Spend threshold for B/K/C

[vikky177]

I'm not sure how so many people are able to afford QB and the prespend to be honest.

 

[Justlikewhatilike]

This. I wonder what is the good way to bring out this conversation with the SA to build the relationship than being sounded like a desperate looking for a bag.

I don’t know what’s the best way. But my SA proposed for me to be long term customer when she offered me a coverted quota bag when I’m not spending a lot.

I think along the way I was buying stuff with good knowledge of what I want, what are the available colours,etc. often I would say I want this, this and this but prioritise the first 2 items and the last one is nice but I will get it in the future as it is not high priority for me yet.

often, my SA knows what I have been considering as I know the prices and how I consider it’s value that it is bringing to my life or not at that price point.

 

[Daydrmer]

This. I wonder what is the good way to bring out this conversation with the SA to build the relationship than being sounded like a desperate looking for a bag.

This is something I wanted to expressed to my SA as well. I just kept in the back of my mind to bring up when the moment presented itself. I was able to when we were changing an aspect of my wish life during one visit. My SA said something about a particular color and I mentioned how I wanted to start my collection with neutrals, listing all the bags I want to acquire first, before adding in pops of color.

 

[FaubourgTropical]

Yes, I would say the "true long-term Hermes" customer is probably only 5%-10% of the customer base. Most people's Hermes "Journey" is probably on avg. 2-3 years. I mean who can afford to casually spend $30K-$50K a year on bags and luxury for decades?

And these are the 'true' H customers that the company is after, whether we like it or not.

 

[_kiki119_]

This. I wonder what is the good way to bring out this conversation with the SA to build the relationship than being sounded like a desperate looking for a bag.

I don’t know what’s the right way, when i started my journey i was just buying thing so love, mostly in silk, shoes and bags. I started i quietly about RTW know that my end goal is to work tougher a qb… once i received the RTW items and i thanked her and casually asked how to be considered an offer, and our conversation just flows of what’s easy/hard and what’s are good sizes… then onto what i was looking for. I think it doesn’t hurt to ask when you have been buying few things from them, but it would not be something i bring up right away.

i remembered my first Trip to Hermes i was after oran and herbag, and i vividly remember telling my SA that i was not after a b/k at all lol. How things have changed since then

 

[Poohbear18]

I don’t know what’s the right way, when i started my journey i was just buying thing so love, mostly in silk, shoes and bags. I started i quietly about RTW know that my end goal is to work tougher a qb… once i received the RTW items and i thanked her and casually asked how to be considered an offer, and our conversation just flows of what’s easy/hard and what’s are good sizes… then onto what i was looking for. I think it doesn’t hurt to ask when you have been buying few things from them, but it would not be something i bring up right away.

i remembered my first Trip to Hermes i was after oran and herbag, and i vividly remember telling my SA that i was not after a b/k at all lol. How things have changed since then

This is me. With the mindset of I’ll just buy what i want and enjoy the ride. I go nowhere nowaday, so no rush for a bag, and let time proves me to my SA. But then time passes without any excitement makes me start thinking, it’s just nice to know how long is the wait for? 1 year or 3 years? Just good to know than being in the dark and holding breath

 

[duggi84]

After watching FW2022 show, I think PHW is coming up big time. Especially black PhW. There is a lot of hype working up on black PHW on Chinese social media as well

Actually PHW is palladium plated. Precious metal too. So it is not so cheap as a material compared to gold. If I use prices of Oz mule as a guide, only rose gold plated OZ is higher priced. Gold, permabrass and Palladium hardware oz mules are cheaper.

Additionally, now that there’s a lot of craziness going on (Russia being biggest exporter of Palladium), I hope price of palladium won’t shoot thru the roof causing H to adjust the prices.

FWIW palladium is already about 50% more expensive and 30x more rare than gold. Palladium has always been the most expensive plating option for H..it's actually interesting they don't charge more for it, especially on hardware-heavy bags.

 

[_kiki119_]

This is me. With the mindset of I’ll just buy what i want and enjoy the ride. I go nowhere nowaday, so no rush for a bag, and let time proves me to my SA. But then time passes without any excitement makes me start thinking, it’s just nice to know how long is the wait for? 1 year or 3 years? Just good to know than being in the dark and holding breath

Well! I got mine after 9 months from initial visit… like 2.5 after RTW but it was in 2021 and my specs wasn’t sought after

 

[880]

Yes, I would say the "true long-term Hermes" customer is probably only 5%-10% of the customer base. Most people's Hermes "Journey" is probably on avg. 2-3 years. I mean who can afford to casually spend $30K-$50K a year on bags and luxury for decades?

During Covid, I think this number grew exponentially. Mainly bc the rich got richer, and no one was traveling. These are the customers that Hermes cares about most. And, probably how to get the 50K customer into 100K and so on. i sincerely believe that the customer that H really wants doesnt really care about prespend, but, if tallied up, actually spends six figures. If you are a long standing customer, there is kind of a grandfathering in, but it would be hard for a new, smaller customer to start. I’ve heard the smaller customers called first floor customers in several premier boutiques. They seem to get less personalized attention no matter the amounts they purchase. I do want to note that when I was in college, I was an occasional silk customer (so a first floor customer), and when I bought my first piece of RTW at chanel in 2001, I only purchased one or two pieces a season. In those days, that was more than acceptable. Times have changed. JMO of course.

