Your Chanel Sale Strategy Shopping Guide

Now that we’ve widely established that Chanel does, in fact, have seasonal markdowns (yes, there are still people in the comments insisting otherwise), let’s review the basics.

This year, the sale is June 24 through June 27. The markdown is 40% off across all categories. The sale does not include handbags, and the merchandise selection is not what you’re seeing in stores right now. It’s from the collections 12-months prior.

Now that we have that covered, we can move on to the more interesting part: the shopping strategy.

Knowing the sale exists is only the beginning. After decades of shopping and covering Chanel sales, I can tell you the bigger question is where to shop because access, inventory, and the process can look very different depending on where you go.

Here’s your complete guide to how different stores are handling the Chanel sale. There are exceptions to every rule and details can change at any time, but this should give you extra insight before you start shopping.

Bloomingdale’s 59th St NYC

I hate to give away my secret, but Bloomingdale’s has always been my Chanel sleeper spot. Most people don’t even realize the 59th Street store has such a strong Chanel department. It’s where I’ve purchased at least 80% of my Chanel wardrobe, and it’s where my mother shopped for Chanel too. Some of the sales associates have been there that long.

The biggest differentiator is inventory. Additional sale merchandise is shipped from Chanel warehouses, which can make the sale selection deeper than you might expect. Here’s what else to know:

• VIC clients will be accommodated by appointment from approximately 8am to 10am before the public sale opening.
• Sale shopping will be handled 1:1 with a sales associate.
• There are no presale holds or remote sends.
• Public sale access will be first come, first served through the store queue.
• Sales associates may not have final visibility into the sale assortment until the morning of the sale.

Saks Fifth Avenue

Your luck at Saks may come down to the strength of your relationship with your sales associate. From what I’ve been told by several Saks SAs, the day starts well before the doors open. Around 8am, sales associates participate in an internal lottery that determines the order in which they can pull merchandise for their clients. Each associate is able to select a limited number of pieces (approximately 10 items) before the sale officially begins.

After that, it’s a little bit of luck and a lot of timing. Here’s what else you need to know.

• Sale opens to the public at 11am.
• Shopping will be handled 1:1 with a sales associate.
• Sale merchandise comes from Saks’ Chanel inventory.
• Prior to opening, sales associates are given an opportunity to pull merchandise for VIC clients.

Bergdorf Goodman

Given Bergdorf’s reputation as the ultimate luxury destination, you might expect the Chanel sale to be a major moment here. In my experience, the sale selection isn’t usually as extensive as you might imagine.

That said, the process is the most straightforward:

• First come, first served.
• No holds.
• No remote sends.

Nordstrom (outside NY)

There are only a few Nordstrom stores that carry Chanel, and the process of getting your hands on the best merchandise is somewhat absurd. If you’ve seen photos of Chanel sale merchandise circulating before the sale, it’s probably Nordstrom. Sales associates take pictures of what’s in the stockrooms and share them with clients, but the twist is that the merchandise might not actually be available. All requests are entered into a lottery system. It becomes a game of luck, and just because you see an item for sale doesn’t mean you’ll be able to buy it. There could be 20 requests for the same item.

• Multiple sales associates may request the same sale item in a specific style/size for different clients.
• When demand exceeds available inventory, allocation is determined through an internal system between sales associates.
• A presale request does not guarantee that the item will ultimately be available for purchase.

Chanel Boutiques (NYC 57th Street Flagship)

If you’re looking for the most extensive inventory, this is where to go. This is not the time to start cold calling SAs. If you don’t have a relationship, getting an appointment can be difficult. If you can’t secure an appointment, you should be prepared for a long line. During the last sale, shoppers started lining up as early as 4am.

• VIC clients with established relationships and appointments are prioritized.
• All other clients should expect to shop in person and join the queue.
• Shopping will be handled 1:1 with a fashion advisor.
• Appointments are approximately 30 minutes.

There’s no single right way to shop the Chanel sale. Every store has advantages and drawbacks, and the best strategy depends on your relationships, location, and what you’re hoping to find.

Happy Sale-ing!