Chapter 15: Retailing

          For Chapter 15, I had recently visited the Chanel store in Manhattan located on Spring street in Soho. The boutique is quite new, which opened in 2010. It is the third Chanel store located in Manhattan. The store was located in a very swanky area along side many other luxury brands neighboring around the corner like Louie Vuitton. The atmosphere of the store even before I had entered the store had a very high end, chic/modern vibe. The Soho store seems to have a bit of everything, including clothes, cosmetics, shoes, accessories and bijoux. I must say that the ready to wear clothing seemed to be fairly limited, as there were only two, at most three articles of the same clothing but only in one size. Even a simple plain white tee with tweed embroidery on the collar is $820. That usually goes with out saying because it is Chanel. The boutique is beautifully designed, with a black and white theme in true Chanel fashion, full of mirrors,  bright lights and the Chanel logo. Completed with white tiles and high black ceilings. The store is spread out into little sections for an intimate feel, which also allows for display of hand bags, shoes, and mannequins. In the rear of the boutique there is a sitting area too, complete with a black leather couch and two tv screens attached to the wall where Chanel fashion shows are being shown. When I asked the security guard/doorman if  I could take a picture of inside the store I was declined, so unfortunately there are absolutely no pictures allowed to be taken inside the store. The store was not like any normal crowded store in Soho, it had a hand full of customer's who were being helped by a consultant.The consultants seemed very calm and professional. The employees were not overbearing in the sense of constantly asking shoppers if they need help with anything. In each section the employees seemed to be specialized in each area whether it be from shoes to cosmetics.
             
          Chanel is a franchise with 200 stores world wide, which includes specialty stores, along with products sold in select department stores. Chanel fragrance and beauté can be purchased online. In terms of online shopping,Chanel is one of the few luxury brands that doesn’t sell clothing online. According to Bruno Palovsky, Chanel's president of fashion states "Our clothes are quite sophisticated and one of our strengths is alterations. To be able to wear Chanel clothes, you need to try them on. You need to be in the fitting room. You need to have a tailor who alters the clothes to fit exactly to your body. I think it’s part of Chanel. It’s more than just our service. It’s part of our differentiation to have ready-to-wear that is perfect for our customers." Chanel wants the customer to visit the store, to touch and feel the product before purchasing but also to try the product, which is an important factor in Chanel's retailing division.