Out of stock of everything!
- Thread starter kprice1019
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It seems canvas bags are going to be limited at best. One thing is clear. If you find availability of an item you are looking for... you should probably PURCHASE it right away!
Maybe there is some truth in the canvas rumors and we may not be able to find canvas bags in the very near future??? I hope this is not the case, but this certainly seems like a possibility.
My own opinion is that they are phasing out the canvas from the boutiques and repurposing them exclusively to be purchased through the online store. The higher-end canvas bags with leather details, full leather, empreinte, and canvas travel items will be the prominent features of the boutique. I don't think it will be impossible to find canvas but perhaps not as easy as it once was.
They don't sell you a piece of canvas. They sell fully-assembled handbags, and I assume assembling a handbag takes time?
I agree with this. I think that’s what they’re probably doing. What I don’t get is that wouldn’t it be easier to mass produce and sell the entry level bags like speedies and neverfulls if they are all online? They can just be stored in a warehouse somewhere, ready to be shipped out. Don’t even have to waste time going to the boutiques at all. So why are these bags so hard to get? Even online?
This is exactly why I don’t even want or consider buying LV. They have this scam down to a tee. Why anyone would want to beg a company to take their money - a company that in fact makes it seem like they are doing you a favor by selling you something - is beyond me. And they are rude on top of it. Wish I had thought of this sales tactic.
The downfall of any brand is over-saturation and ubiquity. Up until a few years go Louis Vuitton was not marketed and accessible to the masses. A combination of youtube and a better economy really put LV in the spotlight. Not to mention LV has been rather gracious with price inflation over the years, so much so that bags from contemporary lines (Tory Burch, Coach) were starting to rival canvas in price. The loyal Coach customer who up until recently considered LV out of her league now sees LV canvas as a relatively affordable, higher status option compared to contemporary designers (who have REAL leather bags). Too many canvas bags in circulation limits the value and takes away the incentive for those to spend on LV leather when they could get a Chanel for the same price. Theres been many threads about how poorly LV leather does on the re-sell market compared to canvas.
I am not a brand consultant, but there is an assumption that the average speedy/NF/iconic canvas customer is not likely to spend on non-iconic bag shapes and RTW items; not likely to buy higher-priced leather items; not likely to develop personal relationships with SAs; and not likely to buy consistently. Because speedys/NFs historically are so germane to brand image, wearers get the benefit of LV brand recognition and boutique experiencnce without the investment in higher quality or diverse LV products. I feel that LV wants to not only reframe their brand identity away from canvas, they also want to reserve the personal boutique experience for those willing to spend on their higher-priced leather items. Hence - repurposing canvas to online boutique. All of this is speculation on my part, btw.
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I've kinda in a way accepted that staying up all hours stalking the website and phoning around asking my SA for items, having to make a lot more effort and being extra patient to get what I want is going to be the norm from now on. My last 7 item of purchase has been pretty much staying up and being a bit of a night owl. I'm glad I bought everything I wanted on my wish list this year.
But yeah it kinda sucks if your a LV begginer or are use to getting what you want straight away. This new way is going to be hard to get use to. There must be some valid strategic reason why LV is taking these steps, thats if it is doing for marketing purpose and maybe it won't be till a few years down the line will this be fully understood or wether it was a good move or bad. Either way I'm still sticking to LV. I mean I've already lost so many sleepless night stalking I'm not going to stop now.
I’ve never had this experience. I have a great SA. Nice people work in the store. I’ve been buying for many many years. I also had good customer service on line but I know some have not. A few months ago I wanted a speedy b 25 de. I called customer service they told me it would be about 2 weeks and they would deliver to store I wanted. It took less time than that. A little over a week and I had it. I’m sorry if others have had bad experiences.
I hope this isn't LV's perspective on this, because that would mean I'd never do business with them.
I just bought my first NF because I fell in love with the DA print. I don't see myself as getting any 'benefit' of LV brand recognition; I'd actually prefer that the bag not be recognized. I'm buying because I don't mind spending more for higher quality, and to get an item that I will carry for years. What's kept me away from LV in the past is my loathing of monogrammed items/prints. That's not an anti-LV bias; it also means that I have little interest in many other brands with in your face branding (big Dior lettering, Chanel's double CCs, Gucci's logo, etc). That is just my own preference; I absolutely respect that others love the LV monogram print and its history. It's just not for me.
When my package arrives, if I don't feel that my $1600 tote was 'an investment in higher quality' it's going straight back. I am a marketer, and if buying a $1600 canvas tote doesn't allow you to enjoy a boutique experience, LV and their SAs had better get over themselves. I bought online, but generally most won't pay premium prices without feeling like they're getting something for it. I would never expect (or even want) to be fawned over, but I expect to be treated with courtesy in my sales interactions. That's true if I'm buying a $30 lipstick, and it's certainly true when I'm spending a not insignificant sum on a handbag.
There are customers who enjoy being made to work for the honour of giving a company their money (hello Hermes), but I'm not one of them. Nor am I alone in that.
Alienating core customers is a risky proposition; it's not an accident that Longchamp hasn't discontinued their Le Pliage line. Companies can aspire to compete with the higher end of the market, but choosing to be dismissive of their bread and butter is not always wise. I don't think there's anything wrong with moving more canvas products online (particularly when there's a leather version a client can try on for size in the boutique), but that's different than acting like those buying the canvas products that have been such a large part of LV's success and history aren't good enough for their boutiques. I have to think that LV has run all the numbers, and knows where their leather vs. canvas sales occur. If there's limited real estate in a boutique and that's where more leather bags and SLGs are sold, and particularly if more canvas bags are sold online, it makes sense to focus on leather bags in boutiques. That's just good business.
Is this just due to the holiday season? I returned a Neverfull recently (for a super nitpicky reason) and only got store credit for it since I bought it at a Bloomingdales but returned it at a regular boutique. I want to buy it again at some point but the SA told me the credit can't be used online so this means stalking the website won't help. I'm fine waiting until next year if needed (I have a Hawaii trip in Feb so yay, cheaper prices). But now after reading all these threads, I'm worried about availability in the future 
I assumed I was safe saving the credit for a Neverfull, since it's one of their classic/iconic bags - I figured it'd always be around. Is this still a safe assumption? lol
I assumed I was safe saving the credit for a Neverfull, since it's one of their classic/iconic bags - I figured it'd always be around. Is this still a safe assumption? lolYou are basically also describing Hermès, and many other luxury/popular brands.
Is this just due to the holiday season? I returned a Neverfull recently (for a super nitpicky reason) and only got store credit for it since I bought it at a Bloomingdales but returned it at a regular boutique. I want to buy it again at some point but the SA told me the credit can't be used online so this means stalking the website won't help. I'm fine waiting until next year if needed (I have a Hawaii trip in Feb so yay, cheaper prices). But now after reading all these threads, I'm worried about availability in the future
Yea. You’ll get your Neverfull, sooner or later. LV would rather close up their shops before discontinuing the Neverfull.
“A few years” ???
Where have you been??
Louis Vuitton has been available to the masses for decades. Certainly since the creation of LVMH. It is no secret that Arnault has worked hard to make Louis Vuitton the most distributed luxury brand on the planet ever since he took control of the business. And honestly, the Marc Jacob years were probably the most aggressive in the expansion of Vuitton.
You are stating the obvious. It also takes time to assemble a leather bag, but those don’t seem to be as out of stock as canvas items from what I’ve gathered in this thread.
I am guessing the demand for canvas bags is higher, therefore the shortage? Why they can't raise production a bit though is rather beyond me, unless it's a marketing or long term branding strategy.