Hermès Faces Legal Action Over Birkin Handbag Sales

Hermès is facing legal action in California over allegations of unlawfully limiting the sale of its iconic Birkin handbags to customers with a ‘sufficient purchase history.’ The lawsuit claims that sales associates coerce customers into buying additional products in order to qualify for the opportunity to purchase a Birkin handbag, and that the bags are only shown to consumers deemed ‘worthy’ in private rooms. The proposed federal class-action lawsuit seeks unspecified monetary damages and a court order to prohibit Hermès from engaging in allegedly anticompetitive practices.