Going into a Chanel store can be daunting. I know that because my first attempt at buying from Chanel was a nightmare. For my 20th birthday I got the train into London with my now-husband. I had saved up all of my money and I wanted to buy my first Chanel bag. My heart was set on a Chanel Double Flap Bag, and I was so excited to go and part with all my cash. However, because my birthday is at the back-end of September, the weekend that we headed down the capital we were struck by flash floods and endless rain. This meant that all the effort I had put into my appearance were quickly dashed. By the time we made it to Bond Street and to the Chanel store, I looked like a drowned rat.
When we approached the store, I asked my other half how I looked. His response was a slight grimace, but I knew there was nothing I could do to fix it while standing in the rain. So, I entered the store…
There was no denying that both of us were sopping wet with rainwater. It was like our clothes had absorbed all of the precipitation and we were dripping everywhere. The glossy marble floor of Chanel was slick with water that was literally falling from us. That is when we were met with a Sales Assistant that asked us to step out of the store if we weren’t going to buy anything as we were making, “an almighty mess”, to quote her directly.
I assume she thought that we two kids were only there to browse. Quickly, I wanted to jump and tell her that I was in fact there to spend the best part of £4,000 on a handbag. But just as I opened my lips, my other half grabbed my arm and began to pull me to the door. The northern guy within him wanted to burn the place to the ground for them being so disrespectful.
When we got on the tube, he could see how hurt I was. For anybody, especially somebody that adores fashion the way that I do, this was a big moment for me. We had sculpted our entire trip to London around this moment. So, he grabbed my hand and dragged me through the streets until we made it to Selfridges. It was in Selfridges the first time I ever saw the Chanel Double Flap Bag and they let me try it on and have some champagne even though I made it very clear that I was only browsing.
Once we got to the Chanel concession, still soaking wet, we approached the counter. I explained to the sales associate what I wanted and I was quickly ushered to take a seat. To begin with, I tried to protest by saying that we were too wet, we were then assured that it was only water and not to worry. I was then presented with two ladies who did their utmost to make my experience perfect. We had champagne, and they brought out a range of different sizes and materials until I settled on my dream bag. I even shared with them what I had experienced on Bond Street and they were both unsurprised however they didn’t comment.
After this occasion, I did try the Bond Street store on another occasion. It wasn’t as negative as the first time, but then again, what could be worse. However, they still weren’t as polite as what I had experienced in Selfridges. They were also trying to gatekeep the item that I wanted and they were pushing me to purchase smaller products such as jewellery, accessories, etc. Inside Selfridges, the staff understood that this was a big moment for me and they made me feel so excited about investing in such a classic item. Whereas the standalone store made me feel like trash.
I would quite confidently say that I have now visited almost every Chanel location within London. Not to mention the countless Chanel boutiques that I have visited around the world. The general premise of the store is that they want to be exclusive. That much is obvious with how hard they are trying to make it to purchase their items and the continuous price increases.
I will say that as the years have passed by, my experiences from Chanel have varied massively. To a degree, I put that down to the fact that I have grown up, I dress better, I carry more expensive handbags and the sales staff see me as somebody that looks willing to spend money with them!
