Hermes was recently forced to cancel an important press preview of its new goods because these were stolen en route to the site. Thankfully, all the handbags, clothing items, accessories and other items were recovered by the Italian police; however, they still cannot be displayed to the general public as they are being kept by the police department as evidence. What is more, Hermes has now decided that it would no longer even try to hold the press preview that it had worked so long and hard to prepare for.
While one would think that stealing nearly half a million dollars worth of luxury goods from one of the best known fashion designers in the world would be a difficult task, it appears the job was very simple for the individual (or individuals) involved in the theft, one of whom has been purportedly arrested. The two truck drivers who were transporting the goods to the press preview stopped to have a bite to eat and the thieves stole the trucks while they were left unattended in the parking lot.
While this incident could be embarrassing for a company of Hermes’ size and stature, Hermes is not alone in dealing with an incident of this nature. In fact, many fashion designers have recently experienced the pain and frustration of having a large number of valuable goods stolen. Tiffany discovered not long ago that one of its executives had stolen a couple million dollars’ worth of jewelry over a period of several years. Thieves have stolen a very large number of jewelry items from Cannes just this summer and the thefts combined are said to be worth well over $100 million dollars. Not so long ago, luxury Swiss watch shop Franck Muller was robbed in broad daylight.
Naturally, luxury stores and fashion designers will always have a problem with theft. Because any given item could be worth tens of thousands of dollars or even more, there will always be people looking for ways to steal luxury watches, handbags, clothes and accessories. However, it is disturbing to note how very easy it seems to be for people to steal items either all at once or over the course of several years.
Given the current trends, it is highly likely that Hermes and other fashion designers and luxury stores will tighten up their security rules. How they will go about doing so remains to be seen; however, it is almost certain that those who are bent on stealing luxury goods will find that it will be harder to do so in the future than it is at present. This higher security is not only needed to protect company profits but also to ensure that buyers gain quick access to the items that they have purchased.
The most recent theft of Hermes’ leather goods collection has raised eyebrows and made news, but it is hardly an isolated incident. Other designers and stores selling luxury goods have also been robbed this year and the trend is likely to get worse unless the stores and manufacturers take security seriously and ensure that all goods are stored, exhibited and transported in a fully secure manner.
Related articles
