Should you still buy a Chanel Classic Flap in Europe?
Big financial news in Europe: Chanel has recently increased handbag prices on the Continent. So, what does this mean for our US shoppers buying that coveted Chanel beauty abroad?
In May 2015, after the Parisian fashion house changed its pricing scheme, we claimed that Chanel was no longer a tourist friendly bag. (Chanel harmonized prices globally, so theoretically purchasing a Classic Flap in Europe would be about as expensive as buying it in the US.) Yet in May, we explained in a detailed post that despite harmonized prices buying Chanel abroad still saves you a fair amount of money!
Does this statement hold true given the new price increases? Is it especially worthwhile to stop by the Chanel boutique during your time abroad in Europe? Here PurseBop takes a detailed, by-the-numbers look at 3 classic bags—the WOC, Medium Boy Bag, and Jumbo Classic Flap—to compare prices old and new. You’ll quickly discover that even with the new pricing scheme, buying Chanel abroad might be better for your wallet than you expect.
| Style | Old Europe Price | USD Equivalent | New Europe Price | USD Equivalent | Percent Increase |
| Chanel Wallet on Chain | €1,740 | $1,963 | €1,865 | $2,104 | + 7% |
| Chanel New Medium Boy Bag | €4,150 | $4,682 | €4,440 | $5,009 | + 7% |
| Chanel Jumbo Classic Flap | €4,750 | $5,359 | €4,990 | $5,623 | + 5% |
For the three bags here, you can see that prices have shifted quite a bit from the old Europe price. The WOC and Boy Bag’s prices have both increased by 7%, while the Classic Flap’s has only increased by 5%. But will the new Europe price still be competitive with the price scheme in the US? Let’s look further…
| Style | Old Europe Price | USD Equivalent | New Europe Price | USD Equivalent | Percent Increase |
| Chanel Wallet on Chain | €1,740 | $1,963 | €1,865 | $2,104 | + 7% |
| Chanel New Medium Boy Bag | €4,150 | $4,682 | €4,440 | $5,009 | + 7% |
| Chanel Jumbo Classic Flap | €4,750 | $5,359 | €4,990 | $5,623 | + 5% |
Chanel WOC (Old Europe Price)
| Region | Chanel WOC |
| US | $2,100 |
| Europe | €1,740 |
| VAT Refund (approx. 10%) | - €174 |
| Cost after VAT | €1,566 |
| USD Equivalent | $1,767 |
| Duty Tax (approx. 3%) | + $53 |
| Total Cost | $1,802 |
| US Price ($2,100 + Tax (approx. 10.25%) | $2,315 |
| Comparison Savings | $513 (~22%) |
*estimated duty tax is 3%, individual cases may vary
Chanel WOC (New Europe Price)
| Region | Chanel WOC |
| US | $2,100 |
| Europe | €1,865 |
| VAT Refund (approx. 10%) | - €187 |
| Cost after VAT | €1,678 |
| USD Equivalent | $1,893 |
| Duty Tax (approx. 3%) | + $57 |
| Total Cost | $1,950 |
| US Price ($2,100) + Tax (approx. 10.25%) | $2,315 |
| Comparison Savings | $365 (~16%) |
As you can see, the WOC is still $2,315 in the US with *sales tax. Taking into account the VAT refund and duty, the European price has increased from $1,802 to $1,950. Although this is a considerable shift, it’s ultimately still good news: buying a WOC in Europe is still quite a bit less expensive than buying one in the US!
*sales tax will vary in each state, our calculations are based on a 10.25% sales tax
Chanel Medium Boy Bag (Old Europe Price)
| Region | Chanel New Medium Boy Bag |
| US | $5,200 |
| Europe | €4,150 |
| VAT Refund (approx. 10%) | - €415 |
| Cost after VAT | €3,735 |
| USD Equivalent | $4,214 |
| Duty Tax (approx. 3%) | + $126 |
| Total Cost | $4,340 |
| US Price ($5,200) + Tax (approx. 10.25%) | $5,733 |
| Comparison Savings | $1,393 (~24%) |
*estimated duty tax is 3%, individual cases may vary
Chanel Medium Boy Bag (New Europe Price)
| Region | Chanel New Medium Boy Bag |
| US | $5,200 |
| Europe | €4,440 |
| VAT Refund (approx. 10%) | - €440 |
| Cost after VAT | €4,000 |
| USD Equivalent | $4,513 |
| Duty Tax (approx. 3%) | + $135 |
| Total Cost | $4,648 |
| US Price ($5,200) + Tax (approx. 10.25%) | $5,733 |
| Comparison Savings | $1,085 (~19%) |
Moving onto our second bag, the medium Boy, we’re comparing the steady US price of $5,733 (including *sales tax) to the old and new pricing in Europe. With an increase of 7%, the Boy has gone from a total cost of $4,340 to $4,638. The upshot? The savings are considerable—you still save over $1,000 buying the bag abroad!
*sales tax will vary in each state, our calculations are based on a 10.25% sales tax
Chanel Jumbo Classic Flap (Old Europe Price)
| Region | Chanel Jumbo Classic Flap |
| US | $5,500 |
| Europe | €4,750 |
| VAT Refund (approx. 10%) | - €475 |
| Cost after VAT | €4,275 |
| USD Equivalent | $4,823 |
| Duty Tax (approx. 3%) | + $145 |
| Total Cost | $4,967 |
| US Price ($5,500) + Tax (approx. 10.25%) | $6,064 |
| Comparison Savings | $1,097 (~18%) |
*estimated duty tax is 3%, individual cases may vary
Chanel Jumbo Classic Flap (New Europe Price)
| Region | Chanel Jumbo Classic Flap |
| US | $5,500 |
| Europe | €4,990 |
| VAT Refund (approx. 10%) | - €499 |
| Cost after VAT | €4,491 |
| USD Equivalent | $5,067 |
| Duty Tax (approx. 3%) | + $152 |
| Total Cost | $5,219 |
| US Price ($5,500) + Tax (approx. 10.25%) | $6,064 |
| Comparison Savings | $845 (~14%) |
Finally, should you still buy Chanel’s most iconic bag in Europe? The answer is a resonant yes! If you’re abroad and coveting the Jumbo Classic Flap in particular, we are looking at $5,219, compared to the much higher US price of $6,064 (including *sales tax). Even with the price change, you would save $845. Overall, we’d say it’s certainly wise to find your perfect Classic Flap (or WOC, or Boy Bag!) while on your next European adventure…
*sales tax will vary in each state, our calculations are based on a 10.25% sales tax
So far, there’s nothing to suggest that similar prices increases will be implemented in the US, but we’ll be keeping our eyes glued to the numbers. Stay tuned for more handbag math updates!
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Updated: June 23rd, 2017
Comments
2 Responses to “Chanel Increases Prices in Europe 2017”
every time I read that CC prices went up again I suffer :( it only makes it more and more unlikely for me to own a Boy, a classic or a Coco Handle :( but on the other hand it makes me cherish even more Grandma CC for she´s the only CC I´ll probably ever have hehe. Buuuuut, for whoever is going to buy a CC, EU is still much more attractive, so if I ever win the lottery, I´m gonna head that way to purchase a bag :P
Wow there is tremendous different for the US clients to purchase a Chanel bag in Europe or domestic. Unbelievable.
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