We didn’t officially report the looming price increase that took effect for Chanel bags on October 31st, but there has been a ton of talk about it on our forums and Clarissa shared she won’t purchase full price Chanel again. Majority of years, Chanel increases its prices on bags anywhere from a couple percent to nearly ten percent and with every price hike there is increasing clientele frustration.
We all expect prices to rise on majority of items over time, that is the way inflation works. But the rate at which Chanel bags in particular have risen leaves many disgruntled. Consumers complain and proclaim ‘I won’t shop Chanel anymore‘, but Chanel lovers’ rage seems to be shortlived as they continue to shop the brand and try to time their next purchase before the following, inevitable price hike. Chanel clearly has not been faced with enough backlash to slow the price increases and many feel that with every annual increase their old Chanel bags go up in value as well.
How much are we talking when it comes to the Chanel 2019 price increase?
This was a lesser increase for the US market: the increase rate of 2-4% impacted the Medium and Jumbo Classic bags, 2.55 Flaps, and all sizes of the Chanel Boy Bag. To put the Chanel price increase in perspective, in 2012 when the Boy Bag was introduced, the Medium Boy was $3,200. With this latest increase, the price now lands at $5,000 which represents a 56.25% increase in 7 years. The rate of inflation from 2012 to 2019 is only about 12%.
If you want further sticker shock, consider the price of the Jumbo Caviar Classic. Ten years ago, the price was $2,675. With the recent price increase, the Jumbo Caviar Classic is now $6,400 which represents a 139% increase.
There were increases in Europe, the UK, and Australia, as well as other markets. In fact, in the UK, there were two price increases in the past week and no one can quite understand why that happened (this information is via our forum). In Europe the increase was higher, around 7% on average and the UK was hit with an 8-9% overall increase.
Shoppers may act aghast over the price increases, but it hasn’t stopped majority from shopping. There’s growing frustration but people continue to purchase Chanel bags. However, majority of handbag lovers, myself included, don’t see Chanel bags worthy of Hermès level price points and that means the increases will have to slow drastically to keep Chanel bags on par for what we decide the brand is worthy to ask. I expect a large price tag, but the minute Chanel inches too close to the realm of Hermès pricing, Chanel could face itself with a loss of retail customers, as more people will be looking to shop the resale market. However, you can never put a price tag on desire and Chanel continues to be one of the most desirable and wanted brands in the handbag world.
Classic Bags Prices
| Style | Current Price | Old Price | Increase |
| Chanel Classic Maxi Flap Bag | $6,900 | $6,700 | 3% |
| Chanel Classic Jumbo Flap Bag | $6,400 | $6,200 | 3.2% |
| Chanel Classic Medium Flap Bag | $5,800 | $5,600 | 5.1% |
| Chanel Classic Mini Flap Bag | TBD | $3,500 | TBD% |
| Chanel Reissue 227 Bag | $6,900 | $6,700 | 3% |
| Chanel Reissue 226 Bag | $6,400 | $6,200 | 3.2% |
