Lining up for Hermes - thoughts, rants, raves

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#16
allanrvj said:
Is that the one near the bags/leather goods? I think that's a queue and they're waiting for their turn to be served, yes :)
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It was downstairs. I was having chocolate and cake at the café and they were sitting on the floor below me. I am not familiar with the leather goods departements at Sevres but there were leather goods on both floors. I don't know if there is any difference between the domnstairs section and the upstairs.
 
#17
Nahreen said:
It was downstairs. I was having chocolate and cake at the café and they were sitting on the floor below me. I am not familiar with the leather goods departements at Sevres but there were leather goods on both floors. I don't know if there is any difference between the domnstairs section and the upstairs.
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Yes, downstairs on the left is the bags section. The store has placed chairs against that mesh wall so people could sit while waiting to be served.
 
#18
I lined up under the old system. I have yet to line up under the new system. It hasnt worked for me to go there early and then return later the same day. In my experience there has been variation in the store experience since the new system. In one case the new system made the shopping experience more pleasant in FSH, but in another it did not.

My first visit under the new system I arrived in the afternoon, long after the morning queue was over. There was a public holiday that week, but I was still able to get an appointment for late afternoon. I looked forward to looking around after I secured my appointment. On that visit, I found the store in the afternoon to be more uncomfortable than it was with the line under the old system. At least under the old system the line was in one part of the store. On this visit, there were so many people sitting around, I guess waiting for appointments, it was unpleasant. It seemed that every spare chair was taken up by someone. In the shoes for example I wasnt sure if people were waiting for SA or just sitting around. I soon found out that they were just sitting around on their phones or staring at customers, not waiting for a shoes SA.

On my second visit to FSH since new system, I also arrived in the afternoon. I wasnt bag shopping, so did not plan to queue. This was in Feb, quieter time of year, and I found the store to be very pleasant this time. No line downstairs, not many customers sitting around, it was very nice.

Ideally one should plan FSH visits for non-peak times of year (off season, no fashion week, no public holidays). If you chose to line up, it wont be as crazy and if you arrive in the afternoon, there is still some chance of a same day appointment. And the store will be pleasant to shop in once the appointment seekers clear out after opening.
 
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#19
I found the stores and their different departements to be very busy or very peaceful. One moment a department could be very busy and the next very peaceful. It happened to me on numeroud occasions. I really suggest that if you have plans to visit different departments to find one that is calm and start there.
 
#20
remainsilly said:
Ah.
Because nothing screams, "Luxury!" quite like queueing on filthy street at 5a.m.
Every day, during vacation.
Hoping to earn the right to spend $20k usd in particular store.
Similar to Oliver Twist, begging for more gruel.
:whut:
F*** that, imo.
Never done it, never will.
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ah.. but after we get the bag... nobody will know about the crazy queue....:amuse:...lol
 
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#22
I don't see why in 2017 there is a need for a physical line. People used to camp out for concert tickets and that has been eliminated by ecommerce. Hermès needs to stop being digitally clueless and figure out a cool way to give out bag appointments.

When it was a two or three hour line, maybe that was fine and kind of fun for those who enjoyed the whole chase. But with the low euro the resellers seem to be out in force, apparently people are now there all night, and there's just nothing luxurious about that.

I picture the opening scene of "Breakfast at Tiffanys", only Audrey is standing with her pastry in a line surrounded by camp chairs and spot holders. Uh-uh.
 
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#23
HavLab said:
I lined up under the old system. I have yet to line up under the new system. It hasnt worked for me to go there early and then return later the same day. In my experience there has been variation in the store experience since the new system. In one case the new system made the shopping experience more pleasant in FSH, but in another it did not.

My first visit under the new system I arrived in the afternoon, long after the morning queue was over. There was a public holiday that week, but I was still able to get an appointment for late afternoon. I looked forward to looking around after I secured my appointment. On that visit, I found the store in the afternoon to be more uncomfortable than it was with the line under the old system. At least under the old system the line was in one part of the store. On this visit, there were so many people sitting around, I guess waiting for appointments, it was unpleasant. It seemed that every spare chair was taken up by someone. In the shoes for example I wasnt sure if people were waiting for SA or just sitting around. I soon found out that they were just sitting around on their phones or staring at customers, not waiting for a shoes SA.

On my second visit to FSH since new system, I also arrived in the afternoon. I wasnt bag shopping, so did not plan to queue. This was in Feb, quieter time of year, and I found the store to be very pleasant this time. No line downstairs, not many customers sitting around, it was very nice.

