Hermès New York City Stores

[papertiger]

Gotcha! I just found it funny, however, because "a strong client-SA relationship" actually involves "pre-spend" anyway...

Taking the contentious word 'pre-spend', then trace its use and etymology regarding H and you may find 'existing customer'. It's been this way for 100 years, it's not new nor NYC only. Although knowing NYC, where stores can choose their customers, that tradition is all the stronger. I find SAs in Paris less supercilious, supposedly (in)famous for their attitude condescendante. The difference recently is the inclusion of longterm/short-term data on clients and SA's, SM's targets re. KPI but you may as well spin a little metal ball on a roulette wheel.

'Pre-spend' is used by people who want to be fast-tracked. Flashing the cash only ensures a newer client can 'commence play'. No-one can have a 'strong relationship', leat of all in NYC with their SA if their raison d'être is buying a Birkin or Kelly. Playing the H-game is as mannered like the etiquette in a 18C Courantte. If someone wants a B/K, they better learn to dance or trust in Fortuna.

 

[papertiger]

Really? Where? Hearsay is not factual information.

ETA older posts are not quite relevant because experienced members here have said that Hermes demand has gone up exponentially in the last couple of years.

Getting information from forums is not the same as facts. Besides, how does one know that in the example that was given, other variables were equal (ie store location, whether it was someone’s first birkin/kelly, first one of the year?).

Luxury shopping and probably especially Hermes is not build on a fair business model and it’s not like healthcare that they need to focus on equal access. These are givens and if one is focused on exact algorithms and concrete equations, frustration would ruin the entire experience.

Hermes is a luxury business, even if they hate using the word (Luxury). Luxury is never 'equal access'. Example De Beers' "A Dimond is Forever (1947) v Pandora's Diamonds for All (2023). A luxury company selling one, single diamond created a billion years ago by nature to last the wearer lifetime v a highstreet jeweller selling many synthetic stones created in a lab yesterday to be worn as fashion dictates.

A business model is one that makes the company money. Hermès, esp in NYC, obviously has a very good business model. Not just very French but very NY, strong door policy at the happening club makes the FOMO real outside and the dancing crazy inside.

 

[880]

'Pre-spend' is used by people who want to be fast-tracked. Flashing the cash only ensures a newer client can 'commence play'. No-one can have a 'strong relationship', leat of all in NYC with their SA if their raison d'être is buying a Birkin or Kelly.

Agree 100% with respect to NY or anywhere. I am not sure, but it’s possible more defined prespend started in Asia, not the US. Incidentally, my SA moved from one NY location to Madison a few years ago. A friend of mine was his client in the old store. She wanted a particular K which was hard to get at that time. Shortly after he moved, her new SA honored the request and delivered. Her request had been noted and was clearly in the works well before she started her new SA relationship. And, when that SA moved to Madison, my friend moved with her. Even though prespend is technically tied to a store, and my friend was technically starting over, she had no trouble getting a BBB in a coveted size post covid. So, even with some of us having to wait for offers at Madison, prespend does not overshadow relationship.

ETA: corrected details of my friends experience

 

[DoggieBags]

The issue of prespend is a nebulous concept, at best. Everybody’s experience is different and therefore it’s difficult, if not impossible, to quantify. I’ve shopped at Madison for years and have seen the stock for QBs and bags in general tighten dramatically since Covid. I think there was a genuine drop in production in the first year of Covid but after that, demand just exploded, giving the appearance of continued scarcity even when production normalized. As far as I can see, there is no magic formula. I’ve been offered and have accepted back to back bags so clearly prespend does not automatically reset after each accepted offer. There have been years when I’ve gotten more than one QB and years when I’ve gotten one or none. The determining factor was not how much I’d spent on other categories but rather what bags I was interested in. I think I mentioned on another thread that I waited 4 years for a Kelly lakis. My SA can only offer me bags from the pool available to Madison so hypothetically if only one lakis came in each year and I was 4th in line for one, then I had to wait 4 years for mine. In my specific case, I gather I was first in line since it is not a bag requested very often, but no lakis was shipped to Madison for several years. Since it’s a push offer bag, not a podium bag, all we could do was wait for one to show up and hope a VVIP wasn’t also looking for a lakis when one finally arrived. I’ve also had cases where we’ve discussed a bag and a week later my SA is calling me to come pick up the bag. So the lack of a bag offer does not necessarily mean you have not spent enough or are not considered a good customer. Sometimes it just means the bag you asked for is taking a long time to arrive. So the advice that many have given in this thread and others about pacing yourself and buying only what really appeals to you that’s within your means while you wait for bag(s) on your wishlist makes sense to me.

