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29 Mar, Friday
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The library of essays of Proakatemia

Visiting Hermès



Kirjoittanut: Ella Muja - tiimistä FLIP Solutions.

Esseen tyyppi: Blogiessee / 1 esseepistettä.
Esseen arvioitu lukuaika on 3 minuuttia.

While I was in Paris, my friend and I visited the Hermès store. After learning a lot about the brand in a class we had and hearing all about the luxury industry while in Paris, it was an opportunity we couldn’t miss. After all, Paris is the luxury capital of the world and full of history and exhibits for everyone to experience.  

To preface, before going on exchange I was not very familiar with the brand at all, other than the fact that their Birkin handbag was about the most exclusive thing someone could own. Every time I saw one on the street in Paris I was shocked. However, after learning about the brand’s history and identity, I came to understand them more. 

The luxury industry seems exclusive and as someone with limited experience with company visits, I decided to conquer my curiosity and visit the store as a sort of ‘mystery shopper’ to experience the brand, but also evaluate their practices and see what the industry is like.

At the store 

We pretended to look for watches and jewelry since they are easier to try on and view up close in the store. I was able to find a nice watch. It is the Nantucket model (created in 1991) in rose gold with a light grey leather band. The price was 7150 euros and my favorite part, which is hard to see in the picture below, is the pearl face. A nice service that is offered with a watch purchase is 2-year warranty and being able to bring the watch in if there are malfunctions. The battery lasts around 2 years which is also average when it comes to watches. 

Upon entering, a polite employee welcomed us and gave us directions to the jewelry and watch section of the store. However, once we made our way to the watch section and looked around, it took around 15-20 minutes before a sales associate came and addressed us, and just to tell us that we should wait an additional 20-25 minutes. However, we understood because we did not make an appointment and were willing to wait. 

After waiting nearly 40 minutes we were directed to a seating area where a sales associate greeted us. She was very polite, and her English was great; and all of the other employees also had superb English. We explained what we were looking for and showed her some of the Nantucket models that had sparked our interest and she was happy to retrieve the models for us to see up close. However, we were not offered anything upon sitting down, such as water or anything else.  

Overall, the store employees and sales associates were very polite and cordial even though we did not have an appointment, but we were disappointed with just how long we had to wait considering that the store was not that busy and there was no line outside or inside. After this visit I found out that Hermès is notorious for having poor customer service and often ignores people that might not look the part or seem suitable for their brand, which is rather discriminatory.  

The store was very neutral inside with lots of colorful products and art that brought a more playful and creative feeling. I really enjoyed the murals on the walls, and since the store has multiple stories, it was interesting to see how the murals continued on each floor. The use of upside-down basket like structures was a natural way to create separation between various departments. For example, one separated watches from regular jewelry and it was easy to pass between the different sections. 

Overall, the store is very large from the inside and the high ceilings bring a feeling of elegance and uniqueness in design that isn’t seen in a lot of other stores. The design and art used was also a nice touch that cannot be duplicated easily into other stores and made the experience feel quite special.  

I sort of wish I would have gone earlier in the day, because inside the store there is a café where they sell specialty coffees and such for customers. I am sure it would have been ridiculously priced, but it would have been a unique experience incomparable to others. Although I didn’t purchase anything, just being in the store was a special experience and one that felt very fitting for being in Paris.  

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