| Chanel Reissue 225 Bag | $5,800 | $5,600 | 3.6% |
Boy Bags Prices
| Style | Current Price | Old Price | Increase |
| Chanel Large Boy Bag | $5,800 | $5,700 | 1.8% |
| Chanel New Medium Boy Flap Bag | $5,500 | $5,400 | 1.9% |
| Chanel Old Medium Quilted Boy Flap Bag | $5,000 | $4,900 | 2% |
| Chanel Small Boy Flap Bag | $4,600 | $4,500 | 2.2% |
Classic Flap Prices
| Size | Current Price | Old Price | Increase |
| Small Classic Flap | $5,000 | $5,000 | -% |
| Medium Classic Flap | $5,800 | $5,600 | 3.6% |
| Jumbo Classic FLap | $6,400 | $6,200 | 3.2% |
| Maxi Classic Flap | $6,700 | $6,700 | -% |
European Pricing Increases
Classic Chanel Bag Prices
| Style | Current Price | Old Price | Increase |
| Chanel Classic Mini Square Flap Bag | €2,680.00 | €2,500.00 | 7.2% |
| Chanel Classic Mini Rectangular Flap Bag | €3,050.00 | €2,850.00 | 7% |
| Chanel Classic Small Flap Bag | €4,550.00 | €4,250.00 | 7% |
| Chanel Classic Medium Flap Bag | €5,150.00 | €4,800.00 | 7.2% |
| Chanel Classic Jumbo Flap Bag | €5,700.00 | €5,350.00 | 6.5% |
| Chanel Classic Maxi Flap Bag | €6,200.00 | €5,800.00 | 6.8% |
| Chanel Reissue 224 Bag | €4,550.00 | €4,250.00 | 7% |
| Chanel Reissue 225 Bag | €5,150.00 | €4,800.00 | 7.2% |
| Chanel Reissue 226 Bag | €5,700.00 | €5,350.00 | 6.5% |
| Chanel Reissue 227 Bag | €6,200.00 | €5,800.00 | 6.8% |
Boy Bags Prices
| Style | Current Price | Old Price | Increase |
| Chanel New Medium Boy Flap Bag | €4,980.00 | €4,650.00 | 7.1% |
| Chanel Old Medium Quilted Boy Flap Bag | €4,480.00 | €4,180.00 | 7.1% |
| Chanel Small Boy Flap Bag | €4,120.00 | €3,850.00 | 7% |
WOC Bags Prices
| Style | Current Price | Old Price | Increase |
| Chanel Classic Quilted WOC Bag | €2,150.00 | €2,000.00 | 7.5% |
| Chanel Boy WOC Bag | €2,340.00 | €2,180.00 | 7.3% |
UK Price Increases
Classic Chanel Bag Prices
| Style | Current Price | Old Price | Increase |
| Chanel Classic Mini Square Flap Bag | £2,460.00 | £2,290.00 | 7.4% |
| Chanel Classic Mini Rectangular Flap Bag | £2,790.00 | £2,610.00 | 6.8% |
| Chanel Classic Small Flap Bag | £4,170.00 | £3,810.00 | 9.4% |
| Chanel Classic Medium Flap Bag | £4,720.00 | £4,300.00 | 9.7% |
| Chanel Classic Jumbo Flap Bag | £5,230.00 | £4,800.00 | 8.9% |
| Chanel Classic Maxi Flap Bag | £5,690.00 | £5,200.00 | 9.4% |
| Chanel Reissue 225 Bag | £4,720.00 | £4,300.00 | 9.7% |
| Chanel Reissue 226 Bag | £5,230.00 | £4,800.00 | 8.9% |
| Chanel Reissue 227 Bag | £5,690.00 | £5,200.00 | 9.4% |
Classic Boy Bag Prices
| Style | Current Price | Old Price | Increase |
| Chanel New Medium Boy Flap Bag | £4,570.00 | £4,170.00 | 9.5% |
| Chanel Old Medium Quilted Boy Flap Bag | £4,110.00 | £3,750.00 | 9.6% |
| Chanel Small Boy Flap Bag | £3,780.00 | £3,450.00 | 9.5% |
Clarissa was right. Au revoir Chanel – I’m going over to Rive Gauche.
fuck chanel
That says it all!
Your math is a tad wrong. It’s a 139% INCREASE for the jumbo OR 239% of the 2009 price. Didn’t check the others they might need tweaking.
Yes thank you! 139% increase, fixed it. The rest are right, just double checked them!
Not to say that this isn’t within the realm of what Chanel could or would do – 239%…
Probably why I looked at it and was like ‘yup, makes sense to me!’. Ha!
