Photo: Courtesy of Chanel.
In our modern day, where dressing rooms are now virtual and shops can literally memorize your face in order to track how you're spending (or not spending) your money, it almost seems like a joke that some of the most recognized and profitable brands don't yet have an online store. You know the ones we're talking about — Chanel, Céline, Hermès, and Dior (among others) have beautiful websites that leave you feeling weak in the wallet. And, yet, there's no option to actually take the plunge and pay.
Well, Fashionista tapped a few commerce experts to understand luxury labels' reluctance to engage in e-commerce — after all, it's one of the fastest growing, most efficient sources for brands to gain revenue. One of the main reasons? They don't have to. The exclusive, can't-have-it-until-you-find-it quality of a 2.55, Trapeze, or Kelly makes Chanel, Céline, and Hermès, respectively, a boatload of money. And, the true moneymakers of some of these houses can be bought online — you might not be able to add a Chanel jacket to your online cart, but you can shop for as many sunglasses, lipsticks, and fragrances as you want. As for why brands don't want to make even more money by posting their goods online has to do with competition with their in-store sales and maintaining that classist, old-world sense of "exclusivity." Click through to Fashionista to see experts unpack those topics and read about why you can purchase these brands in Barneys and Bergdorfs but still can't buy them on Barneys.com or BergdorfGoodman.com. (Fashionista)