Hermes Price Increase 2012 ??

[Valmont]

I am down in Brighton and between Christmas Eve and Monday 2 Jan the train schedule to London was so horrible---running an all Sunday schedule with some bus substitutions for trains---that took my train ride to London up to a 3-4 hour round trip---I did not even go up for the Haroods or Selfridges sales! So now I am sorry because when I went in to pick up my scarf yesterday (Wed 4 Jan) that had come in before Christmas at Selfridges, I had to pay the NEW higher price! Grrr! I must admit that I do NOT think increasing prices on items that are already in store/in boutiques is well 'kosher' or fair or a good client relationship practice. I do know that when I worked with Saks Fifth Ave and Bergdorf and Macys in USA and with Liberty in London there was a USA law that protected the consumer from any price increase on merchandise already in stock at the store----bras, coats, Ferragamo shoes, etc. Somehow I doubt that anyone even knows if these lawas are still in existence or enforceable---much to the wow of the consumers! Not all lovers of Hermes are billionaires---especially now that I am retired I do not buy as much as I used to and I would guess that some of the younger members of this forum are saving up for their first Birkins or their first exotic or RTW. So to all of us a GBP 600 increase is definitely a bit much to take for a ring and GBP400 for your bracelet seem very high. And I actually only paid for the scarf with the higher price because they had ordered it for me and held it---but I did tell my SA and the Selfridge Hermes manager that to use the British phrase, that charging me this new higher price was just not too 'cricket'! Sigh!!!

So maybe they prefer the newer clients with the comic book designs on the scarves?? If I want an Andy Warhol tomato soup can on my scarf I know what street vendor from whom to buy it, when I buy Hermes I am much mmore classic.
Good luck to all.

I second what you say, and in the meantime I cannot help but laugh at the "Paris mon Ami" campaign by Hermes, under the pretense of targeting women in their twenties and yet the prices for scarves are through the roof and more expensive than what most of the twenty-somethings I know can afford.

Be a little more honest Hermes: you are not trying to sell your scarves to young women, you are trying to sell "youth" to existing, older Hermes customers.

I am offended at their transparent attempt to sell youth, not the beauty of their product. This is not Pepsi you are selling, Hermes.

(Sorry for the rant, )

 

[chicinthecity777]

I second what you say, and in the meantime I cannot help but laugh at the "Paris mon Ami" campaign by Hermes, under the pretense of targeting women in their twenties and yet the prices for scarves are through the roof and more expensive than what most of the twenty-somethings I know can afford.

Be a little more honest Hermes: you are not trying to sell your scarves to young women, you are trying to sell "youth" to existing, older Hermes customers.

I am offended at their transparent attempt to sell youth, not the beauty of their product. This is not Pepsi you are selling, Hermes.

(Sorry for the rant, )

totally agree!

 

[Bunnygirl1117]

Dear all, I receive an email on the 16th dec 2011 from Hermes Paris telling me my order for 20cm toolbox is ready . The price was stated in the email as €3800 . I replied them I will be in paris on the 13th Jan 2012 n will pick up my bag then.
Will anyone know if I will be billed the new price then or will I still pay for the old price cos i had receive the confirmation email in dec??

 

[mistikat]

Generally, Hermes charges the price that is in effect when the bag is picked up. Perhaps because you have a stated price in writing, they may honour that, though.

 

[Julide]

I am down in Brighton and between Christmas Eve and Monday 2 Jan the train schedule to London was so horrible---running an all Sunday schedule with some bus substitutions for trains---that took my train ride to London up to a 3-4 hour round trip---I did not even go up for the Haroods or Selfridges sales! So now I am sorry because when I went in to pick up my scarf yesterday (Wed 4 Jan) that had come in before Christmas at Selfridges, I had to pay the NEW higher price! Grrr! I must admit that I do NOT think increasing prices on items that are already in store/in boutiques is well 'kosher' or fair or a good client relationship practice. I do know that when I worked with Saks Fifth Ave and Bergdorf and Macys in USA and with Liberty in London there was a USA law that protected the consumer from any price increase on merchandise already in stock at the store----bras, coats, Ferragamo shoes, etc. Somehow I doubt that anyone even knows if these lawas are still in existence or enforceable---much to the wow of the consumers! Not all lovers of Hermes are billionaires---especially now that I am retired I do not buy as much as I used to and I would guess that some of the younger members of this forum are saving up for their first Birkins or their first exotic or RTW. So to all of us a GBP 600 increase is definitely a bit much to take for a ring and GBP400 for your bracelet seem very high. And I actually only paid for the scarf with the higher price because they had ordered it for me and held it---but I did tell my SA and the Selfridge Hermes manager that to use the British phrase, that charging me this new higher price was just not too 'cricket'! Sigh!!!

