Chanel London Haul and My Shopping Experience

eckw

eckw

Member
Feb 28, 2015
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#1
Even though I’m only on day 3 of a two-week stay in London, I’ve had a wonderful shopping experience here, thanks in part to all the great info found here as well as all the wonderful help from fellow forum members. I was also very lucky to have encountered great SAs at both the Sloane St boutique and Harrods.

I’m so shocked that I managed to get my two dream bags here. They’ve been impossible to track down in my home city (even though I have a great SA there) and I thought I would be lucky to even score one.

I also want to share my experience and tips when I got home but I thought it might be more helpful to do it now in case anyone is coming to London and also while it’s fresh in my memory!

Apologies in advance for the long post bit hopefully some of you might find it helpful in future and thanks for letting me share my excitement with getting my two dream bags! [emoji4]
 
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#2
So Day 1 (I landed really early!) and in the afternoon, I managed to get some alone-time to go shopping. Headed straight to the Chanel boutique on Sloane St (as it was closest to my hotel)

I was served by a really friendly SA called Dion. I told him I was interested in rectangular mini flaps and small (they call it med size in the UK) quilted Coco Handle, preferably black. He said they had one black coco that just sold that morning but can check in back for stock. At first they said no rectangular quilted flaps, just chevron ones but then he came back with their last rectangular mini as well as blue and beige Coco. I also saw a gorgeous green Coco.

It seems UK does enforce the one passport every 2 months rule but he offered to set aside the second bag for me if I wanted to use my husband’s passport but at that point, I didn’t want to involve the husband yet so I passed.

I also looked at accessories - belts and brooches - and maybe it’s a holiday thing but I ended up getting my first non-bag Chanel purchase!

So this is what I came home with on the first day. [emoji4]

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#3
I really thought that was it. I’d found my perfect mini and I was super satisfied.

But over breakfast with my husband, he asked me about my Chanel shopping and out of the blue, he offered to get the Coco for me if really wanted it. I was so shocked as this is was quite out of the blue for him. (I don’t have an enabling husband!)

Thanks to @adayjchen I thought I could try my luck at the department stores. Harrods is closer so I went there first.

Ground floor Chanel was quite busy but a nice SA there showed me a beige Coco and said they sold their last black one that morning. But she suggested I go to 2/F to try as there was more stock there. I asked about 5/F Chanel shoes and she said yes, could try there too.

I went directly to the 5/F Chanel shoes and it was very quiet there. The most wonderful SA called Prince greeted me at the door and I again asked about Coco. He had no black but showed me the blue one (which I saw in Sloane St). He said he also had square caviar minis in pink as well as a black one in the back.

As I was hesitating over the blue, he said he had a black one on hold for a client until 3pm (it was around 1pm then) and if he doesn’t show up, he could let me have it. He also offered to hold the blue Coco and black square mini and if I wanted both, he might be able to get an exception for me from the manager.

I brought my husband back with me at 3pm as I was wanted his opinion. The Black was available and when I tried on both, both he and I agreed the black Coco was the one. I passed on the square caviar mini.

Slight glitch in the purchasing as Prince came back saying I’m past my quota (having bought the mini on Sloane St) but he can use my husband’s ID to pay.

Husband paid but mentioned price was about £700 more than I’d told him. Turns out the black one was lizard handle (it’s black lizard not burgundy so I didn’t notice and the blue one I saw on Sloane St was regular calf handle so that was the price I told him at breakfast. [emoji51])

Lucky the husband was a good sport about it and lizard handle was my original HG for Coco. [emoji2]
 
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#5
Final take-away from my London shopping experience:

-Seems like Chanel is enforcing the one bag per person rule no matter whether you are buying from boutique or department store and their systems are definitely linked.

-I enjoyed shopping at Harrods more even though I had a sweet SA at the Sloane Street boutique. The boutique is very large so while waiting for my purchases to be wrapped, which took quite a long time, you are left milling around while there are lots of ppl in the store. My SA was gone to deal with my purchases and no other SA will approach you even to chat so i felt a bit awkward.

-Harrods have 3 places to shop for Chanel - G/F, 2/F and 5/F. They all hold their own stock. So if you are in a hurry, probably best to go straight to the 5/F Chanel shoe boutique (they have bags too!) and ask there first. It’s also much quieter there and service is nicer and calmer.

- I overheard one SA telling another (or maybe manager talking to staff) saying something about how the stock wasn’t moving fast enough on the 5/F. Maybe that’s why my SA was able to suggest selling me 2 bags with manager permission.

- It was my bad that I didn’t tell him in advance I already made a purchase on this trip but I was trying to see if boutiques and department stores operate independently based on what @adayjchen was saying. Prince was a super good sport about it and didn’t give me a bad time and just transferred the purchase to my husband.
 
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#7
eckw said:
So Day 1 (I landed really early!) and in the afternoon, I managed to get some alone-time to go shopping. Headed straight to the Chanel boutique on Sloane St (as it was closest to my hotel)

I was served by a really friendly SA called Dion. I told him I was interested in rectangular mini flaps and small (they call it med size in the UK) quilted Coco Handle, preferably black. He said they had one black coco that just sold that morning but can check in back for stock. At first they said no rectangular quilted flaps, just chevron ones but then he came back with their last rectangular mini as well as blue and beige Coco. I also saw a gorgeous green Coco.

It seems UK does enforce the one passport every 2 months rule but he offered to set aside the second bag for me if I wanted to use my husband’s passport but at that point, I didn’t want to involve the husband yet so I passed.

I also looked at accessories - belts and brooches - and maybe it’s a holiday thing but I ended up getting my first non-bag Chanel purchase!

So this is what I came home with on the first day. [emoji4]

View attachment 4027901

View attachment 4027902

View attachment 4027903
Click to expand...

Such cute purchases! Could you share the code and price for your brooch?
Thanks! I love visiting London...such a fun city.
 
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#9
eckw said:
So Day 1 (I landed really early!) and in the afternoon, I managed to get some alone-time to go shopping. Headed straight to the Chanel boutique on Sloane St (as it was closest to my hotel)

I was served by a really friendly SA called Dion. I told him I was interested in rectangular mini flaps and small (they call it med size in the UK) quilted Coco Handle, preferably black. He said they had one black coco that just sold that morning but can check in back for stock. At first they said no rectangular quilted flaps, just chevron ones but then he came back with their last rectangular mini as well as blue and beige Coco. I also saw a gorgeous green Coco.

It seems UK does enforce the one passport every 2 months rule but he offered to set aside the second bag for me if I wanted to use my husband’s passport but at that point, I didn’t want to involve the husband yet so I passed.

I also looked at accessories - belts and brooches - and maybe it’s a holiday thing but I ended up getting my first non-bag Chanel purchase!

So this is what I came home with on the first day. [emoji4]

View attachment 4027901

View attachment 4027902

View attachment 4027903
Click to expand...
Absolutely MAGNIFICENT trio/haul dear eckw!!! So glad to read that you had such a wonderful experience!! And props to your DH as well!! Happiest Congrats on these fine pieces!!! :ps:
 
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