Did anyone go to the window opening tonight? I thought it was so fun!
Hermès New York City Stores
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It can be done, and may not affect you too much if managed with grace and tact, but in order to develop a new relationship, some spend is usually required. SAs do talk, and the reasons for the change also matter. For example, if an SA leaves and you gravitate towards another one, that may be a situation that least impacts prior prespend and profile.
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Do you have to shop at a NYC boutique to get an invite to the annual NY sample sale?
I don’t live in NY and have never bought anything from the NY boutiques, but i’m not too far. I’ve been to one of the sales when it was still public. I asked my SA after last year’s sale about how to get invited. He said he was unsure and that another client of his had asked too. He thinks SAs don’t really affect whether or not you get an invite. He suggested that maybe you have to shop in NY or have shopped there before.
Does anyone know if this is the case? Is the sale only for VIPs? Should i ask my SM about the process?
I don’t live in NY and have never bought anything from the NY boutiques, but i’m not too far. I’ve been to one of the sales when it was still public. I asked my SA after last year’s sale about how to get invited. He said he was unsure and that another client of his had asked too. He thinks SAs don’t really affect whether or not you get an invite. He suggested that maybe you have to shop in NY or have shopped there before.
Does anyone know if this is the case? Is the sale only for VIPs? Should i ask my SM about the process?
SAs used to be able to submit their clients’ names to get on the list for the sale but that changed several years ago and my understanding is that the list is generated at the corporate level now. You can ask your SM if there’s a way to get on the list but I’m not sure he/she can help you. The invitations allow for a plus one with the plus one also needing to be an H client. If you know anyone who is invited perhaps you can go as their plus one?
Did the sale invites go out recently? Also are they once a year or twice a year? Thank you!
Once a year in the fall so no invitations have gone out yet for this year
+1 with @DoggieBags. I was also told that the list is generated by corporate, but that an SA may be able to add a name depending on a variety of unspecified circumstances. No idea what those are.
I know of one person who is highly regarded at her flagship (not in NY) who was able to get an invite. She has never shopped in a NY boutique. I have also been told that there are definitely clients who fly in for the sale. One SM told me that the sale was primarily considered as a perk for regular clients, and that there were no longer public days to cut down on resellers.
ETA: my DH is the acct holder of record in every H boutique we shop with. He thinks it is hysterical that I’m his plus one for Hermes
lol. Yeah my husband is also the account holder so I was only allowed in at the boutique reopening as his plus one. He loves to brag that he is a VIP and they don’t even know who I am.+1 with @DoggieBags. I was also told that the list is generated by corporate, but that an SA may be able to add a name depending on a variety of unspecified circumstances. No idea what those are.
I know of one person who is highly regarded at her flagship (not in NY) who was able to get an invite. She has never shopped in a NY boutique. I have also been told that there are definitely clients who fly in for the sale.
ETA: my DH is the acct holder of record in every H boutique we shop with. He thinks it is hysterical that I’m his plus one for Hermes
+1 with @DoggieBags. I was also told that the list is generated by corporate, but that an SA may be able to add a name depending on a variety of unspecified circumstances. No idea what those are.
I know of one person who is highly regarded at her flagship (not in NY) who was able to get an invite. She has never shopped in a NY boutique. I have also been told that there are definitely clients who fly in for the sale. One SM told me that the sale was primarily considered as a perk for regular clients, and that there were no longer public days to cut down on resellers.
ETA: my DH is the acct holder of record in every H boutique we shop with. He thinks it is hysterical that I’m his plus one for Hermes
Thank you for your replies! This is very interesting, I wonder what the requirements are to get on the auto-generated corporate list… I’m sure if one is a high-spend client at their store they could request it or be automatically added.
I may ask my SM but it’s not the end of the world if i don’t get added. I really enjoyed going to the sale in 2021 though, they have great prices on the shawls, silks and shoes. Would love to find previous season shawls that i missed out on!
I can understand them making the sales private, it’s not the best look for the brand having lines that scale blocks with people camping out, and resellers trying to jump the line… 😂
There isn't a exact equation. I got my first C18 at NYC right after buying a pair of sneakers. And it was in a desirable/ popular color. Just be yourself and everything will fall into place. I've never calculated prespend like that because it would drive me crazy. Buy only what you love. The bags will come when it's your time. Enjoy the whole process.
