Lining up for Hermes - thoughts, rants, raves

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#226
Holy $&@%! Now it's overnight?

I am 99% sure the woman in the greenish yellow shirt with white leggings is the line seller. She was number one at the main door on Monday. She kept turning around the corner to check out the side queue and how things were going. She was also communicating a lot with the network of line sellers everyone hated that day.

While this certainly can be a great image for FSH, it still has some PR benefit. I don't think they would be doing anything soon and don't really see what they can do. It isn't as if they can block out the sidewalk so people can't wait overnight. I'm glad I gave up on FSH and have no plans to go back.
 
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#228
It's 2017. Why technology isn't being implemented amazes me.....I am not THAT young and I have no memory of lining up overnight for anything - just setting alarms for things that happen digitally, like Oculus Rift releases, limited art prints, sneaker releases, Burning Man tickets, etc.
I WILL wake up in the middle of the night for something I really want - wake up, open my computer, and hang out for that coveted thing.
In the comfort of my own home.
No way am I sleeping on the street in the 8th arrondissement.
 
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#229
QuelleFromage said:
It's 2017. Why technology isn't being implemented amazes me.....I am not THAT young and I have no memory of lining up overnight for anything - just setting alarms for things that happen digitally, like Oculus Rift releases, limited art prints, sneaker releases, Burning Man tickets, etc.
I WILL wake up in the middle of the night for something I really want - wake up, open my computer, and hang out for that coveted thing.
In the comfort of my own home.
No way am I sleeping on the street in the 8th arrondissement.
Click to expand...

I too wonder why they don't implement such. Could it be the reason the most of H shoppers are, eh... not as youthful as you? It has become more popular to younger shoppers these days but still majority of their clientele is of very mature age. I mean even looking at the queue outside FSH, there are many women of certain age, who I can't even imagine to queue for hours for anything else. Most of the ladies on queue for H sales are 40+ as well.

One would think at these days everyone is so used to IT and online services. But a surprisingly high number of 40+ people are somewhat IT challenged. Yes, setting up things like appt should not be that difficult, I agree. But having worked many of older generations in the past, I often had clients who still does not own a smartphone or have an email addy. France isn't as IT friendly as country like Japan or Korea and you know it personally how many things, if not most, are really slow in the continent.
 
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#233
QuelleFromage said:
It's 2017. Why technology isn't being implemented amazes me.....I am not THAT young and I have no memory of lining up overnight for anything - just setting alarms for things that happen digitally, like Oculus Rift releases, limited art prints, sneaker releases, Burning Man tickets, etc.
I WILL wake up in the middle of the night for something I really want - wake up, open my computer, and hang out for that coveted thing.
In the comfort of my own home.
No way am I sleeping on the street in the 8th arrondissement.
Click to expand...
Being a "woman of a certain age" I do recall spending the night a number of times on the street in font of the Ticketmaster outlet waiting to score those certain coveted concert tickets...but today? No thank you! I will enjoy FSH and the other Paris boutiques on my terms: to buy something that is a sweet souvenir of my trip. I'll continue to work with my USA SA to get my next B or K, even if it takes a while. After reading all of the posts here it's not worth the aggravation for me, especially after reading of the experiences of some of our wonderful TPF'ers. Vacations are supposed to be fun after all.
 
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#234
Nerja said:
Being a "woman of a certain age" I do recall spending the night a number of times on the street in font of the Ticketmaster outlet waiting to score those certain coveted concert tickets...but today? No thank you! I will enjoy FSH and the other Paris boutiques on my terms: to buy something that is a sweet souvenir of my trip. I'll continue to work with my USA SA to get my next B or K, even if it takes a while. After reading all of the posts here it's not worth the aggravation for me, especially after reading of the experiences of some of our wonderful TPF'ers. Vacations are supposed to be fun after all.
Click to expand...
The only time I've ever waited in line...for something I'm crazy for was probably 10-11 years ago when Nintendo Wii first came out I was 23, now I'm too old/lazy to do those activities. Fortunately I got almost everything I want with US store and my SA is incredible helpful, but I love Paris, I love the everything about city and would love to visit the city once in a while.
Looking at those lines, to me it's...insane with all resellers, line cutters, spot sellers,....And very soon those lines probably will be there 24/7 day to day night to night.
Wonder if HERMES would do something about this in the future?
 
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#235
There aren't as many women of a certain age in the line at FSH as one would expect for typical Hermes customers. I have not lined up in several years, long before this new system, but that's part of why I say most are not regular customers. As a woman of a certain age I felt like I stuck out like a sore thumb in that line, they recognized me immediately as a regular, and I was treated well. The average age of the line seems younger than the average age of Hermes customers. Having witnessed the lines recently I think this is even more so the case now. Few women of a certain age will put up with current conditions. The people in the photo are resellers and line sellers. So that's not the reason for the lack of an online system.

The makeup of the lines for sales in Paris is different. I know people who have gone to the sale. The line conditions are not like this. Scarf collectors like the sales to find elusive designs and we tend to be older than people who are only interested in bags.
 
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#236
The line sellers will remain and multiply as long as it is to their advantage. For those who sell a spot to 8 persons for 50 euro per person it makes quite a neat sum per day. Multiply that with 6 days per week and four weeks per month....

The thing with this particular line is that it is not once per year for some special release or sale, it is 6 days per week, nearly all year round.
 
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#237
boboxu said:
The only time I've ever waited in line...for something I'm crazy for was probably 10-11 years ago when Nintendo Wii first came out I was 23, now I'm too old/lazy to do those activities. Fortunately I got almost everything I want with US store and my SA is incredible helpful, but I love Paris, I love the everything about city and would love to visit the city once in a while.
Looking at those lines, to me it's...insane with all resellers, line cutters, spot sellers,....And very soon those lines probably will be there 24/7 day to day night to night.
Wonder if HERMES would do something about this in the future?
Click to expand...
Yes, this! I was in my early 20s when my friends and I waited overnight for Elton John tickets and also for other concerts. Not now, and not in this situation. As so many others have said, Paris has so many wonderful things to do and see!
 
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#238
Maybe Hermes is hoping that everyone will be turned off by the idea of lining up and eventually no one will pay the line sitters anymore... I wonder if it will ever come to that?
 
#239
While I don't think it's the responsibility of Hermes to figure this out, I am puzzled that the police don't clear it away. Parisians are so proud of their beautiful city, plus with the recent political climate that discourages loitering where it doesn't belong, makes me think they should be breaking this up. A line gathering at 8am seems reasonable but this is crazy. All it would take is a police sweep for a few days to discourage the loitering. Too severe?
Line sitting has been going on forever, it's usually a discreet service performed by all kinds of folks, college students, personal assistants, and professionals. I've encountered them at sample sales, ticket sales and even in Paris at tourist attractions ( the catacombs are full of line sitters in the morning) . Usually, it's one for one or at the very most two, handled respectfully, and no one pays attention. This is a whole other level that's turning ugly fast. I hope no one gets hurt.
Good luck to those trying and stay safe.
 
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#240
There is no way to stop the spot sellers as long as there is profit for them. The only way to help the situation is make friends when you are lining up and speak up TOGETHER when there are line cutters and tell the spot sellers they can only sell their spot to one person instead of multiples. That's the only "solution" that I can think of if I were lining up!

So sad we H lovers have to compete with resellers to begin with, and now spot sellers to top it off! Urghhh!!!
 
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