Green Gucci bag with a bouquet. Image Via Instagram.
When you shop at a designer boutique such as Gucci, you will be getting the full Gucci experience. From the moment you are offered water to leaving the store carrying the iconic green bag carefully tied with a green Gucci ribbon, the client advisors create the Gucci experience for their clients.
On the other hand, if you shop Gucci at a department store, you will not be leaving with a green bag in hand. Instead, you will carry Bloomingdale’s “Little Brown Bag” or Nordstrom’s gray bag. Oftentimes, you might not be offered water since these large department stores simply can not cater to the mass amount of customers that come in each day.
Throughout my luxury journey, I have shopped at both designer boutiques and department stores. To say which is better comes down to what you are looking for when shopping, whether that is accessibility and convenience or a luxury experience.
Nordstrom shopping bag. Image Via Business Insider.
Department Store Shopping
There is a monetary incentive to shop for luxury in a department store. Bloomingdale’s has a “Power Points” promotion, Nordstrom has “10 Point Day”, and Neiman Marcus has their “Gift Card Promo”. Each of these promotions urges customers to spend more money with the store as they get a deal on luxury goods.
Another convenience of shopping in a department store is having multiple brands on the floor available for purchase. If you come in looking for Jimmy Choo’s for your wedding day and your size is sold out, a client advisor will be able to show you a pair of Manolo Blahnik instead.
Designer Boutique Shopping
When shopping in a designer boutique, there is no promotion to incentivize you to spend more money. Often, customers come in to buy their product and leave with the shopping bag. It is the high-spending clients who repeatedly shop with the same client advisors who are getting the true benefits such as access to limited edition pieces, cultural and holiday gifting, and even fashion show experiences.
Louis Vuitton Air Force 1. Image via HypeBeast.
Designer boutiques reward those who spend money consistently with them, almost like you are unlocking an exclusive tier of luxury. Louis Vuitton’s Air Force 1 collaboration with Virgil Abloh is exclusively offered to their Very Important Clients who have spent over $10,000 mainly in the “high-end” category such as ready-to-wear, fine jewelry, and exotic pieces.
The “Hermes Game” is notorious journey clients go through to get offered a Birkin or Kelly bag. It is said that a client must spend the same amount as a Birkin or Kelly bag in other categories in order to be given the chance to take home the exclusive handbag.
Do you prefer to shop in a designer boutique or department store? Let us know! Tag us @HerCampusSJSU.