Agree - there are zero rules and certainly no set spend threshold to be offered a bag. I think a lot of it is relationship with your SA. Mine is lovely - not pushy, super sweet and down to earth. I never feel pressure to spend and she only offers things she truly believes I will love.
How much spending to get a B/K/C around the world?
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Agree - there are zero rules and certainly no set spend threshold to be offered a bag. I think a lot of it is relationship with your SA. Mine is lovely - not pushy, super sweet and down to earth. I never feel pressure to spend and she only offers things she truly believes I will love.
Again, I would say that it totally comes down to luck, but the first time I was offered a B in the US, my SA was mostly interested in finding out if I was local to the store, presumably to find out if I would be someone who she could "build a relationship" with. My impression at my home store is that it is not common to be able to walk in and buy a bag without at least having the possibility of being a return customer.
The prices charged in each country are not random nor are they unfair-which to me implies punishment. Each individual country requires imported goods to have certain tariffs applied to them, essentially H pays for the privilege of selling French made items in the county they have exported to. The US applies fees to all sorts of things coming in from around the world. There is also the considerable cost of moving costly merchandise around the world and why bags cost the least about an hour from where they are made in Paris.
I would also disagree that the stores set their own goals, Hermes is a global corporation which is in strict control of it's supply chain and the way it distributes its goods. B/K/C bags are tied to the overall sales of the store so if they don't sell enough in other categories, they are not allowed to sell those bags till they hit certain numbers. It doesn't have to be with a specific client, it's the whole staff and store. That is how some people are able to get lucky walk in bags.
In my local store, if my SA just sold a high priced piece of jewelry to a client and that client isn't bag shopping at the time-she's able to offer that bag sale to another client of hers or sometimes a walk in if the SM approves.
I don't believe you're going to get a satisfying answer to this thread. No one can tell you what you need to buy or spend to get a bag. And since it seems you don't want to build up a profile by buying things if you don't know how much it will cost in the long run, why not just go through a reseller and be done with it? You could spend 3 times the cost of a bag and still not get one, or you could spend little to nothing and get whatever you like.
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Sorry for silly question! I’m a pretty newbie to the H world and this forum too. I’m planning to buy my very first Birkin or Kelly bag. I am just wondering that how much do I need to spend at the H store in order to get the offer for the bag?
Thank you!
Thank you!
You can do a forum research .... There are many threads started and following is one of them... happy reading.
https://forum.purseblog.com/threads/what-did-you-buy-to-get-a-birkin-kelly.1011758/
Another one https://forum.purseblog.com/threads/how-much-spending-to-get-a-b-k-c-around-the-world.967155/page-2
https://forum.purseblog.com/threads/what-did-you-buy-to-get-a-birkin-kelly.1011758/
Another one https://forum.purseblog.com/threads/how-much-spending-to-get-a-b-k-c-around-the-world.967155/page-2
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There is no solid answer. Some people walk into an H store for the first time and get offered a B, K or C. Some people spend a year and tens of thousands of dollars on other leather for the hope of getting an offer.
Thanks a lot Tonkamama! These are very helpful information.
So true and there’s no consistency even with the same store. Depends on who your sa is, what you buy, how busy your boutique is, and sometimes pure luck. I’ve seen people get a black togo Birkin on their first try while others have waited and waited at the same boutique. Also have seen someone get a coveted b30 etoupe after spending just a couple thousand. All a mystery to me but thank goodness I love the brand and my store otherwise I’d be really annoyed lol!
I kinda feel the same way about the variety of offers I have heard of. In a way, it's almost impossible to discuss purchase history in the scope of acquiring one bag of particular specs, but for people who are open to options and getting a collection started, it evens out over time.
I first scored my 25 Birkin in 2007 (or 2008) in the U.S. with zero purchasing history. I went in to the store and met a wonderful SA (whom she has been my SA since) and expressed my interest in getting a Birkin. She said she can put my name on the waiting list and would call me if something became available. Within a month of two I got a call from her letting me know there was a 25 Birkin available and asked if I'm interested or not. Without hesitation I jumped on it right away and that has begun my long ever-end H journey.
