Your eternal wait for that gorgeous Kelly or Birkin bag will finally be over. French luxury goods maker Hermès is opening not one or two but three new factories to get the handbag-of-dreams to their customers. Despite these bags being quite expensive, the world can’t get enough of them and more so post-pandemic! An entry-level’ Birkin with plain hardware costs around $9,000, and it’s nearly the same with Hermès Kelly handbags. These new factories will be opened in the French cities of Louviers, Sormonne, and Riom by 2024 to end the growing shortage of luxury handbags and match demand.
Many rich people have become even richer in these past two years due to soaring stock markets, leaving them with chunks of disposable incomes. All this cash in hand and no Birkin’s in sight has left the wealthy population quite glum. The corporate has more than 4,300 leather workers on its staff, and with three new factories, it will hire at least 400 artisans each year. Hermès bags are painstakingly crafted, with each bag taking 15 hours to make. “We are facing strong demand, and we have a very artisanal product,” said Hermès executive chairman Axel Dumas.
“It takes 15 hours [to create] a Hermes bag. Even if there is a lot of demand, I will not start making them in 13 hours to increase production. He added, “Contrary to what people may think, we are always very sad when we have to say no to our customers because we don’t have that.” By accelerating production, Hermès will match the growth of luxury brands like Louis Vuitton and Gucci that show no signs of slowing down.
[Via: The Guardian]
