients to come in more frequently. Clients with potential (however the store gauges this lol) may be pleasantly surprised, but I do NOT see a store engaging in a general practice of allocating very coveted bags to strangers to the house.
 
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I agree. Harrod’s Femme prioritises their clients as they as a department have a different allocation of bag stock from the ground floor area. I am pretty sure these are not the regular bags and require much higher prespend. The bags they have offered me there are more the Limited Editions, rarer combos and exotics, to match the Fine Jewellery and the runway RTW pieces they tend to stock.

I agree
 
Ill fly to London soon. Did anyone see a HAC 40 recently on display? Well and if, do you think I have a chance as a walk in, to try it on?
Haven’t seen one on display, but they might have one in storage which anyone can try on. Just ask the leather SA, if they have one to try on they won’t say no.

The display cases usually only have brand new bags of the latest or most popular styles (to show or try on, not to sell). Cadogan Place has a sort of “hidden” compartment which has a stash of not-new bags in various styles and sizes. I was able to try on a ~10-year old Black Box Kelly (with a lot of scratches!) from this stash for example. So, do ask :smile:
 
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Haven’t seen one on display, but they might have one in storage which anyone can try on. Just ask the leather SA, if they have one to try on they won’t say no.

The display cases usually only have brand new bags of the latest or most popular styles (to show or try on, not to sell). Cadogan Place has a sort of “hidden” compartment which has a stash of not-new bags in various styles and sizes. I was able to try on a ~10-year old Black Box Kelly (with a lot of scratches!) from this stash for example. So, do ask :smile:
Super helpful, thank you!
 
Haven’t seen one on display, but they might have one in storage which anyone can try on. Just ask the leather SA, if they have one to try on they won’t say no.

The display cases usually only have brand new bags of the latest or most popular styles (to show or try on, not to sell). Cadogan Place has a sort of “hidden” compartment which has a stash of not-new bags in various styles and sizes. I was able to try on a ~10-year old Black Box Kelly (with a lot of scratches!) from this stash for example. So, do ask :smile:
Many of us have had the honour of being shown that BBK. It's indeed one of their hidden treasures. :-)
 
There is currently a lively debate over at the Germany thread concerning the wishlist system in the UK vs that in Germany. In the UK, anyone can walk in a boutique and ask to set up a wishlist on the spot, whereas in Germany you need to email some team to request an appointment to even place a wish, wait for their reply, and the likely response is that there are no appts left until 2024. Many posters stressed that no spend is required in order to get an appt.

From what I’ve gathered, folks over at that thread believe the system in the UK is not as fair as the one in Germany. The main argument seems to be that the “laxed” system where anyone can place a wish at any time leads to false hope because “there will be those who will never get a bag due to insufficient spend”, whereas in Germany, if you get an appt to place a wish, you will get a bag, you just need to wait 1-2 years.

I’m not going to dive into this already heated discussion, but I will say that:

1) in the UK, based on experience, spend does not influence whether a wish is fulfilled or not,

2) not even sure how spend & how easy or selective the wish-placing process is are even connected, if Germany also doesn’t require prespend to be able to get an appt?,

3) I don’t get why letting anyone place a wish with no guarantee of it being fulfilled (disclosed at the beginning) is giving someone false hope but an SA telling a client “I’ll keep an eye out for you for a bag in your specs” and not delivering (like in non-wishlist countries) is considered normal?
 
If I understand the discussion correctly, the comparison is between wish list that is immediate but no guarantee (London) vs. Appointment-based wish list which has a degree of certainty (Germany). Not vs the promise to keep a lookout which is the same as the first.

My short explanation is, It’s cultural. We are comforted by process, procedures, patterns of expected results :lol:

My apology if I misread your point.

3) I don’t get why letting anyone place a wish with no guarantee of it being fulfilled (disclosed at the beginning) is giving someone false hope but an SA telling a client “I’ll keep an eye out for you for a bag in your specs” and not delivering (like in non-wishlist countries) is considered normal?
To keep on topic, I visiting London last week and was passing by Hermes in CP, NBS and Selfridges but really couldn’t wait for someone to be available. The queue was just too long (usually about one hour) and weather too nice. One guy claimed he visited every day since September and was upset he still couldn’t get what he wanted.
 
