The Fall of the Euro Signals that for American Shoppers, Now’s the Time to Buy

Nothing beats getting a beautiful bag at a better price.

The Fall of the Euro Means US Shoppers Can Save Now

As the Euro reaches its lowest valuation in two decades, many American travelers will be surprised to find their money going much further during their first post-pandemic vacations back in Europe.

Economists call it ‘parity’ (the state of something being equal). Still, the almost 1:1 ratio of Euro to US dollars can be viewed by us common folk as a rare chance to save money on hotels, food, and entertainment that could be put towards some of our most coveted wishlist items.

Why is the Euro Value Decreasing?

Now, I’m no financial expert (just a nosey journalist). Still, from what I’ve gathered from sources like Bloomberg and The NYTimes, the fall of the Euro can be attributed to two things: inflation due to the energy crisis caused by the war in Ukraine and rising interest rates in America that make USD-backed investments more enticing to the big wigs.

If investors can’t get the growth they’re after, they’ll still settle for stability.

If It’s Worth the Same as the USD, How Exactly Does that Save Me Money?

It’s not unusual for currencies to fluctuate day-to-day, but a disparity of even a few cents can cause big changes in a country’s/continent’s economic market.

Western Europe is generally considered to be a somewhat pricey vacation destination (depending on where you go and what you do) but to further prove my point, let’s take two imaginary weekend trips together, one to Berlin and another to Chicago. Both booked for the same dates.

We’ll share a room at the Ritz Carlton in both cities (in a king bed; I guess we’re BEST friends!) and eat/drink/do activities at comparable places.

Keep in mind that at the time of writing this, the American dollar has pulled slightly ahead, with the official conversion rate being $1, equating to €0.98.

Here’s how everything would break down:

Berlin

2-night stay at The Ritz Carlton Berlin: €950 (€475 per night)

  • Breakfast: €0 (we ate at the hotel before going sightseeing in the morning)
  • Casual lunch for two at a beer garden: €26 (pork and mashed potatoes)
  • Neues Museum tickets for two: €30
  • Casual coffee downtown + people watching to rest our legs: €5
  • Nice dinner + drinks in the evening: €146 (6oz steak, veggies, wine)

Total price for the day: €207

Imagine we spent the same amount of money on food and activities during all three days, except you also bought a Louis Vuitton Speedy 25 for €1350 on the second day.

The total cost of the weekend: €2921

Chicago

2-night stay at The Ritz Carlton Chicago: $1214 ($607 per night)

  • Breakfast: $0 (we ate at the hotel)
  • Casual lunch for two at a pub: $34 (pulled pork and fries)
  • Field Museum tickets for two: $58
  • Casual coffee downtown + people watching to rest our legs: $8
  • Nice dinner + drinks in the evening: $176 (6oz steak, veggies, wine)

Total price for the day: $276

Again, imagine we spent the same amount on food and activities during all three days, except you also bought a Louis Vuitton Speedy 25 for $1490 on the second day.

The total cost of the weekend: $3,532

That’s 611 in savings! Looks like you could have opted for the Speedy 30 AND a new LV scarf in Berlin.

Current Price Comparison of Classic Bags – USA vs Europe

Upon seeing those savings, I decided to get price checks on some of our favorite bags sold in the US and abroad. (Shoutout to my husband for calling the Chanel stores in France and Italy for us!)

Of course, there was bound to be some difference due to the lack of import taxes, but some of the price differences are still pretty astounding.

Bag Euro Price USA Price
Louis Vuitton Speedy 25 €1100 $1,490
Louis Vuitton Speedy 30 €1150 $1,550
Chanel Medium Classic Flap in black €8200 $8,800
Dior Medium Lady Dior in black Cannage €5000 $6,100
Dior Lady D-Lite in pink €3900 $5,100
Fendi Baguette in beige nappa €2800 $3,290
Gucci Jackie 1961 in brown leather €2950 $4,980

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londoncalling

A medium flap is over $8000 now?
Speechless…..

Vlad Dusil

Yeah, during the last major price hike the Medium Flap went from $7,800 to $8,800, and increase of almost 13%.

Candee

Don’t forget to add airfare to the price. This cannot be ignored because it does factor into the entire equation.

Kate

Are these comparison prices accurate? The LV speedy bandoulier 25 is 1820 USD.

A Woman Of A Certain Age

Hermes?

Chris

Gucci Jacky…how much…incredible!!! I bought one (let’s say) approx. 20 years ago in Munich for 800 DM (Deutsch Marks….who remembers ) that was 400 €…now that Mich more. Can’t believe it.
Wanted to give this bag to my housekeeper, because I don’t wear it anymore (but almost new) …now I keep it and wear it !!!

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