Hermes and Gucci are both popular and luxurious brands, but which of the two is more expensive?
Hermes is considerably more expensive than Gucci, ranking some way above it on the scale of luxurious brands. It’s more exclusive and hard to come by and the price per product is substantially higher than Gucci’s range.
Read on to learn more about Gucci, Hermes, and where they both fit in the fashion industry.
Hermes: High Cost, Rarely Seen
While the average shopper might not have heard of Hermes, that doesn’t stop the company having an immense legacy. It’s one of the oldest fashion houses in the world, having been founded in Paris almost two hundred years ago.
As an organization, Hermes has weathered a competitive market, industry downfalls, and even multiple wars, for the entirety of its lifetime. Today, it’s a remarkably exclusive and expensive brand, often enjoyed only by the world’s richest elite.
Like many other successful and long standing organizations, Hermes didn’t start doing what they do today. In 19th century France, Charles-Emile Hermes cut his teeth in saddlery, making various high-quality items for horse riders – often royal horse riders.
When Charles-Emile retired and left the business to his two sons, they decided to transition into fine clothing and accessories. They used their leatherworking experience to design and release a line of handbags, among other things.
Hermes still manufactures a wide range of bags today, but its range has expanded to include all manner of clothing, shoes, and jewelry. It’s not as popular as some more accessible brands like Gucci, but it does have a firm fan base.
On the ‘scale of luxury’, Hermes sits comfortably around the ‘super-premium’ market. It offers extremely expensive products, but they aren’t so pricey that only billionaires can afford them.
For The Good Of Gucci
Gucci’s story differs to Hermes’ story in a few aspects, such as how it got started and where it sits today. When Gucci first made their way into the fashion industry, Hermes had been trading for several decades.
The journey Gucci took through the twentieth century was also a little more tumultuous. Italy has a thriving and competitive fashion industry, and Gucci had some difficulties fighting for, and ultimately never securing, the top spot.
These days, Gucci is a financial success and iconic brand among the fashion fans of the world. It’s statistically one of the most popular brands on the planet and it operates with a particular business model that drives exclusivity and demand like no other.
This model includes some fairly drastic measures, such as the regular destruction of any unsold products, to drive up scarcity.
While Hermes began its life in saddlery and horse riding equipment, Gucci got started with bags and luggage, which make up a lot of their offerings today. As the years wore on, Gucci started to experiment with gloves, belts, wallets, and a plethora of other accessories.
Today, it’s essentially a one stop shop for all things fashion, including clothing, shoes, and jewelry. While they keep their prices high, they’re not so staggering that the average shopper couldn’t eventually afford them.
Gucci vs. Hermes: Battle Of The Brands
As we’ve already explained, Hermes ranks some levels higher than Gucci on the scale of luxury. While Gucci can be considered somewhat accessible, Hermes is thought of as ‘superpremium’, and a brand that many won’t ever be able to regularly afford.
To offer a comparison, we can look at something as simple as a backpack, a product that both companies eagerly offer. On Gucci’s website, we can find a leather backpack, emblazoned with the Gucci motif and branding, for around two and a half thousand dollars.
Now, that might seem like a huge amount of money, but it’s a drop in the bucket where Hermes is concerned. If you explore Hermes’ website, you can find backpacks that are priced at more than eight thousand dollars apiece.
However, these backpacks, for the most part, are completely plain leather; no real design, no emblem, motif, or branding. It’s one of the bizarre aspects of fashion where people are paying through the nose for the name rather than the product itself.
Hermes’ website portrays these prices with intense regularity. You’ll see shoes with thousand-dollar values, six thousand dollar belts, and forty thousand dollar bracelets.
While Gucci’s prices are a little more believable and realistic, they are still quite high for the average shopper. Although, you’ll find it much easier to find and own Gucci products than you would Hermes’ merchandise.