RaC VS Podium

[Jen_910]

What is the difference between rack and podium? I have been told by my SA that rack is when you get to design your own bag with up to three colors. Is this not possible with podium?

Also, After ordering the rack, how long does it take for the rack to arrive?

Thanks in Advance

 

[mistikat]

Have never heard of rack. If you do a search on SO (or special order) versus podium, there is a lot of info on the forum.

 

[birkel]

Rack, is for when a sm has not yet decided on the, Exact bags he/she wants or if there is a chance for more bags to be ordered or commissioned many SM, keep rack or save a few spaces for rack when they come back, they ask there trusted customers,what they want,of what is available, or they ask the sa 's what have people asked for more. say if an sm did not order vert anis Togo but people have asked for it in the time he / she has been gone they can order it through rack , truth is many directors do this to be more accurate on what they order .

You must remember this is up to each director, some do not even consider rack but many do to fill in the exact order each client wants or what the store is demanding, it's good if rack has been mentioned to you because it means that what you ask for can probably be done for sure !.and that the SM,is giving you an almost positive chance that what ever you want within podium availability can be done !

Btw mistikat it is totally different to a SO.

 

[mistikat]

The OP asked about designing her own bag with different colours. To the best of my knowledge, that is a special order. Perhaps it's a matter of semantics or linguistics, but when something is "off the rack", it is considered a common item, not a specially designed or ordered item.

 

[Florasun]

I was offered a rack order. I was able to choose the stitching and hardware I wanted, so it seems sort of like an SO. This was in May, and I was told my bag may arrive this month.

eta: there was some discussion in chat a while back
http://forum.purseblog.com/hermes/hermes-chat-577468-61.html#post15006414
I thought there was a separate thread but was unable to find it. But if you get the chance to customize your bag - go for it!

 

[mistikat]

Perhaps some stores use rack interchangeably with special order; it isn't something I've heard used at my store.

 

[birkel]

I understand how you understood it that is why I placed the final remark because it's easy to get mixed up it has nothing to do with "off the rack" it is a term used to describe the concept I explained above , fact is that during the rack period, or option, a costumer or sm may ask for rare uncommon bags and that is why it can be taken a special order.but its not because usually when ordered through rack it is taken as a podium order so in many cases it will come in faster but because it's part of the podium quota shall we say or podium allowance not SO . because it's considered special, the bags are usually custom ordered , many sm place odd or rare orders through rack as it has better chances of making it. if the sm does not place rack orders he or she must fill the rack space with regular or special bags but it must be used with in a time frame. Hope it helps darling . My ostrich 35 was ordered through rack .

 

[birkel]

Just to be clear on this point though and I place it in the nicest way possible ! Rack and special orders are two separate things, it is not ! Interchangeable as a term.

Rack is one thing and SO is another .

 

[pyrexia]

I haven't heard anything about rack orders either... I only know about podiums and SOs. Anything that is not standard and offered at podium is considered SO at my store - that includes single-color box, chevre etc, and of course all bi-color and tri-color bags.

This is just totally confusing... Hermes needs to stop messing with my mind!

 

[mrssparkles]

Perhaps some stores use rack interchangeably with special order; it isn't something I've heard used at my store.

I'm with you, mistikat. Not used at my store either.

 

[birkel]

True the concept and mind messing is very French! But thing is it's not a special order it can be a more special bag but... Please I get it I'm a bad writer but please read my posts it exists if you are not given the facts at your store it might be because Of the way your sm manages the shop but ask around,rack or rag is an Hermes concept. And it is probably used at all stores with different purposes but it is a great tool if you think about it that is why it exists.

 

[mrssparkles]

I'm sure a purchaser for high-end labels can put us all right. To the best of my knowledge, rack orders refer to stuff that are ordered as general inventory. As in, they are ordered to be placed on the racks. In the world of Hermes, especially where bags are concerned, I can't see how that is appropriately used.

 

[birkel]

I get you but look at it this way you have to buy 5 bags at podium you are unsure or you simply want to be perfectly right on what you are going to order or you see new things at podium so want to share them with your good costumers to see if they would want that or prefer it , so you order 3 bags and when you get back you order 2 more that is rack why Hermes calls it this well we will probably never know but please read my posts that is how it works in general. Again and as always hope it helps birkel.

 

[ouija board]

My SA used the term "rack" when discussing my order after I placed it. She never mentioned that it was a special order, but it ended up being a bag with a contrast lining, which I assumed made it a special order. Later, she explained that it is a "rack" order, which means that the SM submits a list of bags ordered by clients in specific leathers and color combos, but Paris only allots each store a certain number of orders per year, so whichever bags were not made that year get resubmitted the next year. It sounded exactly like a special order to me, and I assumed it was just different terminology for the same thing. I guess what Birkel describes could be true, that it is a podium order for a specific combo that a customer requests...but mine certainly has not arrived in the time frame that a podium order normally should, and my SA specifically said that the leather and style of bag that I chose had to be ordered, that they would not come as part of the normal store order for that season. It's all clear as mud to me, and at this point, I don't care, I just want the darned bag to arrive sometime before I'm too old to carry it.

 

[TammyD]

To chime in, Birkel is right. In France and Europe, "rack" for Hermes means a special combination bag. Some SMs elsewhere refer to it but it isn't common. It isn't even commonly offered! To equate it to the common lay understanding of "off the rack" is perhaps simplistic. It is the same way a "podium order" is totally confusing when you say it to a French SA.