Photo: Vera Wang
When I was in Shanghai recently I passed by Vera Wang's flagship boutique inside the luxury mall in Xintiandi District. I've also been shopping for wedding dresses before my trip and I remember thinking I ought to try on some dresses since I had some down time during the trip. Now I'm glad I didn't because it turns out VW was charging a try-on fee of 3000 RMB or about $482! They are the only VW location to do this and as expected, it has generated a lot of negative publicity. That's an exorbitant amount of money in China (and even here in the US in my opinion) but then again I guess if you're shopping for wedding dresses at VW, they think you should be able to afford it.
A VW employee said the fee was enacted because high school and college students would come in and try on dresses without any intention to buy. The fee would ultimately be deducted from the final price of the dress for customers who did make a purchase. Further, the fee was implemented to protect VW's copyrights as there are tons of counterfeit VW dresses in China.
While that may be the case as there are counterfeit everything in China, there are probably better ways to attract the right customer or protect intellectual property. I think the fee would also deter a lot of potential "right" customers from even wanting to try on VW gowns and eventually lower sales. As it turns out, VW agrees and has decided to get ride of the fee stating, "[w]e will be abolishing appointment fees in all of out stores... We wish for all Vera Wang customers to enjoy the same standard of excellence worldwide. Treating our customers in a fair and equitable way remains a priority." Good decision Vera!
Read More:
NYMag: Vera Wang Gets Rid of Her Try-On Fees in China
WWD (subscription req'd): Vera Wang Nixes China Fees Amid Controversy
Huffington Post: Vera Wang's Store Policy In China Charges Customers Try-On Fee
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