So maybe they prefer the newer clients with the comic book designs on the scarves?? If I want an Andy Warhol tomato soup can on my scarf I know what street vendor from whom to buy it, when I buy Hermes I am much mmore classic.
Good luck to all.

So true! If I am to spend so much on a small piece of silk I would prefer a classic design, that will last for years!

 

[thyme]

I second what you say, and in the meantime I cannot help but laugh at the "Paris mon Ami" campaign by Hermes, under the pretense of targeting women in their twenties and yet the prices for scarves are through the roof and more expensive than what most of the twenty-somethings I know can afford.

Be a little more honest Hermes: you are not trying to sell your scarves to young women, you are trying to sell "youth" to existing, older Hermes customers.

I am offended at their transparent attempt to sell youth, not the beauty of their product. This is not Pepsi you are selling, Hermes.

(Sorry for the rant, )

i have been in europe for 10 years, previously every luxury store has at least one Japanese speaking SA, now they are at least a few Chinese speaking SA in H, LV, Chanel, Cartier etc......China, for example, is churning out multi-millionaires exponentially and a lot of them are under 40 and they do spend on luxury goods and so do their children who are sent to study in US, Europe, Australia etc..

i don't know any twenty-somethings personally who shop at H but i do see lots of teenage girls & boys and young women and men shopping at H in London, Paris, Milan etc..there are lots of very wealthy people in these cities and also lots of very wealthy tourists visiting these cities..H is smart in targeting this market as they and their children will be their client base in the future since their older existing clients will need to be replaced eventually!

If H is trying to sell youth to existing customers - good for them. It is nice to get variety from a brand besides the classics and good that they are willing to experiment and be creative. The customers who don't like it do not have to buy but there are plenty who does as everyone has different tastes no matter what age.

 

[prettychic]

I second what you say, and in the meantime I cannot help but laugh at the "Paris mon Ami" campaign by Hermes, under the pretense of targeting women in their twenties and yet the prices for scarves are through the roof and more expensive than what most of the twenty-somethings I know can afford.

Be a little more honest Hermes: you are not trying to sell your scarves to young women, you are trying to sell "youth" to existing, older Hermes customers.

I am offended at their transparent attempt to sell youth, not the beauty of their product. This is not Pepsi you are selling, Hermes.

(Sorry for the rant, )

Well said! My sentiments exactly Valmont.

 

[shopgirl bb]

Not sure if already mentioned here, but prices in Hong Kong will go up Jan 9, Monday next week.

My SA in Hong Kong told me that price of bags will increase at least 10% .

 

[chkpfbeliever]

It is crazy if the bags will increase at least 10%. In the past, they would raise it by 2% or so. Last year, the 30cm Birkin was US$8600 and they increased it to $8750. As a percentage, it was larger in Garden Party than a birkin since they raise it by $100 or so.

A 10% increase would mean a 30cm birkin will now be over $9500 in the US and that is ridiculous. They don't give 10% raise to their artisans and sales. Why are companies getting so greedy and don't tell me that it is all about increased costs !!

 

[sydgirl]

Singapore raised prices on bags already...

Do you know by how much they increased the price of bags??

 

[babielovah]

It is crazy if the bags will increase at least 10%. In the past, they would raise it by 2% or so. Last year, the 30cm Birkin was US$8600 and they increased it to $8750. As a percentage, it was larger in Garden Party than a birkin since they raise it by $100 or so.

A 10% increase would mean a 30cm birkin will now be over $9500 in the US and that is ridiculous. They don't give 10% raise to their artisans and sales. Why are companies getting so greedy and don't tell me that it is all about increased costs !!

I believe only last year they made a very small increase. 2010 they increased birkin $600. And the years before that were all large increases like that I think.

 

[expertess]

totally agree with you there expertess!! any price increase should be applied to new inventory rather than those already in stores - some of the enamel bracelets i have seen are stamped M!! but i guess if they have different prices their price scanning/inventory system may not work? (not sure how it works in retail) and they will have to explain to every customer why the same items have a few different prices (if the store has inventory from a few years ago)!

and i do totally understand your frustration with london travels during the festive break!!! it is not the most efficient train network compared to their european counterparts!!