Ideally one should plan FSH visits for non-peak times of year (off season, no fashion week, no public holidays). If you chose to line up, it wont be as crazy and if you arrive in the afternoon, there is still some chance of a same day appointment. And the store will be pleasant to shop in once the appointment seekers clear out after opening.
Click to expand...

Were you there right after the new line system started? My impression is that in the beginning people were loitering probably because they were not expecting the change in the system but that most people are now leaving the store. I only saw one or two people waiting on my last trip. I wholeheartedly agree with the advice to go at off times of the year.

The euro is up a bit and no longer expected to reach parity with the dollar. The recovery of the euro, if it happens, will help the situation.
 
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#24
Pocketbook Pup said:
Were you there right after the new line system started? My impression is that in the beginning people were loitering probably because they were not expecting the change in the system but that most people are now leaving the store. I only saw one or two people waiting on my last trip. I wholeheartedly agree with the advice to go at off times of the year.

The euro is up a bit and no longer expected to reach parity with the dollar. The recovery of the euro, if it happens, will help the situation.
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@Pocketbook Pup & @HavLab when are the "off peak" "low season" that you would recommend to go? Im not familiar with french holidays and high season (i would suppose christmas and summer vacation are the "high season"?)
Any tip helps!
 
#26
I haven't been to FSH since early 2015, back then you had to queue inside the store, and depending on the time of day the wait is 15-45 minutes.

I would never consider queuing before the store opens to try my chances of buying a €7000 bag.

The long wait and rushing when the doors open is not appealing to me, especially that there's no guarantees.

It's very disappointing, as my chances of finding one at my store is close to nil.
 
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#27
Yes when I lined up in 2014 I waited 20 minutes tops. If the line was longer than that I didn't stay to wait. From late 2014 until 2016 the line had grown from the glass case where the hostesses stood to the back steps, back again once through the leather section and then encroached in the scarf section. You couldn't even get to the case with the cashmeres. And if you needed to pay at that register it was very difficult to get to. They had to do something.

There is no way I would ever wait this long especially outside in the early morning.

I have found that February through early April or September to October are good months to go. Summer and Christmas time are busier. I have had the impression that by late November they are holding stock for regulars to buy as Christmas gifts. You have to google the French holidays each year. There are many. And google fashion week. Definitely avoid those times. The holidays aren't so bad. You just want to be aware of when the store will be closed and also that when they reopen stock will be low for a few days.

Those of us who are regulars at fsh have really tried to give genuine advice and to be helpful, so the animosity on the Paris thread is very disappointing. People want to hear what they want to hear and come off as very entitled. If that's what they are projecting at the store that's why they aren't being offered a bag. That thread used to be very fun cheering people on. Now it's everything that is ugly about buying Hermes.

The other thing is that while they always have bags they might not have what you want. I have been asking for a certain color for 3 years. They never have it while I'm there. If people want the in fashion tiny bags or very specific colors they are much less likely to have them. I don't think people want to hear that either. If you only want one bag in your lifetime and you want one color fsh is not the place to buy. If you have a small collection and are open to different options it can work out well.
 
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#29
Pocketbook Pup said:
By the way the line I described above was during the off season. I don't go during the busy seasons. I can't imagine what it was like in the height of tourists season.
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Even around New Year ('15) I never had to wait more than 15-20 minutes, except this one time where I waited 45 mins because it was the staff lunch break and an SA told me to come that day specifically. I guess the situation got worse over the years..

I have a relative who visited in March and she couldn't get an appointment, she lined up at 9:45. That was extremely disppointing..

I hope they do something about it
 
#30
Pocketbook Pup said:
Were you there right after the new line system started? My impression is that in the beginning people were loitering probably because they were not expecting the change in the system but that most people are now leaving the store. I only saw one or two people waiting on my last trip. I wholeheartedly agree with the advice to go at off times of the year.

The euro is up a bit and no longer expected to reach parity with the dollar. The recovery of the euro, if it happens, will help the situation.
Click to expand...

The trip with everyone sitting around was in late October, near Halloween and All Saint's Day. I suspect there was still adjustment period to new system at that point.

Nahreen's observation is helpful too. Find a quiet part and look there and then wait for others to clear out.

I definitely prefer off peak. I like Paris during the winter. I love walking in the city as long as its not raining too hard! The hotels are a good value too. I just got back because I wanted to go to Roland Garros this year. It wasnt as bad as I expected though.
 
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