The Korea Times
amn_close.png
amn_bl.png
National
  • Politics
  • Foreign Affairs
  • Multicultural Community
  • Defense
  • Environment & Animals
  • Law & Crime
  • Society
  • Health & Science
amn_bl.png
Business
  • Tech
  • Bio
  • Companies
amn_bl.png
Finance
  • Companies
  • Economy
  • Markets
  • Cryptocurrency
amn_bl.png
Opinion
  • Editorial
  • Columns
  • Thoughts of the Times
  • Cartoon
  • Today in History
  • Blogs
  • Tribune Service
  • Blondie & Garfield
  • Letter to President
  • Letter to the Editor
amn_bl.png
Lifestyle
  • Travel & Food
  • Trends
  • People & Events
  • Books
  • Around Town
  • Fortune Telling
amn_bl.png
Entertainment & Arts
  • K-pop
  • Films
  • Shows & Dramas
  • Music
  • Theater & Others
amn_bl.png
Sports
amn_bl.png
World
  • SCMP
  • Asia
amn_bl.png
Video
  • Korean Storytellers
  • POPKORN
  • Culture
  • People
  • News
amn_bl.png
Photos
  • Photo News
  • Darkroom
amn_NK.png amn_DR.png amn_LK.png amn_LE.png
  • bt_fb_on_2022.svgbt_fb_over_2022.svg
  • bt_twitter_on_2022.svgbt_twitter_over_2022.svg
  • bt_youtube_on_2022.svgbt_youtube_over_2022.svg
  • bt_instagram_on_2022.svgbt_instagram_over_2022.svg
The Korea Times
amn_close.png
amn_bl.png
National
  • Politics
  • Foreign Affairs
  • Multicultural Community
  • Defense
  • Environment & Animals
  • Law & Crime
  • Society
  • Health & Science
amn_bl.png
Business
  • Tech
  • Bio
  • Companies
amn_bl.png
Finance
  • Companies
  • Economy
  • Markets
  • Cryptocurrency
amn_bl.png
Opinion
  • Editorial
  • Columns
  • Thoughts of the Times
  • Cartoon
  • Today in History
  • Blogs
  • Tribune Service
  • Blondie & Garfield
  • Letter to President
  • Letter to the Editor
amn_bl.png
Lifestyle
  • Travel & Food
  • Trends
  • People & Events
  • Books
  • Around Town
  • Fortune Telling
amn_bl.png
Entertainment & Arts
  • K-pop
  • Films
  • Shows & Dramas
  • Music
  • Theater & Others
amn_bl.png
Sports
amn_bl.png
World
  • SCMP
  • Asia
amn_bl.png
Video
  • Korean Storytellers
  • POPKORN
  • Culture
  • People
  • News
amn_bl.png
Photos
  • Photo News
  • Darkroom
amn_NK.png amn_DR.png amn_LK.png amn_LE.png
  • bt_fb_on_2022.svgbt_fb_over_2022.svg
  • bt_twitter_on_2022.svgbt_twitter_over_2022.svg
  • bt_youtube_on_2022.svgbt_youtube_over_2022.svg
  • bt_instagram_on_2022.svgbt_instagram_over_2022.svg
  • Login
  • Register
  • Login
  • Register
  • The Korea Times
  • search
  • all menu
  • Login
  • Subscribe
  • Photos
  • Video
  • World
  • Sports
  • Opinion
  • Entertainment & Art
  • Lifestyle
  • Finance
  • Business
  • National
  • North Korea
  • 1