You stated: “Consumers complain and proclaim ‘I won’t shop Chanel anymore‘, but Chanel lovers’ rage seems to be short lived as they continue to shop the brand and try to time their next purchase before the following, inevitable price hike”. This was an interesting opinion since I don’t know many that fall into this category, including myself. Also, from reading remarks from disgruntled PB posters, over several months, I’m not alone. Chanel can raise their prices as much as they want; however, I work hard for my money and will not throw it away on bags that are poorly constructed, grossly overpriced and have a limited 5 year warranty. All of these issues combined makes for a poor business model.
I might have overstated, but I more meant that majority of Chanel lovers, continue to purchase Chanel. From threads I read on tPF and comments on site, there are plenty that are over the price increases along with other issues, but plenty of people who get a bit mad then move on and plan their next purchase.
I do think more people are deciding to be savvy with their purchases and going for pre-owned versus new. Or like you said, they are moving to different brands, and I don’t fault that either!
Yeah! Another price increase! I’m so excited! I can’t wait to shop!!
Haha, I’m laughing!
Love to know what the new WOC price is in the US.
Also, any info on Wallet increases is super interesting too!
Chanel prices continue to go up while quality goes way, way down.
Yes. With this price tag. You can buy RTW. Quality is much better
So true! I like Chanel but not enough to sell a kidney!
Every time I travel to Paris there is a line to get in to every Chanel boutique both in the city and in Galleries Lafayette; like trying to get in to a night club! Same with Louis Vuitton. And these tourist consumers aren’t buying one item, they’re walking out with bags and bags! Their European market does not appear to be slowing down.
To the detriment of European customers. I live in Paris, and SAs are well aware that us Europeans can’t deal with these increases, only (mostly Asians) tourists can. They know it’s a problem for us… That’s why they will try to adjust their prices in Asia, also by trying to lower the taxes there, so it won’t be as interesting for them to come shop in Europe. I can’t stand to see all these lines everywhere, all the times.
Paris is beautiful! And shopping in Paris is a luxurious, wonderful experience! SA’s treat customers with kindness, respect and they are extremely attentive. Also, they offer beverages, including champagne. On my last trip, about 4 years ago, I purchased a tote and when I returned to Colorado the same tote was $500 more. Also, people are going to continue to flock to Paris for the shopping, cultural, historical and culinary experiences. While you say you “can’t stand to see all these lines…” and I can appreciate your point of view, but the lines aren’t going anywhere.
Agreed! When I traveled to Paris I went to the Chanel Paris Boutique on 31 Rue Cambon. Despite that I had to wait about 20 minutes, before a SA could assist me, I had the most luxurious experience, ever. My SA was so sweet and patient while I looked at bags. She offered my husband and I champagne and treated us like we were royalty. Unlike other consumers, I purchased only one bag and a pair of shoes, but as we were leaving she asked if she could take my picture on the stairs leading up to Coco’s apartment. THIS is how all Chanel boutiques should treat customers. However, recently I went into my local Chanel boutique, located in NM, and I asked if they had wallets and the SA could barely look up from his phone to tell me “they did not”. As I was about to leave another SA came out and asked to help me and opened a drawer full of wallets!!?? What??
Sheesh. Unless they seriously fix their quality issues and warranty policies, the price increase is obviously not justified. Anecdotally, most people I know who used to be huge Chanel lovers have moved on to Hermés. I guess Chanel has done the math though and have figured that they’ll make more money from drawing in more people who buy one or two bags than from maintaining customer loyalty. Sucks because I really do love their aesthetic!
I have dreamed of owning a Chanel classic flap since I was about 18. Back then, $2,000 was exorbitant but seemingly worth it for an item I’d have “forever.” 11 years later, I would never be able to rationalize the purchase at almost $6,000. Disappointing, but I’m not going to chase after a brand with these price increases. Especially when another member was stating how Chanel doesn’t value its accessory customers.
Same, when I could take my entire family to Hawaii for the cost of a Chanel bag, I have to say no.
Vintage or nothing. I have 4 Chanel bags and love them all, but I would never, ever pay full price. My vintage bags are in excellent condition, and have the old gold plated hardware. ( I imagine Chanel executives laughing in meetings;”
“Let’s make it $6,000.00, these idiot women will pay anything!”).
