Thus far, as the new prices roll in, while Hermès hit both US and EU shoppers with higher prices, it is not quite equal. As we previously wrote, EU Birkin prices (for 25, 30, and 35 cm models) rose roughly 4%, perhaps close to representing Hermès’ cost increases in labor and materials. In the US, however, percentage price increases are slightly steeper – and may be harder to reconcile as purely due to Hermès cost – especially on Birkins and Kellys. For example, B25 and B30 prices in the US are up 6.1 and 6.4%, respectively. The same is true for the Kelly 25: although the European price rose 4% for the Togo Retourne model, it went up 6.2% in the US. The US Epsom K25 price is up nearly 7%.
The effect is to make shopping in Europe even more attractive to Americans. The difference between US and European pricing has grown. In 2024, the difference between buying a B30 in Europe and the US was €1722 (using the exchange rate as of January 5, 2024, which was .9135). Today, however, with an exchange rate of .9705, the spread between Europe and US pricing is €2600. Similarly, the B30 is significantly more expensive in the US as well. A €2019 gap has now become €3000.
Will this send Americans (and others) clamoring to Europe, essentially pleading for bags, not just to have access, but to save substantial money? It is an interesting move, particularly as Birkins and Kellys (and other bags) have become even more difficult to obtain from Hermès’ home boutiques in Paris, France.
Read also: Rumor or Reality: Is It Really Getting Harder to Score a Hermès Bag in Paris?