 

[Deleted 793791]

Hi all,

So, I have recently visited the store in Madison, and I now have decided to stop shopping with my SA. (I realized how crazy I have been spending so much time and efforts on H shopping [and even on this Forum] since I started in August-ish 2023 - and this is not really who I am. lol)

My SA is quite active in connecting with me via texting, etc. What's the best advice to end the relationship "well" without any negative consequences? (I will not search for a new SA either; otherwise my SA would be upset with me.) I just don't think I can just block her or ignore her texts. Is it OK to tell her that I will take a break for a while as in the honest, kind way in my next (hopefully the final) visit?

What makes my case complicated are these:
1) I still have some items waiting for picking up later when they become available, and I really, really want them. (I have ordered a lot of chaine d'ancre tableware items last year; I am not sure when they will be available since it is considered discontinued.... It could be a year or two.. or more...? I have paid 50-75% deposits last year, and my SA told me that my orders are still in good standing.)
2) I also have seen some people who eventually return to H shopping later on. (If I will also be one of them in the future, what should I do now?)

PS1. Those who are going to the event tomorrow, have fun there. (I officially called off the RSVP via my SA.)
PS2. I also had a wake-up call when I visited; my SA offered a "possibility" of a la carte order sometimes in the fall (which is like 6-9 months from now), and asked me if I am interested in getting some furniture from H. haha I am just tired of it. lol
PS3. If I find things I want to buy from H (especially men's RTW such as coats), which I will for sure like 1000%, I just want to go shopping from online or random H stores, without any "SA relationship" obligations. (Or, I would just go shopping in Paris 2-3 times a year for clothes, scarves, etc. since it's 20-30% cheaper after accounting for exchange rates, tax refunds, etc.)

Any advice would be greatly appreciated! Thanks!

 

[880]

It’s not a bi g deal; it doesn’t have to be a break up or a conversation or drama. Just tell her politely that shopping is supposed to be fun and easy, and you are growing tired of swaiting for stuff to come in. She will get the message, and this is not uncommon. Every SA has a roster of clients, and some clients go inactive for a season or indefinitely if things don’t appeal. When you decide you want to shop, simply activate again.

The head of home dept told me that chaine d’ancre is definitely discontinued and unlikely to come in a few years ago. I don’t recall if that is bc there were issues with production. If you decide to wait or if you decide to use your deposit on something else, it’s relatively simple. (I paid in full for Oxymore crystal, and decided to wait; it took a long time; but. I decided not to wait for h deco and go elsewhere).

ETA: our SAs do understand that all of us have a lot of beautiful things already and that we have other things we could be doing other than shopping lol

@pegase_h , Hermes corporate would love for you to shop all over the world; they just want you to stick to a main store for the purpose of QB.

 

[MacawGuy]

Hi all,

So, I have recently visited the store in Madison, and I now have decided to stop shopping with my SA. (I realized how crazy I have been spending so much time and efforts on H shopping [and even on this Forum] since I started in August-ish 2023 - and this is not really who I am. lol)

My SA is quite active in connecting with me via texting, etc. What's the best advice to end the relationship "well" without any negative consequences? (I will not search for a new SA either; otherwise my SA would be upset with me.) I just don't think I can just block her or ignore her texts. Is it OK to tell her that I will take a break for a while as in the honest, kind way in my next (hopefully the final) visit?

What makes my case complicated are these:
1) I still have some items waiting for picking up later when they become available, and I really, really want them. (I have ordered a lot of chaine d'ancre tableware items last year; I am not sure when they will be available since it is considered discontinued.... It could be a year or two.. or more...? I have paid 50-75% deposits last year, and my SA told me that my orders are still in good standing.)
2) I also have seen some people who eventually return to H shopping later on. (If I will also be one of them in the future, what should I do now?)