 

[periogirl28]

Yes, I would say the "true long-term Hermes" customer is probably only 5%-10% of the customer base. Most people's Hermes "Journey" is probably on avg. 2-3 years. I mean who can afford to casually spend $30K-$50K a year on bags and luxury for decades?

I do agree with that last sentence but I do know of quite a few customers who do. Both in Europe and in Asia. They have been such loyal, steady customers that they are offered the special runway/ Limited Edition bags every season without any effort. I feel Hermes does reward loyalty and are very much inclined towards new customers who do not only buy 2 (quota) bags in a short period of time, and then give up on them. That’s just how the Maison works.

 

[DB8]

During Covid, I think this number grew exponentially. Mainly bc the rich got richer, and no one was traveling. These are the customers that Hermes cares about most. And, probably how to get the 50K customer into 100K and so on. i sincerely believe that the customer that H really wants doesnt really care about prespend, but, if tallied up, actually spends six figures. If you are a long standing customer, there is kind of a grandfathering in, but it would be hard for a new, smaller customer to start. I’ve heard the smaller customers called first floor customers in several premier boutiques. They seem to get less personalized attention no matter the amounts they purchase.

I totally agree! It's brutal out there for newer customers in the luxury retail space right now. I've told friends now's not the time to be trying to compete for these goods, because there's so many other people willing to spend more to get what they want. It almost seems quaint now that 1:1 use to be a good metric to get a B30/35 or K28/32. Through this forum, it seems as though new clients are nearing 1.5-2:1 for a bag. At one point right before Covid I personally know of people who got B35's with zero prespend (but some history with the store).

It's not just Hermes people are flocking to, but Chanel (panic inducing price increases and boutiques hiding high demand bags under the guise of 'waitlists') and even Rolex. Unbelievable how many people I see asking for watches which 3 years ago AD's would have plenty of (DJ, OP, S/S Submariner), and the smarmy replies from those SA's.

I keep thinking there is going to be a correction but at this point it seems unlikely....

 

[cloee]

I’m still fairly new to the hermes world. For prespend categories, does it have to be varied everytime we seek a quota bag? It’s not a concern for now s as I’ve had quite a bit of H Items I’ve wanted but just thinking in the near future. ie. I don’t like to switch slgs so I only have a handful and would not add any unless a new style or color sparks interest. So the silks and rtw are potentially categories I may still be spending on. I’m in Toronto if that helps. Thank you

 

[FaubourgTropical]

During Covid, I think this number grew exponentially. Mainly bc the rich got richer, and no one was traveling. These are the customers that Hermes cares about most. And, probably how to get the 50K customer into 100K and so on. i sincerely believe that the customer that H really wants doesnt really care about prespend, but, if tallied up, actually spends six figures. If you are a long standing customer, there is kind of a grandfathering in, but it would be hard for a new, smaller customer to start. I’ve heard the smaller customers called first floor customers in several premier boutiques. They seem to get less personalized attention no matter the amounts they purchase. I do want to note that when I was in college, I was an occasional silk customer (so a first floor customer), and when I bought my first piece of RTW at chanel in 2001, I only purchased one or two pieces a season. In those days, that was more than acceptable. Times have changed. JMO of course.

So true. I wish I dipped my toes 20yrs ago to be grandfathered now
I hope a lot of us read this to 'make sense' of shopping at H. It can get frustrating if we do not understand the evolution. To me personally anyway.

 

[SanazRiggio81]

I have a few questions! Might be dumb questions! Why does the store manager have to approve certain purchases? I do most of my shopping remotely with my SA and some items she has to have the SM approve. Is it because they don’t have it in store? Also if you ask your SA to help you with items that they don’t have in store, do they still get commission if the sell it to you?
for example I asked to buy a beach robe I saw online and she said she needed the SM approval. After it was approved the SM sent me the link to pay online. Is that bad? I only buy items I absolutely love and hope it’ll help me receive a QB offer in near future. I started my “journey” in September 2021. TIA

 

[Poohbear18]

I have a few questions! Might be dumb questions! Why does the store manager have to approve certain purchases? I do most of my shopping remotely with my SA and some items she has to have the SM approve. Is it because they don’t have it in store? Also if you ask your SA to help you with items that they don’t have in store, do they still get commission if the sell it to you?
for example I asked to buy a beach robe I saw online and she said she needed the SM approval. After it was approved the SM sent me the link to pay online. Is that bad? I only buy items I absolutely love and hope it’ll help me receive a QB offer in near future. I started my “journey” in September 2021. TIA

If you shop remotely with the store then that sounds right. My SA said their sales and stocks have to be prioritized for walk-in in person clients first due to shortage stocks. Especially last year the model has changed like so,so they prioritize local customers walk in first.