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If I understand the discussion correctly, the comparison is between wish list that is immediate but no guarantee (London) vs. Appointment-based wish list which has a degree of certainty (Germany). Not vs the promise to keep a lookout which is the same as the first.

My short explanation is, It’s cultural. We are comforted by process, procedures, patterns of expected results :lol:

My apology if I misread your point.


To keep on topic, I visiting London last week and was passing by Hermes in CP, NBS and Selfridges but really couldn’t wait for someone to be available. The queue was just too long (usually about one hour) and weather too nice. One guy claimed he visited every day since September and was upset he still couldn’t get what he wanted.
If he’s a tourist that’s normal. If I want to get something in London, I text my SA - she tells me if it’s there or not, if it is - it’s on reserve for me immediately and if not she checks if it’s in stock to be ordered and I come in to pay. I never wait. I don’t even queue if there is one- just tell the person handling the queue that my SA is expecting me and they let me right in- then I wait with a drink till she’s free. The wishlist in Germany is NOT a guarantee. If you read the thread, women had their wishes expire or get cancelled after waiting 1.5-2 years. And so it seems only difference is it’s much harder to even place a wish and then after you have one same as UK- still no guarantee you get the bag.
 
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If he’s a tourist that’s normal. If I want to get something in London, I text my SA - she tells me if it’s there or not, if it is - it’s on reserve for me immediately and if not she checks if it’s in stock to be ordered and I come in to pay. I never wait. I don’t even queue if there is one- just tell the person handling the queue that my SA is expecting me and they let me right in- then I wait with a drink till she’s free. The wishlist in Germany is NOT a guarantee. If you read the thread, women had their wishes expire or get cancelled after waiting 1.5-2 years. And so it seems only difference is it’s much harder to even place a wish and then after you have one same as UK- still no guarantee you get the bag.
Hi, it’s in stock to be ordered and I come in to pay. Can you explain what is this procedure ? the SA makes a note and once the item ordered by the manager arrived, you will be notified ?
 
Hi, it’s in stock to be ordered and I come in to pay. Can you explain what is this procedure ? the SA makes a note and once the item ordered by the manager arrived, you will be notified ?
Hey- anything they don’t have in store, they can check if the website has it or other locations. If they do- I go in to pay for the item. For website items I obviously could just order at home but it’s better to do it in store so the store receives credit for the purchase & it goes on my store profile. This isn’t referring to bags. For Bags (non quota) you always have to go in, unless your SA knows what you’re after and texts to suggest you come in because they have stock of something you want and they’re willing to reserve it.
 
Bags can also be offered by email, paid for by payment link, and then shipped to your address. No need to go in at any point.
In my experience that’s only for “distance clients” such as friends I have that live out of town. I don’t know a single person they ship bags to with a local address. Others I know have set up distance shopping accounts and then being offered a bag is harder sometimes because they then rely on digital communication and don’t drop in to have a chat as often face to face. Maybe during Covid but not now. One friend who is VIP- when her quota bag was ready, she had to come in person within 5 days from Ireland to London like everyone else. No payment link was provided this year.
 
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In my experience that’s only for “distance clients” such as friends I have that live out of town. I don’t know a single person they ship bags to with a local address. Others I know have set up distance shopping accounts and then being offered a bag is harder sometimes because they then rely on digital communication and don’t drop in to have a chat as often face to face. Maybe during Covid but not now. One friend who is VIP- when her quota bag was ready, she had to come in person within 5 days from Ireland to London like everyone else. No payment link was provided this year.
I’m not a “distance shopping client”, I have a local (London) address, but the store has always been proactive and happy in communicating offers by email, letting me pay for bags via payment link, and then shipping them to my London address. This is still the practice today, not restricted to Covid times. Same goes for Special Order invites and placing a wish.

It is well possible to build and maintain a very good (and genuine) relationship with the store and receive generous and kind treatment without setting foot in the store. And no, I’m not a big spender.
 
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