PS1. Those who are going to the event tomorrow, have fun there. (I officially called off the RSVP via my SA.)
PS2. I also had a wake-up call when I visited; my SA offered a "possibility" of a la carte order sometimes in the fall (which is like 6-9 months from now), and asked me if I am interested in getting some furniture from H. haha I am just tired of it. lol
PS3. If I find things I want to buy from H (especially men's RTW such as coats), which I will for sure like 1000%, I just want to go shopping from online or random H stores, without any "SA relationship" obligations. (Or, I would just go shopping in Paris 2-3 times a year for clothes, scarves, etc. since it's 20-30% cheaper after accounting for exchange rates, tax refunds, etc.)

Any advice would be greatly appreciated! Thanks!

Do you have to do anything drastic like tell her that? I think it’s fair if you just stay in touch and take a break from purchasing, since it sounds like you’ve purchased quite a bit, without ruining your relationship. Give it some time, see if the wish list item and/or SO happens. But so sense in burning a bridge just yet. Just my humble opinion.

 

[Deleted 793791]

@880 and @MacawGuy - Thank you. What I am hesitating is that I know myself that I will eventually want something from H (especially men's clothes). But, I would prefer getting them more convenient ways, without having to go to NYC or getting them "only through my current SA". (I found it more fun to stop by different H stores (SF, DC, etc.), too.) Does this then mean that I am not really taking a break? lol

 

[MacawGuy]

Haha I guess that does complicate things. Maybe? I used to shop solely at the SF boutique but at the end of last year I switched to Dallas since it’s where I live and getting to SF was too much of a hassle and expense. I don’t expect to be offered anything from my SF SA again, but I like to think she still likes me.

 

[papertiger]

Please stick to talking about NYC stores only, TY

 

[Angiebbb]

@880 - Do you know when the head said so about the chaine d'ancre collections in Madison maison? I am not sure how my SA in Madison ordered these on my behalf if it is "fully" discontinued. I ordered mine around September 2023. (I do know that rumors outside Madison -especially online- have been out there that these collections have been discontinued.)
2nd question: I think I have deposited like 3-4,000 USD in my account in Madison. Can I have my money back since I plan not to shop at H anymore (at least not the Madison one)? Is there a rule that I can only use the money for other purchases? (If so... Ok, where is the consumer protection or legal policy here???)

PS. I now have to add "Madison" or "NYC" in my every sentence so that my post is relevant to this threads. lol

Ask to speak to the manager of the department and get your money back if you have been waiting long and it didn’t arrive. You have three years to spend store credit in NY.

 

[Littlesheep99]

Hello H lovers, may I ask how long you have to wait for 2nd/another QB after you get the first one? I’m being offered a Kelly but also want to have a B 😂. I know this question been asked several times but every year is different, I want to know the most recent stories. Tia!

 

[iseebearbears]

6 months for the 2nd QB in my personal experience, with two other bags in between.

Hello H lovers, may I ask how long you have to wait for 2nd/another QB after you get the first one? I’m being offered a Kelly but also want to have a B 😂. I know this question been asked several times but every year is different, I want to know the most recent stories. Tia!

 

[Littlesheep99]

6 months for the 2nd QB in my personal experience, with two other bags in between.

Oh wow !!! It took me 3 d*** years to get my first quota bag ) I was almost give up, it’s good to know! Thank you!

 

[CTLover]

I have a question on this. What's the relevance of "consumer protection laws" here? (I am trying to learn things that I am not clearly understood.)

In the US, you can find a case so easily that one client only pre-spent $8,000 and got a B30 vs. the other client pre-spent $21,000 and is still waiting for a B30 (assuming that these clients looked for the same specs of B30).

Isn't it much fairer and transparent that clients are clearly informed about how much they should be spent to get the bags offered, which is the case of China?

To me, both settings play "quid pro quo" business anyway, but the latter case is more transparent and fair (to everyone) whereas the former case is more implicit (i.e., "anything can happen") and is more advantageous for sellers? Also, the former case can always and do practice "cherry-picking"/favoring high spenders.

PS. That picture is just to protect their business, and I don't buy it because it is happening anyway. (It's like racism is prohibited, but is happening almost everywhere.)

Just try getting a bag from Hermès after you filed a lawsuit with them.