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Luxury brands are built on a hauter-than-thou sense of exclusivity. What happens when an award-winning designer intentionally cuts it out?
Telfar’s finding out. Today, Telfar is hosting its first-ever Bag Security Program: a 24-hour promotion for its perennially sold-out hero bags.
- Customers can order as many as they want in the colors of their choice, for delivery by January 15, 2021.
- But the rules are strict: All orders must be paid in full at checkout, and no changes can be made to orders post-purchase.
Despite having zero places to carry a designer bag this summer, Telfar’s “Bushwick Birkins” have been harder to get than Birkin Birkins. Restocks often sell out in seconds; customers blame bots, but the brand has said most purchases came from verified humans.
Why it matters: Too many brands produce too much inventory. Allowing customers to order exactly what they want reduces Telfar’s risk of overproduction, while opening the brand up to more customers.
- Another upside: Taking orders ahead of production will help Telfar root out any bots that snuck into the checkout line.
- The downside: A five-month lead time demands more patience from shoppers than they’re used to.