Fashionista - Fashion Designers, Models, Shopping, Style

Dec 12, 2007 @ 3:39pm

We all know if you want a Birkin or one of the Balenciaga blazers, you'll have to sign a waiting list.

But we recently discovered that even some un-coveted items also have major restrictions.

Yesterday, a lot of you concurred that buying an expensive piece of luggage, like this Prada duffel bag, is stupid (and kind of silly.) And yet, you can see on Saks that its purchase is restricted to “no more than three units per customer every 30 days” due to popular demand. A quick search to see what other items are restricted reveals dozens of pages filled with similarly disgusting merchandise.

So who’s buying all this stuff, and in droves? We know there are more logo-driven shopping cultures out there, but we somehow doubt that they're trolling Saks.com for slightly cheaper Gucci Moccasins.

And if you're thinking people overseas buy Gucci, then turn around and sell it on Ebay, we're not sure this theory holds water. We checked a few items on international eBay sites, and they either weren't sold from another country, or they were going for much, much cheaper than retail.

Why the Prada embargo?

posted by guest

Dec 12, 2007 4:24PM

but if you keep on clicking through, you'll notice that many of these items are on sale. Not quite so pupular, eh?

there's got to be another reason- maybe it's the fact that prada is embaressed about these products and wishes for as few of them as possible to be sold?

http://www.saksfifthavenue.com/search/EndecaSearch.jsp?sid=116CE04768D2&Nao=48&Ntk=Entire+Site&N_Dim=0&bmUID=1197457307421&bmPrevTemplate=%2FEntry.jsp&bmImage=EndecaSearchButton.x&bmImage=EndecaSearchButton.y&bmImage=EndecaSearchButton&bmIsForm=true&Ntt=due+to+popular+demand%2c+a+customer+may+order+no+more+than+three+units+of+this+item+every+thirty+days&bmForm=endeca_search_form_one&bmFormID=1197457307421&bmText=SearchString&Ntx=mode%2Bmatchpartialmax&prp8=t15&ASSORTMENT%3C%3East_id=1408474399545537&bmSingle=N_Dim&N=0&bmHidden=Ntt&bmHidden=Ns&bmHidden=N&bmHidden=Ntk&bmHidden=Ntx&bmHidden=prp8&bmHidden=prp13&bmHidden=sid&bmHidden=ASSORTMENT%3C%3East_id

Dec 12, 2007 4:44PM

but to say that spending that much on luggage is stupid is saying that buying anything at that price is stupid. Handbags are the same price but some readers say that it's worth it. Same goes for anything whether it's shoes, clothes, other accessories.

posted by jess

Dec 12, 2007 5:21PM

if you think ysl shoes are disquisting... then you my friend are no friend of mine. the wood block two toned booties??! come one- they sold out fast. and people who love prada and gucci, REALLY love it.

Dec 12, 2007 11:30PM

I used to work at Saks...the dark side of retail is the diverters. I know they love handbags and cosmetics. They are people who buy products here in America when our dollar is weak and sell it for cheaper than people can get it in their home countries. Yeah it inflates your sales this year, but how do you anniversary those numbers when those people get blacklisted?

Also, they have had a problem with the company that rents out high-end bags to people via the internet, they try not to sell quantities to her either. I know LV has outright banned her....

Dec 13, 2007 6:10PM

Just for anyone else who didn't understand the lingo above:

Diverter - A company who buys products from a manufacturer, has it in his warehouse, and sells it to wholesalers, retailers, etc. The purchase from the manufacturer is usually at below usual price due to overstocking, closeout, overabundance of deal-priced merchandise, etc., so that the diverter can sell to distributors below the manufacturer’s normal price.

anniversary those numbers: no clue.