Shopping in Hermes

I went to the Hermes store at the main entrance of Bellagio Hotel and made friends with one of the sales ladies.

She told me I have to establish my loyalty to their store. I told her I’ve been a loyal customer but in a different country. She said that’s not valid because my name is not yet in their store at the Bellagio. I have to be in their own list of loyal customers because the stores don’t share the same data base. I know that some brands have the same data base so long as you bought in the same country. For example, if you went shopping in New York at the Ferragamo store, your name would appear in the computer of the store in Los Angeles. Sa Hermes pala ay hindi.

Hermes requires this as a way of selling their other merchandise and not just bags or specifically Birkin. Majority of women who line up at their stores in Paris desire to purchase a Birkin. If it’s that easy to buy a Birkin, then people will no longer buy other items like wallets, scarves, shoes, plates, etc. Their strategy is to piggy-back the other less popular merchandise. Being able to buy a Birkin not just from any store, but from the exclusive Hermes store is an achievement. Among their long list of ladies and gentlemen waiting in line, why would Hermes sell a Birkin bag to you? Edge. You must have that edge. And what is that? You should be able to establish loyalty to that specific store, that’s what the sales staff told me. If you are not Jennifer Aniston, wife of some big shot NBA athlete, or a princess from a Middle Eastern country, then you must prove worthy of a Birkin, based on the store’s perception.

The Hermes Bellagio sales lady told me that buying one single bag for $30,000 doesn’t qualify you as a loyal customer. She said I must establish a pattern of spending at their store. Hmmmm, ibig sabihin tuwing sweldo ng asawa ko, dito ko sa tindahan nila ido-donate. Mabu-bugbog na ako nyan ni Mister Yee.

And why do I want to establish loyalty with this store? Kasi birthday ko next year (and every year thereafter). Gift ko sa sarili ko. Alam mo naman tayong mga babae, mahilig sa no occasion gift and birthday gift, basta gift ko sa sarili ko. Eh May pa naman birthday ko, so I have several months to establish friendship with this store. But actually I am not sure if I would like to buy a 30 cm in America. The bag costs more because of the sales tax when in Europe, there’s a tax refund. There’s a big difference.

The sales lady knows my motive. Well, I told her. She said as long as I don’t choose any color, she will be able to put me on the priority list. But the problem she says is that I don’t live in America, and when she calls me, I have to come immediately to take the bag or else they cannot wait till I travel again to Las Vegas. I told her basta I will be there. Bahala na. If she calls and I am not around, eh di sorry na lang. Buti nga yon, my credit card will breathe easy.

When she told me I have to buy many things, I said okay. I immediately walked to the housewares section. See? Mas type ko pinggan kesa bags.
They have beautiful plates pero bakit naman ako bibili ng pinggan na Hermes. Weird naman yon. $2,000 pinggan? Ihampas pa sa akin ni Edmund yun. Paghinanap nya sweldo nya, eto oh, gusto mo Hermes na pinggan terno pag ginisang munggo ang ulam natin.

The sales lady followed me around the store. She probably surmised that I was looking for cheap items. There are no cheap items at the Hermes store. The scarves are $1,000 each. She pointed at a coffee mug. Yung tipong pang-give-away. $150 lang daw. Uuulllk ! $150 for coffee mug plus tax pa yan? Mukhang P150 pesos.

Paikot-ikot ako sa store, it’s either mapili ako talaga, or wala talagang pera. Aba kahiyaan na yan, sunod sya ng sunod kahit ako saan magpunta. I went to the bags section. Meron young wife with a purple Birkin displayed on top of the glass cabinets, she’s buying a lot of bags, turo-ng-turo, the husband is holding his credit card. Holding, mukhang ayaw bitawan!

She’s shopping bags ha, ako din.
Omb—-How much is that bag?
Sales Lady—–$5,000.
Omb—–Okay. How about that one?
Sales lady —-$4,800.
(Mas mura ng $200. Ayung isa, baka mas mura).
Omb—–How much is that?
Sales lady—– $29,000 because of the leather.

US$29,000 plus 8.25% tax = $31,392.50 x P51.50 = P1,616,713.75
Hmmmm, coffee mug na lang kaya? Kulit ko naman kasi. Sabi na nga ni mister sa outlet na lang ako mag-shopping.

I don’t give up. I have to buy something from this store. I want to buy something to establish my loyalty. Pauto naman ako.

Sige na nga, I will take that pink sandals.
They have no more stock of size 7 except for that display. She gave me a pair of whites. Para akong doctor. That was my way out, they have no more stock.

I spotted the golden tsinelas. Eto na lang baka $300 lang. $750+ for the slippers?

Credit card out!

She asked me what perfume I wear. I took out my perfume from my bag and showed her. She said she used to work for the Chanel boutique. She gave me a tiny bottle of perfume and asked me to throw away my Chanel and start using Hermes. When I was in high school, one time my Kuya Lito came home from the US and he asked me what I was wearing. Eh syempre uso nun sa Binangonan yung Johnson’s baby cologne. Mabantot daw. When he came home next, he gave me a bottle of Hermes cologne. The scent was very mild.

I stayed for a while at the Bellagio lobby, admiring their Halloween and Thanksgiving decoration of fresh flowers.

That’s the young woman I saw shopping at the Hermes store.

When I saw the tall building towering over the atrium, nanerbyos ako, baka merong sira ulo pag-babarilin na lang kami.

What did I end up buying?

Me to husband—–“Tart I bought step-in from Hermes”.
Edmund————“Naku”.

After two days, my daughter saw my credit card bill.
Yen—————“Mom, what did you buy in Hermes?”
Mom—————“Step-in anak”.