Hermes sued for only selling Birkin bags to ‘worthy customers’
The fashion house is accused of breaking US antitrust laws after two shoppers complained of being screened.
It is one of the most desirable handbags in the world, loved by celebrities including Kim Kardashian, Lady Gaga and Victoria Beckham.
But it is not enough to have deep pockets: the French fashion brand Hermes is said to allow only selected customers, or those deemed worthy enough, to buy a Birkin.
Two Californian shoppers have brought a legal challenge to that policy, however, claiming Hermes violates antitrust laws by requiring customers to have a “sufficient purchase history” before obtaining a bag.
According to the claim, sales assistants push the scheme by encouraging customers to buy shoes, scarfs, jewellery and other expensive items before they can procure a Birkin.
The leather bags, named after the late actor Jane Birkin and introduced in 1984, cost from $US9000 ($13,800) up to six figures and are frequently described as “out of stock” to most people who ask about buying one.
Non-famous customers do not have ready access to Birkins, the action claims, and they are not available to buy online.
“Typically, only those consumers who are deemed worthy of purchasing a Birkin handbag will be shown a Birkin handbag (in a private room),” according to the complaint. It also claims that, while sales associates do not earn commission on the bags, they are instructed to use them “as a way to coerce consumers to purchase ancillary products”.
Hermes has not commented on the latest case but has previously not denied reserving the bags for special customers.
The scarcity of the Birkin and Kelly designs – named after Grace Kelly – is also put down to a limited supply, given that each bag is made by hand.
The plaintiffs, who say they spent tens of thousands trying to buy a Birkin, are seeking unspecified damages and a court order barring Hermes’s allegedly anticompetitive practices.
The Times