That’s why I bought my Chanel Classic medium flap on the pre-loved market…I’m sorry but $5k is my limit for a bag…I will not spend more than that. Also it’s true about the quality…I recently went into a Chanel boutique because my friend wanted to look at the bags for her bf to buy her for her Birthday so I looked as well and some of the stitching was crooked on the Jumbo…yeah the $6400 bag had crooked stitching…WTF??? Tory Birch has better quality!! Just sayin…never seen crooked stitching on a Tory Birch bag…lol
Yeah, I used to be able to justify my luxury bag obsession to my dubious husband by proclaiming that the quality was better and that they were investments I could keep for decades, like my little workhorse Speedy 25 that I’ve had since 1996 (not literally an investment as something that will appreciate in value – I don’t think it’s sensible to look at bags that way – but rather as something that I will keep and use for many years and in that sense will pay for itself in use value many times over. Spend $1,000 on that Speedy today, for example, and you’ll still be using it in 20 years without looking out of style, while in the meantime your friends have flushed money down the drain by buying 2 or 3 less expensive but trendy and quickly dated bags every year or two). Now I can’t make that argument with Chanel, not with a straight face. I have my collection of Chanel bags, and I will continue to use and appreciate them, but the quality with its new bags is very inconsistent. I’ve seen gorgeous, beautifully constructed bags, but I’ve also seen bags that look like they were mass-produced in China and then shoved through lackadaisical quality control. And Chanel doesn’t even have Karl’s mystique and reputation to fall back on anymore, so I have no idea what the point is, really. Plus, there are so many mid-priced, emerging designers that are doing interesting things and making good quality bags, you can truly carry something unique and well-made for $600. It’s getting really hard to justify my love for Chanel …
I get the impression Chanel WANTS bag sales to go down. They probably want to reduce bag sales to “bag only buyers” like me so that whatever reduced quantities of handbags they manufacture will be bought by their REAL customers. Meaning the women who buy RTW.
If people are so stupid that they keep paying, why not make the same amount of money selling less bags? You need less workers and less materials and still make a crapload of money. Chanel is just very daring at pushing the boundaries of how much their customers are willing to pay for lower quality items.
Yeah, they clearly want their sales to go down…
Even the pre-owned Chanel bags are ridiculously expensive!
Chanel has totally lost its luster as far as I’m concerned, that might be why they won’t to increase the price, who knows…
I’ll say it again, I really think social media ruined the brand. It’s everywhere and then you have these “influencers” buying one on top of the other and showing them off on Instagram, YouTube, etc. The exclusivity of the brand has decreased. However, people will beg, borrow and steal to pay the astronomical prices and “keep up with the Joneses”
“want to”…not won’t:))
I haven’t visited this site in a while because I’ve been unusually busy, so as I was reading this I was shocked at how poorly it was written. I know no one likes the grammar Gestapo, but the misuse (or lack) of punctuation made it a bit difficult to read. In any case, I was in the Chanel boutique the last time I visited Manhattan in mid-October. I tried on a jumbo in beige caviar leather with light gold hardware, and I was very tempted. Beige caviar is missing from my collection, and I liked that the hardware was not a bright yellow gold. I nearly walked out with it, but then I reminded myself that I said I would never buy Chanel at full price again after the last price increase. That was actually before this new increase, which I didn’t even realize was looming. I’m so glad I stuck to my promise and did not give into the temptation. These price increases are pretty insulting, and the bags are just not worth it, unfortunately. As is often discussed, the level of customer service hardly makes up for it, either. There isn’t much of an “experience” when buying Chanel (not at all the glorious experience I had when I received my Birkin at Hermes, being taken into a private room and given champagne and sweets while the very gracious and friendly SA unboxed my bag), and I think the unwarranted price increases succeed in making Chanel attractive to those who just want to be seen to be spending money, flashing their vulgar, logo-riddled lifestyles on Instagram and what not. That, to me, isn’t aspirational. It isn’t the image I want to convey when I wear or carry a luxury item. I want to convey that I appreciate quality and brand heritage and have enough good sense to invest in well-made, timeless pieces that will hold up (both aesthetically and materially) for years and years, not that I’m so silly and so status-obsessed that I will buy a bag with poor stitching from a rude SA just because everyone will know that I could afford to over-pay for it. What’s the point? It’s like wearing a quartz watch just because it’s diamond-encrusted, you know? I think Chanel has shown quite a contempt toward its loyal customers with its repeated price increases, poor customer service, reduction in quality and terrible after-sales service; and I just can’t support that any longer.
