By Rakini Bergundy
While most people are stripping back to bare necessities during the pandemic, VIP clientele flocked to Herms and dropped upwards of RMB19 million at its reopening on Saturday. Earlier this year, all Herms stores on the Chinese mainland were forced to close by February 11 due to the coronavirus outbreak.
WWD reported that shoppers across Guangdong province headed to the newly-expanded luxury flagship at Taikoo Hui Guangzhou to purchase rare bags, tableware, shoes, furniture and leather goods. Among the swank stuff was a diamond-studded Himalayan Birkin, which has been called the Holy Grail of a handbag collection, and the The Rarest Handbag in the World. In 2018, the bag was auctioned off for USD300,322.
A rare, matte white Himalaya Niloticus Crocodile Birkin 25. Image via Christies
Unsurprisingly, shoppers were not shy about sharing their lavish experience via popular lifestyle app Xiaohongshu. One user named @atomniu on the platform snatched a black crocodile Birkin 30, as well as some clothes and shoes, ringing up almost RMB1 million.
The Herms location at Taikoo Hui shopping center is the second largest flagship store on the Chinese mainland, and offered exclusive welcome gifts and some pretty decadent premium services for guests, as seen in the photos below.
Screengrab via Xiaohongshu
While industry experts speculate the fate of China's economy post-pandemic, the concept of 'revenge spending' has been widely discussed. SCMP explains, "the phrase describes how shopping-starved consumers will come out of quarantine and overcompensate by making more purchases than normal."
Herms astronomical single-day tally provides hope for other luxury retailers during these tough times. It is also reckoned to be the largest figure in a day raked in by a single boutique in China.
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[Cover image courtesy of Taikoo Hui]
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