    South Korea speeds up full-fledged deployment of US anti-missile battery

  • 3

    Kakao seeks to bolster SM's global presence as new owner

  • 5

    ANALYSISTesla, BYD's price cuts unnerve LGES, Samsung, SK

  • 7

    4 young Nigerian siblings killed in house fire in Ansan

  • 9

    Apple Pay service limited by lack of NFC terminals

  • 11

    Chun Doo-hwan's grandson to apologize to victims of Gwangju massacre

  • 13

    SK chief's estranged wife sues his new partner for compensation

  • 15

    Bank failures and rescue test Yellen's decades of experience

  • 17

    From mines to mobility: 140-year-old partnership between Germany and Korea

  • 19

    Unrest on the Island of World Peace in 1903

  • 2

    Lee Sun-kyun, Lee Ha-nee reunite in new rom-com 'Killing Romance'

  • 4

    INTERVIEWHow ATEEZ achieved worldwide success

  • 6

    Actor Yoo Ah-in appears for questioning over alleged drug use

  • 8

    Firstborns account for record-high 63% of newborns

  • 10

    Foreign minister hosts Iftar dinner for Muslims in Korea

  • 12

    Busan aims to win hearts of developing nations in Expo 2030 bid

  • 14

    Korean police search for 2 Kazakhstanis who fled airport

  • 16

    Samsung chief inspects production plants in China for first time in 3 years

  • 18

    Yoo Ah-in appears before police over alleged use of illegal drugs

  • 20

    Cook praises China's innovation, long history of cooperation on China visit

Close scrollclosebutton

Close for 24 hours

Open
  • The Korea Times
  • search
  • all menu
  • Login
  • Subscribe
  • Photos
  • Video
  • World
  • Sports
  • Opinion
  • Entertainment & Art
  • Lifestyle
  • Finance
  • Business
  • National
  • North Korea
Business
  • Tech
  • Bio
  • Companies
Tue, March 28, 2023 | 10:44
Will Chanel follow Hermes to sell handbags online?
Posted : 2020-06-15 17:08
Updated : 2020-06-16 11:22
Kim Jae-heun
Print PreviewPrint Preview
Font Size UpFont Size Up
Font Size DownFont Size Down
  • facebook
  • twitter
  • kakaolink
  • whatsapp
  • reddit
  • mailto
  • link
Hermes' Birkin Bag / Korea Time file
Hermes' Birkin Bag / Korea Time file

By Kim Jae-heun

Chanel opened its online store here in 2018 but it has seen limited sales of cosmetics due to its headquarters' management policy. It could be seen as Chanel's last shred of pride to maintain the policy of selling their handbags and clothes in exclusively offline boutiques.

Yet it is not out of the realm of possibility that it could soon start selling these traditionally offline products online, as Hermes does.

Hermes, which launched its online service June 3, showed how successfully a luxury brand can transition to online sales with most of its luxury items selling out on the day the service was launched.

Nearly all the items from slippers priced in the 800,000 won range to comparatively cheaper handbags priced at 2 million to 3 million won went out of stock.

The demand for Hermes items exceeded the supply online. There are four handbag types available for sale in the women's section as of June 14.

This totally went against the theory proposed by so-called experts that people will not purchase luxury items online because they want to check them out prior to payment.

Hermes' success could influence Chanel's decision on whether to sell leather goods online amid the prolonged pandemic that is decreasing its sales in many countries with the notable exception of the Asia region. Chanel is the last luxury brand to maintain a policy of not selling products online among the so-called "big three" luxury brands.

Chanel Korea failed to respond to the question of the possibility of selling other goods online besides cosmetics here.

It came as a surprise when Hermes said it would commence internet sales. It had long refused to operate online sales claiming this diminished the brand's image. It now operates online stores in Europe, the United States, China and South Korea.

Along with other luxury brands such as Chanel and Louis Vuitton, Hermes has long been pursuing its business based on boutiques where it invites customers to experience firsthand its high-end fashion goods before purchasing them.

But it could not bury its head in the sand to the reality that many young customers were shifting toward online shopping amid the continued COVID-19 pandemic which became a decisive point for Hermes in its decision to start an online business.

A factor contributing to the success of Hermes' online shopping is its low entry barrier compared to boutiques.

Anybody in any age group can visit the website and take time to surf around Hermes goods online without feeling burdened to buy something as when Korean sales staff shadow customers in its stores.