Back in 2007 it was much easier, first Birkin - Gold 30 at the Faubourg store, Kelly Havanne 32 in Madrid, Etoupe Birkin 30 in Brussels, all that same year, no purchases made with the bags and no prior purchase history with any of those stores at that time. Next visit at FSH, bought Barenia Fauve Picotin. Subsequent visit to FSH, first time meeting my current SA, ordered my first SO. I thought this was the norm. 
Gstaad, Switzerland 2019
I met my SA in March
Purchased some home goods, 1 Collier de Chien bracelet, 1 Clic Clac and 1 Twilly
Yesterday I asked her about the process of purchasing a Birkin 30 and here is what she told me, all in a very polite and nice way:
- it’s quite difficult but not impossible
- she asked me about my wishlist and saved it in her H device
- she gave me some personalized advice regarding the size
- she showed me a display Birkin tressage for me to try
- she told me that the boutique was giving priority to local customers (I am)
- the Store Manager is the only one who decides to whom the bags are offered after each delivery, depending on customers wishlists
- that they prefer customers who are supporting the boutique
- she asked me if I had already asked for a bag in another boutique (I said no)
- she made it quite clear to me in a nice way that to be able to get offered a bag it would be preferable if I made any of my purchases from her
Gstaad is a very special location, a tiny Swiss mountain village known for its celebrities and very wealthy residents (although most of them spend only a few weeks a year at their chalet or luxury hotel)
The majority of the customers from the Gstaad boutique are mostly placing special exotic orders and looking for items that are more rare in other stores, which is a good thing for me if I’m « only » requesting a Birkin 30 in Togo leather
I met my SA in March
Purchased some home goods, 1 Collier de Chien bracelet, 1 Clic Clac and 1 Twilly
Yesterday I asked her about the process of purchasing a Birkin 30 and here is what she told me, all in a very polite and nice way:
- it’s quite difficult but not impossible
- she asked me about my wishlist and saved it in her H device
- she gave me some personalized advice regarding the size
- she showed me a display Birkin tressage for me to try
- she told me that the boutique was giving priority to local customers (I am)
- the Store Manager is the only one who decides to whom the bags are offered after each delivery, depending on customers wishlists
- that they prefer customers who are supporting the boutique
- she asked me if I had already asked for a bag in another boutique (I said no)
- she made it quite clear to me in a nice way that to be able to get offered a bag it would be preferable if I made any of my purchases from her
Gstaad is a very special location, a tiny Swiss mountain village known for its celebrities and very wealthy residents (although most of them spend only a few weeks a year at their chalet or luxury hotel)
The majority of the customers from the Gstaad boutique are mostly placing special exotic orders and looking for items that are more rare in other stores, which is a good thing for me if I’m « only » requesting a Birkin 30 in Togo leather
I've been on the internet doing some research and it seems like many people have stated that Hermes is known for their bait games also known as a spending ratio. How much did you spend prior to getting offered your first B/K/C? Was your SA up front about this?
If you read through the various posts on this forum, you will see that everyone has a different experience. Some have to build a relationship with an SA for months (aka spend money on other things) before they get their first BKC offer. Others are offered the bag right away. There doesn't seem to be a clear rule. I was offered a runway HAC (my husband calls it my "Birkin on steroids") during my very first visit into an H store last summer. From the feedback I received here, this was unusual.
A Lot of great TPF members have generously shared their H experiences on the forum and I encourage you to read as many as you can. It will help you discern how to navigate the H world!
Please do a search or check out these threads ...good luck.
https://forum.purseblog.com/threads/how-much-spending-to-get-a-b-k-c-around-the-world.967155/page-2
https://forum.purseblog.com/threads/maintaining-a-h-relationship.156549/