1:1 Spending at Hermes – An Explainer

Hermes regularly denies that 1:1 spending is a real thing but customers all around the world have talked about needing to do ‘pre-spend’ in order to meet threshold to attain a quota bag (Birkin, Kelly, Constance). Some people have even said that it’s getting harder to buy a Mini Lindy or a Constance Slim Wallet.

What is 1:1 spending?

In general, this means spending the cost of the quota bag or close to the cost itself to get the quota bag as soon as possible whether it is a Birkin, Kelly or Constance. It obviously depends wholly on where your boutique is. Some stores are really competitive and other locations are not. In mainland China, it is known as peihuo and there have been protests against it because the company is not clear about whether it even exists or not – even though it does.

Can I walk into a Hermes boutique and buy a Birkin without spend?

Maybe – it depends on the location and what type of Birkin, Kelly or Constance that you are trying to buy. Some people have reported walking into a boutique and getting a Birkin 35 after asking. This is not a massive surprised because the Birkin 35 is not a desirable bag right now as bigger bags are out of style. It would be harder to get a Birkin 25 without spend and in a hot colour such as a neutral and almost impossible in an ultra-competitive store.

What else do I need to know about 1:1 spending?

Hermes SAs don’t make commissions off quota bags. If you want to get a quota bag fast and you are in a competitive location, you need to consider buying fine jewellery, watches, homewares, RTW (men’s is a good place to meet spend targets), or equestrian. Hermes seems to be keen to build its watch business so this could be a good starting point if you plan to play the Hermes game.