This boosted sales of small extravagances such as key chains, scarfs and neckties.

Currently, stock is selling out faster than the warehouse can secure new inventory. Customers have to keep coming back to Hermes' website to check if availability updates have been made.

Meanwhile, Hermes's most expensive, signature items ― the Kelly and Birkin bags ― are not on sale online. This applies for Hermes' French online customers too. Only VIP customers with a certain item purchasing history are eligible to purchase these two handbags. The bags' prices are in the 20 million won to 30 million won range.

Prior to Hermes, French luxury jewelry brand Cartier opened an online store here May 25, as, in the same month, did Italian fashion house, Prada. Louis Vuitton and Chanel started their online stores in 2018.


Emailjhkim@koreatimes.co.kr Article ListMore articles by this reporter
 
Top 10 Stories
1[ANALYSIS] Tesla, BYD's price cuts unnerve LGES, Samsung, SK ANALYSISTesla, BYD's price cuts unnerve LGES, Samsung, SK
2Yoo Ah-in appears before police over alleged use of illegal drugs Yoo Ah-in appears before police over alleged use of illegal drugs
3US aircraft carrier to visit Busan amid NK provocations US aircraft carrier to visit Busan amid NK provocations
4Korean crypto investors want Do Kwon punished in US Korean crypto investors want Do Kwon punished in US
5Families of foreign construction workers can receive retirement pay: court Families of foreign construction workers can receive retirement pay: court
6Indonesian investment minister promotes EV cooperation with Korea Indonesian investment minister promotes EV cooperation with Korea
7Nongshim plans to build plant in eastern US region Nongshim plans to build plant in eastern US region
8Gimpo-China flights recover to pre-pandemic levels Gimpo-China flights recover to pre-pandemic levels
9Right-wing Japanese support Seoul-Tokyo ties: Korean envoy to Japan Right-wing Japanese support Seoul-Tokyo ties: Korean envoy to Japan
10Local bank stocks hit by shockwaves from SVB, CS collapses Local bank stocks hit by shockwaves from SVB, CS collapses
Top 5 Entertainment News
1Lee Sun-kyun, Lee Ha-nee reunite in new rom-com 'Killing Romance' Lee Sun-kyun, Lee Ha-nee reunite in new rom-com 'Killing Romance'
2[INTERVIEW] How ATEEZ achieved worldwide success INTERVIEWHow ATEEZ achieved worldwide success
3Will April releases revive Korean cinema? Films to look out for in April Will April releases revive Korean cinema? Films to look out for in April
4Dreams come true: TXT mesmerizes 21,000 fans at KSPO Dome Dreams come true: TXT mesmerizes 21,000 fans at KSPO Dome
5'My ID is Gangnam Beauty' to be adapted into live action series in Thailand 'My ID is Gangnam Beauty' to be adapted into live action series in Thailand
DARKROOM
  • Turkey-Syria earthquake

    Turkey-Syria earthquake

  • Nepal plane crash

    Nepal plane crash

  • Brazil capital uprising

    Brazil capital uprising

  • Happy New Year 2023

    Happy New Year 2023

  • World Cup 2022 Final - Argentina vs France

    World Cup 2022 Final - Argentina vs France

CEO & Publisher : Oh Young-jin
Digital News Email : webmaster@koreatimes.co.kr
Tel : 02-724-2114
Online newspaper registration No : 서울,아52844
Date of registration : 2020.02.05
Masthead : The Korea Times
Copyright © koreatimes.co.kr. All rights reserved.
  • About Us
  • Introduction
  • History
  • Contact Us
  • Products & Services
  • Subscribe
  • E-paper
  • RSS Service
  • Content Sales
  • Site Map
  • Policy
  • Code of Ethics
  • Ombudsman
  • Privacy Statement
  • Terms of Service
  • Copyright Policy
  • Family Site
  • Hankook Ilbo
  • Dongwha Group