How Much Is Chanel Now After January 2021 Price Increase in the USA?

Hardly had we had time to recover from Louis Vuitton price increase worldwide  on January 7, when Chanel increased its prices in the USA on January 15, 2021. It seems that luxury brands are not going to spare us this year.

It is worth mentioning that it is the second price increase for Chanel in the past year alone. Last time they raised their prices around the globe in May 2020, just 8 months ago, in the middle of the COVID pandemic. 

The only good news is that this price increase is less dramatic than the previous one when the prices went up by 11-20% with Chanel Mini Classic Square Flap going up by astonishing 20%! Now the increase is in the 3-8% range, but taking into account the Chanel prices, it is still $300-400. 

This time Chanel classic and most popular styles are affected. So how much is Chanel after January 2021 price increase in the USA? Here is the breakdown. 

Chanel Prices in the USA in January 2021

As you can see, Chanel classics went up by $200 (for Minis) and $300. And now Chanel Maxi has reached $8,000 threshold. If you want to learn more about one of the oldest Chanel styles, check out Chanel Mini Flap Reference Guide: Everything You Need to Know About The Smallest Chanel Bag

Prices for Chanel Reissue also rose up by $300 with the smallest of the versions affected the most – almost 7% increase.

As for Chanel Boy Bag, the small and the old medium versions are now $300 more, while the new medium is just $100 more and the large Chanel Boy didn’t go up in price at all staying at $5,600. On a side note, if you don’t know what to choose between Chanel Flap, Chanel Reissue, and Chanel Boy, here is our guide on Which Chanel Bag to Buy First if You Want Classics: Top 3 Most Iconic Chanel Bags.

Chanel 19, which can be considered the most popular model now, hasn’t been spared either. It also rose in price by $300-$400, and many are predicting that Chanel 19 Maxi is now going to be the best-seller out of all Chanel Maxi bags, as it is “only” $6,200, compared to the Classic Maxi for $8,000. 

WOC price rise was the most discussed topic before the actual price increase happened. There were rumors that it was about to go up in price by another 22% and reach $3,000. Facebook fans of the brand considered it “insane”, “crazy” and “too much” given that it can’t even fit a phone, and a little more – and you can get a Classic Mini Flap. Fortunately enough, that was just a speculation, and the Classic WOC now costs $2,650. Worth to mention that the price of Chanel Boy WOC didn’t change. 

Chanel Gabrielle also got affected, and got hit pretty hard with small and medium rising up by 7%. 

As for the Chanel Coco Handle, at first many were glad that it didn’t go up but in fact, Chanel just changed the name of the bag on the official website. The price increase for this style is in the $200-300 range.

Unlike Louis Vuitton that raised prices mostly for small leather goods, Chanel SLGs still cost the same. 

Reactions to the Chanel Price Increase in January 2021

Admirers of the French fashion house are quite disappointed by the second round of price increase in a year. The most popular reactions on Facebook are “completely ridiculous”, “nuts”, “off-putting”, “beyond crazy”. Some are joking that April Fools’ Day isn’t for another 3 months, and complain that price increases have just been way too frequent.

The main concern is the same as with Louis Vuitton: the quality of Chanel bags doesn’t seem to justify the increases. The bags get creased easily along with top due to the type of leather. Customers imagine that they would be very annoyed if they spent over $8,000 on a bag that did that. Another example – the turn lock on one of the Facebook user’s medium flap tarnished within a month after purchase. Moreover, many say that Chanel purses are very high maintenance compared to other bags, adding that for that amount, they should be bulletproof.

Many admirers of the brand are now upset that the price is too high, and they will never own their first Chanel. With current prices, they will need to save up for years unless they win the lottery. 

Those who are not financially constraint and have been just putting off, undecided whether they should buy a certain item, pulled the trigger and made a panic purchase. And they are quite happy to have been able to snatch a bag at the last minute along with those who bought their last desired bag a long time ago. 

There are also customers saying that they are done buying Chanel. Some are even glad that is happening as it’ll force them to stop buying. Moreover, with that frequency of price changes, a few more years, and Chanel prices will be the same as Hermes prices. The Hermes Garden Party costs less than many of these Chanel options and so does the Evelyn. Some of these prices are approaching the holy trinity – Constance, Kelly, and Birkin (by the way, to find out more about Hermes prices, read How Much Do Hermes Bags Cost? From The Cheapest To The Most Expensive ). So a lot of people are saying that they are making the switch to Hermes as they have a much better quality control and customer service.

Sure, some Chanel owners look at it as a good investment. If you still don’t consider luxury purses an investment, check out Why You Should Invest in Louis Vuitton Neverfull MM Right Now

And, of course, many turn to the secondhand market where prices are much more attractive, and there are a lot of trusted sellers. We, at Bagaholic, are trusted sellers with many years of experience. Be sure to check our stock. All our items are 100% authentic, and we offer authentication services ourselves.

What about you? Are you planning to buy pre-loved, switch to other brands or continue to buy Chanel from the brand’s boutiques? What was your reaction when you found out how much Chanel is now after January 2021 price increase in the USA? Share your thoughts in comments!