Hi! dear and Happy New Year and Happy Year of the Dragon too! Yes, having two prices for the same items might be a bit problematic but I certainly would accept the truth, as in the SA tells me that it is an older design/older piece or from last season. Most Hermes fans know that at the Hermes sales the majority of the pieces/jewellry/scarves, etc are over two, yes two, years old and because they shop for classics they are more than happy to stand in line for 5 hours to buy them.

And if there is a 20-30% increase on my special order Birkin, I shall still buy it when it comes in but I shall also grumble to my SA (who hears worse things from newer clients) that it is not my "responsibility" that Hermes can not keep up efficiently with a production schedule, maybe I should be able to charge them a per centage on my waiting time? This is a joke!! and is funnier in French but I think you get my drift.

 

[expertess]

I second what you say, and in the meantime I cannot help but laugh at the "Paris mon Ami" campaign by Hermes, under the pretense of targeting women in their twenties and yet the prices for scarves are through the roof and more expensive than what most of the twenty-somethings I know can afford.

Be a little more honest Hermes: you are not trying to sell your scarves to young women, you are trying to sell "youth" to existing, older Hermes customers.

I am offended at their transparent attempt to sell youth, not the beauty of their product. This is not Pepsi you are selling, Hermes.

(Sorry for the rant, )

Thank you Valmont and Xiang---

Sometimes I think I am on another planet! But maybe I am just 'old fashioned'? I think we can rant and complain to each other and even to our SAs all we want but there are a dozen new clients waiting to buy what we don't want, so Hermes is behaving more like a modern corporation (profits over clients and employees) that a holder of the "EPV" "living heritage" label in France.

However, each of us has our own preferences and styles---just remember that it is the styles and workmanship adored by the existing older Hermes customers (and my late grandmother and mother too) who have helped make Hermes what it is today and our shopping has created the buzz and the attractiveness to the nouveau riche and the Pepsi generation!

But I am going to sign off for today because I am going to rant to myself for a few hours because I am in total shock that some mother has given her 7 year old daughter liposuction for her Christmas gift!! Liposuction at 7 years old is simply crazy, insane---to me that is child abuse--so nothing will surprise me at this point! I would be less upset if she had bought her 7 year old a small Kelly or a cashmere throw or a fur! Yes, I know I am off topic, sorry, but.....,.

 

[Julide]

i have been in europe for 10 years, previously every luxury store has at least one Japanese speaking SA, now they are at least a few Chinese speaking SA in H, LV, Chanel, Cartier etc......China, for example, is churning out multi-millionaires exponentially and a lot of them are under 40 and they do spend on luxury goods and so do their children who are sent to study in US, Europe, Australia etc..

i don't know any twenty-somethings personally who shop at H but i do see lots of teenage girls & boys and young women and men shopping at H in London, Paris, Milan etc..there are lots of very wealthy people in these cities and also lots of very wealthy tourists visiting these cities..H is smart in targeting this market as they and their children will be their client base in the future since their older existing clients will need to be replaced eventually!

If H is trying to sell youth to existing customers - good for them. It is nice to get variety from a brand besides the classics and good that they are willing to experiment and be creative. The customers who don't like it do not have to buy but there are plenty who does as everyone has different tastes no matter what age.

 

[thyme]

Hi! dear and Happy New Year and Happy Year of the Dragon too! Yes, having two prices for the same items might be a bit problematic but I certainly would accept the truth, as in the SA tells me that it is an older design/older piece or from last season. Most Hermes fans know that at the Hermes sales the majority of the pieces/jewellry/scarves, etc are over two, yes two, years old and because they shop for classics they are more than happy to stand in line for 5 hours to buy them.

And if there is a 20-30% increase on my special order Birkin, I shall still buy it when it comes in but I shall also grumble to my SA (who hears worse things from newer clients) that it is not my "responsibility" that Hermes can not keep up efficiently with a production schedule, maybe I should be able to charge them a per centage on my waiting time? This is a joke!! and is funnier in French but I think you get my drift.

thank you expertess. Happy New Year to you too!! i agree that you should charge H for waiting time!!

i hope you get your special order Birkin sooner rather than later to avoid future price increases!