Depends on the store, it is easier to switch at smaller stores. I tried at Madison and was unable to. A friend switched at Madison and the manager was not happy about it.
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Thanks for your sharing your experience. I have some follow-up questions: 1) Do you know why the manager was not happy about it? 2) Isn't his/her goal not losing clients at least? I understand that the relationship with the SA is emphasized, but 3) isn't that relationship contingent anyway? I really like Madison Maison over other stores because they have (1) the most stocks and have (2) frequent events that I get excited about. For these reasons, I prefer not switching stores.
Another recent concern I have is that several people on here communicated with their SAs and been told that it will be more difficult to get QBs from Madison Maison this year (i.e., likely 1 QB this year). It probably won't affect much for long-term clients with multiple QBs already, but I am relatively new. So, I am exploring other options. For example, I heard that some SAs in Hawaii or Las Vegas are more upfront about the expected pre-spend amount to get the bags, since they have a lot of tourists, etc. And, some people choose to go there for a week or so, and have a QB during that period. Any advice would be appreciated!
PS. I don't know if it's helpful, but I am looking for Maxi Kelly (i.e., K42 and it's a men's bag) and B35 with PHW for myself and a B25 for my family member. (I only have 1 account that is for myself and 2 of my family members.)
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I don't think a K42 is a super difficult bag to get compared to a B35 and B25. I was offered one recently and it wasn't even a bag that I had on my radar. Not sure if a K42 would be considered a QB but if it's true about the 1 QB limit this year, I would suggest focusing on that as it seems relatively easier to get than the others on your list.
I never talked to a manager, but I talked to the associate I wanted to move to and couldn’t do it. As for my friend, her associate had left and she got another one and the manager was upset at her (but offered her a bag since she is a great client outside US). Then her new associate explained the other had left. I just started shopping more in the U.S. about a year ago, have QBs from outside the U.S. and haven’t got any here, and I spent a lot compared to what I spend abroad. I will search before moving to next store and will consider moving my account out of NYC. If you are a high spender (100k plus a year) and do big purchases at once, Madison gets the best stock. But if not, I don’t know. I heard - we appreciate the business, but one needs to get lucky. The truth is - one needs to get lucky with the associate, I wasn’t.Thanks for your sharing your experience. I have some follow-up questions: 1) Do you know why the manager was not happy about it? 2) Isn't his/her goal not losing clients at least? I understand that the relationship with the SA is emphasized, but 3) isn't that relationship contingent anyway? I really like Madison Maison over other stores because they have (1) the most stocks and have (2) frequent events that I get excited about. For these reasons, I prefer not switching stores.
Another recent concern I have is that several people on here communicated with their SAs and been told that it will be more difficult to get QBs from Madison Maison this year (i.e., likely 1 QB this year). It probably won't affect much for long-term clients with multiple QBs already, but I am relatively new. So, I am exploring other options. For example, I heard that some SAs in Hawaii or Las Vegas are more upfront about the expected pre-spend amount to get the bags, since they have a lot of tourists, etc. And, some people choose to go there for a week or so, and have a QB during that period. Any advice would be appreciated!
PS. I don't know if it's helpful, but I am looking for Maxi Kelly (i.e., K42 and it's a men's bag) and B35 with PHW for myself and a B25 for my family member. (I only have 1 account that is for myself and 2 of my family members.)
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I totally agree. Many people got a K42 offered but declined recently, since it's huge and very expensive ($20,300 before taxes) when compared to the prices of B25-B40 or other Kelly bags. And no, K42 is not considered a quota bag. My SA told me that I will get it since September 2023, but she kept delaying it without clear reasons. (This is one of key driving reasons wanting to switch an SA; I am not interested in the games.)
Thanks for sharing your opinion. I am not a high spender unfortunately, and can't/won't be. I am also considering outside the US since many European countries have "wish list systems." In UK, for example, if the bag is offered via email, I have to be there within 5 days. I can set up my local addresses, etc. in European countries if needed, but I am still exploring. I also consider that I am not really that lucky with the associate..... Thank you!