Birkin baggage, lengthy a standing image for the rich, are so troublesome to buy {that a} pair of Californians simply sued the corporate over its gross sales practices.
Forty years after Hermès launched its iconic leather-based purse, customers nonetheless scheme about how to purchase enough luxury goods from the French retailer {that a} salesperson will promote them a Birkin — the generally understood approach to buy the bag. The handmade accent begins at $10,000 however can simply run into six figures, even on the resale market.
On Tuesday, two California residents sued Hermès within the Northern District of California, proposing a class-action lawsuit towards the Paris-based luxurious retailer. The criticism stated Hermès unlawfully tied the acquisition of Birkin baggage to purchasing the corporate’s different merchandise.
The case highlights a long-standing apply amongst luxurious retailers that requires long-term buying relationships for specialty gadgets.
Hermès didn’t reply to a request for remark from Enterprise Insider despatched exterior regular enterprise hours. The corporate has not but filed a response to the criticism.
One of many plaintiffs, Tina Cavalleri, stated within the criticism that she spent tens of 1000’s of {dollars} at Hermès. When she inquired about shopping for one other Birkin bag in September 2022, she “was informed specialty baggage are going to ‘shoppers who’ve been constant in supporting our enterprise,'” she claims within the lawsuit. From that change, Cavalleri thought she wanted to spend more cash on non-Birkin merchandise to purchase one other signature bag.
The opposite plaintiff, Mark Glinoga, tried to purchase a Birkin bag a number of instances final yr, “however was informed on every event he wanted to buy different gadgets and equipment,” the lawsuit claims. He was not in a position to buy the bag. Glinoga has beforehand joined different class-action lawsuits, suing Uber, T-Cellular, and Robinhood.
The plaintiffs’ attorneys didn’t reply to BI’s requests for remark despatched exterior regular enterprise hours, together with what number of Birkin baggage Cavalleri owns; how a lot she spent on the retailer; and about Glinoga’s buy historical past, if any, with Hermès.
Hermès will not be the one luxurious retailer that sells equipment based mostly on long-term buying relationships. Shopping for Rolex watches, custom-made Porsche 911s, and different standing symbols can take years of cultivation.
“Folks need what they cannot simply acquire,” Nicole Pollard Bayme, the founding father of luxurious styling agency Lalaluxe, told BI final month. “Crafting a playbook for advertising to the posh client, Hermès units the usual.”
