Where did I pick up my new Chanel mini?
Whether you’re a luxury lover or the occasional indulger, you would have probably noticed that luxury brands, particularly the crème de la crème - Hermes, Chanel, Louis Vuitton, have increasingly practiced the economics of supply and demand (or just supply) by making it exceedingly difficult to get your hands on one of their coveted classic pieces.
For Hermes, these “classic” pieces include Birkin, Kelly and Constance. For Chanel, these include their Classic Flaps in all sizes, the 2.55 Reissue and some would argue the Boy as well. There has also been a general, counterintuitive trend whereby the smaller, “mini” versions of a particular style is often more coveted and difficult to obtain than the regular, larger sized versions. Take Hermes for example, the mini Kelly II has been so impossible to get in stores that I’ve seen these bags sold or auctioned for close to $30k (while the in-store price is around $7-8k).
Chanel has for the past few years largely followed the Hermes strategy/model, and this includes increasing the price of their Classic Flap and 2.55 Reissue bags to a level comparable to those of Hermes Birkin and Kelly. Along with this strategy is the practice of “exclusion”, which means that customers who do not have a solid relationship / purchase history with the brand (or the particular store) are likely to be turned away if they simply walk in to a Chanel boutique and ask to purchase one of their Classic Flaps.
Chanel’s sudden and steep price increases have angered many of its existing customers who view that the brand has not kept its quality up comparably. At almost $10k a bag, do we still want to spend that on Chanel or go try our luck at Hermes? the Customers ask. The by-product of this phenomenon is that mini bags have become disproportionately popular due to their still somewhat affordable price range (the Chanel minis are priced at $4.5-5.5k range). This of course means that it has become an almost impossible task to walk into a Chanel boutique casually and walk out with a mini. This is also evidenced by the slight premium (over retail prices) that Chanel mini flaps garner in the resale market (Chanel resale prices are still typically at a discount to retail, as opposed to Hermes).
Now, how did I get my hands on a Chanel Pearl Crush mini square in coral pink? The answer is at the airport! Yes that’s right. On my recent trip abroad, I had an extra 20-30 mins to spare at the Paris CDG departure area, and I walked into the shiny Chanel boutique which was front and center after passport and security. There weren’t many coveted styles on display so I did not hold out much hope when the SA said in a friendly tone “please don’t hesitate to ask if there’s something you’re looking for, not all styles available are on display”. “Do you have any minis?” I asked casually fully expecting a square “no” as I have very often been told. Instead, the SA proceeded to open the wardrobes and told me that she had two mini squares and a mini rectangular. It almost felt like a jackpot!
The mini rectangular was in black and I know many would have killed for that particular piece. I, however, wasn’t super interested in the rectangular as I already have a black Classic Flap in the small size. The rectangular mini would have been a great stand-in for the small if I didn’t already have one, but since I do, it would just be somewhat redundant. The two square minis were both Pearl Crush (chain length can be adjusted through the “pearl” ball), one was in white and the other in coral pink. I immediately loved the pink one as the shade is exactly the kind I like - a mix between peach and pink. The SA told me that it’s from the Cruise collection, which frequently features such beautiful pastel colors.
After trying both the mini squares on, I happily paid the EUR4,050 price for the coral pink cutie (which was already de-taxed as it was at the airport). I also asked the SA whether she had any 2.55 Reissues just for fun, and to my surprise she brought out a Reissue in size 225!!! I excitedly tried it on and took some videos. I loved the distressed calf skin and would very much love to own one of these one day… but “not today”, I thought. I glanced at the price tag for the 2.55 Reissue, a whopping EUR8,900!! “Better save this money for a Kelly”, I thought.
