Chanel Boosts Prices on Some Handbags, Small Leather Goods

Chanel has raised prices worldwide on a few of its products to counterbalance the increased cost of raw materials amid the coronavirus pandemic.

The French fashion house told Reuters that price hikes apply to some handbags and small leather goods, with the increases varying between 5 to 17 percent in euros. “The price adjustments only regard Chanel's iconic handbags, 11.12 and 2.55, as well as Boy, Gabrielle, Chanel 19 bags and certain small leather goods,” Chanel told the news agency.

Chanel named the legendary 2.55 handbag after the month and year that it was originally released, with 2.55 standing for February 1955. Creative director Karl Lagerfield’s modernized version of the 2.55 bag was the 11.12.

Other luxury brands have seen price surges as well, including Louis Vuitton and Tiffany & Co. While Lous Vuitton Korea has raised prices by 5 to 10 percent on some items, Tiffany’s has hiked prices up to 11 percent for limited merchandise in South Korea. Bulgari has also increased its prices.

LV and Tiffany’s have come under fire for boosting prices in South Korea, purportedly anticipating that they will profit off Korean consumers after news surfaced that social distancing measures have relaxed as the number of coronavirus cases have slowed down.