Check yourself, girlfriend. Your writing is not impeccable. In addition to grammar/punctuation errors, you wrote a very long winded paragraph that was difficult to read. Next time, try and space your thoughts out into more than one paragraph. Thanks in advance!
Who are you the grammar police ???
You need to chill
I was so sad when my local Chanel boutique (within Saks) was closing down and moving on out.This happened before Karl passed away. I got an earful from the Chanel SA who was very successful and whose customers flocked to her from several surrounding states. Chanel was definitely not lacking in business. In fact they were on fire.So why the shut down of so many of the boutiques within a store? Here is what she explained:
Louis Vuitton (there is an LV boutique located in the same mall as my Saks) is doing a gangbuster business around the world. In my town everybody is sporting an LV Neverfull. It has become as ubiquitous as Coach bags used to be back in the day. Chanel wants to be considered on the same luxury level as Hermes and they don’t want to be LV at all. They feel that eventually LV’s will lose their snob appeal luster and their sales will fall off. I can’t imagine but I tell you what – I don’t like to see the same bags coming and going. Do you?
Also, Chanel is very upset with all the stolen revenue from the re-sale market siphoning off their profits. They don’t want to repair their competitor’s bags and help make them even more of an option. They are tired of their boutiques losing money to department stores who occasionally sell new bags and all Chanel merchandise at a discount with specialty rewards and point programs. So they’ve abolished those I think? Dang it. Now my SA is gone and I don’t get info any more. Chanel wants the brunt of its business to come from its own boutiques. They don’t sell online either as you are all well aware. They were toying with the idea because of the vast amounts of money in those sales, but I guess they figured that making their products more accessible would tarnish the brand’s exclusivity.
And, this is creepy to say, Chanel doesn’t care if we are unhappy. They don’t want customers that can’t pay the prices. They want to cater to the highest echelon of luxury shoppers that don’t even look at price tags. It’s as if they want to maneuver themselves closer to Hermes than to Louis Vuitton. They feel this will protect the future of the brand.
Don’t shoot the messenger. I agree that the quality is not worth it. And I’lll only shop resale going forward. Sadly, I’ll have to wait longer for some things to pop up but what can you do?
The 19 was made with bigger quilt blocks so it could be made faster and with less detail. Some of the squares on the front buckle. The sides look like the bag is collapsing. Chanel’s company line…. it’s supposed to look unstructured….code for cheap. The bag can be bought in goat skin, really doesn’t that sound like a true couture accessory ? And from what I’ve heard, the 19 will have a significant price increase early next year. Happy New Year! What a drag…
I got a Chanel classic flap in small for 4.200 euros at the boutique in Nice in June, now my bag is worth more. 350 euros more to be precise. I feel like I made a good investment, also I can always resell it (while with other brands it might not be the case). Dior, Fendi and LV don’t hold their value at all…..
Also Chanel bags don’t really go out of style, like other brands do. I believe it is still worth investing, it is a purchase you can pass to your daughter one day. I can’t justify the price but tbh Chanel needs to be more expensive than anything the LV group owns! Mr Arnault is treating his acquired brands like a factory with aggressive marketing schemes (influencers get Dior bags for free on Instagram) whereas I’ve never seen Chanel giving anything for free…