First off, the official line is all about “exclusivity.” I mean, Chanel *thinks* that keeping their stuff locked up in fancy brick-and-mortar stores makes them seem… fancier. They believe it enhances the “experience,” or whatever. Honestly, I think it’s a little bougie, but hey, it’s Chanel. They can do what they want, I guess. (Doesn’t mean I gotta like it!)
The thing is, it’s not *totally* true that you can’t buy Chanel online *at all*. Like, you can find Chanel products listed on Chanel’s Online Boutique *with* prices! So, like, kinda online? But, authorized Chanel retailers can set their own resale prices. So, it’s up to them and not necessarily Chanel.
But here’s where it gets even more confusing, cause you can sometimes buy Chanel bags online. Only not directly from Chanel itself. I’ve seen some pre-owned Chanel bags on, like, The RealReal and Vestiaire Collective. So, it’s kinda possible to get your hands on that dream bag without braving the crowds and the intimidating sales associates. But, buyer beware, am I right? Gotta make sure it’s legit, otherwise, you’re just throwing your money away. No one wants to buy a fake Chanel bag.
Also, I’ve read stories on forums like r/handbags (bless their souls) that if you become a really, *really* good customer (meaning you’ve already dropped a small fortune in the physical store), you *might* be able to order over the phone. But they reportedly won’t ship classic flap bags. Classic flap bags! What is that?! It sounds like they are teasing us.
Honestly, I think part of it is also about control. Chanel wants to control the shopping *experience*. They want you to be in their beautifully designed store, surrounded by their salespeople and their other products, and feel like a million bucks. They want to control the pricing, too, I bet. No online price wars for them!
