Like different parenting styles, Chanel has its own way of showing love to its customers. Or, as it seems in this case, to its' "firstborns".
According to Chanel's chief financial officer Philippe Blondiaux's comment to Business of Fashion - Chanel's priority is to protect the brand's pre-existing customers. And doing so, they will be by opening new "very protected" boutiques to serve their most loyal clients in "a very exclusive way."
So far, these new stores, scheduled to open in early 2023, will be located in Asia. However, it would not be a surprise if more dedicated boutiques were to follow across the world.
Staying faithful to good old in-store shopping (Chanel does not sell online), the French fashion house owns twice fewer locations than its fellow luxury maisons. And while the prices for Chanel bags are rapidly growing, the interest for the brand only claims higher. The house proudly reported its 50 percent year-on-year revenue rise in 2021.
While some are trying to logically reason Chanel's financial success with the jump in their prices, the stir is noticed when visiting some of the busiest Chanel boutiques in Paris. After a somewhat usual waiting line (at least inside the store), you might find yourself feeling like you are standing in the middle of the most prestigious mini-train station, with people passing left and right. Get ready not to get any of the shoes you set your eyes on in the wishable size and to wait for a while before you can actually receive your purchase after paying and finally leave. The last, sometimes, feels like a relief. That, plus a bit of incoordination within the customer service between the stores, makes the idea of "private" boutiques not such an unnecessary move. Especially for those clients whose loyalty to Chanel made them something close to a family member and for whom even the most spontaneous shopping should feel intimate, exclusive, and status corresponding.
The question we have now is the following: with the quiet luxury fashion trend strongly establishing its long-term position in the fashion scene and Chanel being far from one of the brands representing the trend, will the fashion house try to readjust aesthetically, or will there be any pause on the price rises?
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