Hermès Opens in Aspen: Will This Affect Birkin and Kelly Availability?

Hermès has certainly been busy lately, establishing and revamping boutiques across the United States and elsewhere. However, our excitement is tinged with apprehension upon hearing the latest news that Hermès opened its 34th boutique in the United States. Luxe lovers are all too familiar with the stress and struggles of trying to purchase quota, and even non-quota, bags. And good luck trying to find a pair of Chypre sandals! As another boutique opens its doors, could the challenges of purchasing these coveted items become even more formidable?

The latest boutique in Aspen, Colorado, opened its doors to the public on Friday, June 16, 2023. According to Hermès, this marks its 34th  boutique in the United States and the second store in the state of Colorado – with the other store located in Denver. The chalet-style store has been designed to blend seamlessly with its surrounding natural environment – offering customers a unique shopping experience. 

On the ground floor, you’ll find men’s and women’s silk collections, perfumes, beauty, fashion accessories, and Hermès’ crème de la crème – the handbags. The store’s mezzanine level has been cleverly designed to be reminiscent of a cabinet of curiosities – here you’ll find the equestrian section. Men’s and women’s ready-to-wear, jewelry, shoes, and watches are on the second floor of this boutique. 

Overseeing the Colorado store opening, and the rest of the brand’s retail endeavors in the United States is Hermès’ new President of the American division, Diane Mahady. She succeeded the longtime chief executive Robert Chavez, who has since moved into a new role as executive chairman of Hermès Americas. Mahady is no stranger to new store openings and has been with the brand for over two years now – having previously worked in merchandising roles at Louis Vuitton, Coach, and Saks Fifth Avenue.

Regarding the latest boutique opening in Colorado, Mahady highlighted the fact that Aspen has transformed from a winter destination into a thriving resort community that welcomes visitors throughout the year. She added: 

“Post-COVID-19, we have found that people have more flexibility in the way they live and we think Aspen will be a terrific market for us.”

Since becoming president, Diane Mahady has been asked time and time again about how she is going to put her stamp on the heritage brand, and its retail endeavors in the U.S. Mahady shared her thoughts with WWD:

“Everyone asks what I’m going to change,” she said. “But this is not a brand that needs to be changed. It’s a very healthy business with a terrific familial culture and very high retention rates here in the U.S. We’ve had explosive growth in the last two years, so now it’s really about how we prepare the brand for the future and ensure we can continue to deliver the level of service that is fundamental to the brand.”

For those keeping track, currently, U.S. Hermès retail stores account for approximately 10 percent of the global total. Although Mahady reflects that there’s no rush to drastically increase the number here, there are others currently in the works. For example, a Williamsburg, Brooklyn boutique is expected to open in 2026. The current and temporary pop-up store there does not carry handbags, although the permanent store is expected to when it opens.

So as beautiful and exciting as this new Aspen store is, what does this all mean? Hermès remains über-popular within the United States, and it continues to expand its footprint into smaller cities. Gone are the days in which you have to travel to Europe, or large metropolitan areas, in order to get your hands on those iconic orange bags. However, this does beg the question, will another boutique make it easier or more difficult to obtain a bag in the United States?

As Hermès inaugurates new boutiques throughout the country, the availability of stock may be impacted. No one really knows how Hermès allocates its products to each boutique, other than the French-made products are shipped to the United States. Unless Hermès increases the volume of shipments to America, new stores could mean a thinner distribution throughout. 

Moreover, quota bags may not be equally distributed among boutiques. Shoppers have long noticed that some, typically larger and higher traffic boutiques receive more bags or even a greater percentage allocation. Case in point, Mahady reports that the newly revamped flagship boutique on Madison Avenue is “outperforming expectations.” Could there be more (on a percentage basis) bags available there? Perhaps. Or the larger footprint, heavy traffic, and high-profile clients could bolster sales in all areas. And this could result in shifting more Birkins and Kellys to this boutique. 

On the other hand, Hermès is increasing its production capabilities – adding and/or expanding its leather workshops in France. (Read: Another Hermès Leather Workshop Opens But Will There Be More Birkins and Kellys?). Some of these locations reportedly will be producing styles of Birkins and Kellys. What we don’t know is whether more of these handbags will reach the United States. 

Those hoping for a B or K no doubt hope that more production translates to greater availability. But, remember exclusivity, a hallmark of Hermès marketing, essentially means hard to get. And long-time Hermès clients aren’t always pleased to see an open flow of these bags. So, only time will tell, whether more boutiques in the United States means more bag availability or less. (Read: Are You Losing Your Quota Bag to a New Hermès Store?). 

Are you glad Hermès is opening more boutiques in the United States? Or would you prefer fewer with more inventory? Let us know your thoughts.

Read more: Discover Hermès Aspen