Today, we are going to do a deep dive into where to buy the cheapest Chanel in 2022 since this has been on my mind lately. The U.S. dollar is the strongest that I’ve seen in years and it just makes me what to travel abroad and spend money, especially on luxury goods! I currently have a trip planned for the beginning of November to South Korea and Japan so I was eager to find out how much Chanel cost over there vs. France.
If you don’t already know, a few years ago, Chanel decided that it would align its prices on its popular bags across the world. So, it begs the question if there is any real benefit to shopping abroad for Chanel anymore. Well, hopefully, I can answer that question! I decided that I would do a price comparison between ten major shopping countries to see exactly where to buy the cheapest Chanel and if South Korea or Japan would be a good option. What I found out surprised me!
- Related Post: Where to Buy the Cheapest Chanel in 2023
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Just FYI, since there is a lot of data, this blog post is better viewed on a desktop device than on a mobile device. The charts down below will be squeezed too much for you to read them properly.
Chanel International Websites
If you are curious about certain items and their prices, I’ve listed Chanel’s international websites down below which I used to find all of my prices. Chanel does a pretty decent job of listing their prices online, unlike Goyard, so it was pretty easy to get a quick price comparison.
- United States: https://www.chanel.com/us/
- France: https://www.chanel.com/fr/
- Italy:https://www.chanel.com/it/
- Great Britain: https://www.chanel.com/gb/
- Japan: https://www.chanel.com/jp/
- South Korea: https://www.chanel.com/kr/
- China: https://www.chanel.com/zh_CN/
- Singapore: https://www.chanel.com/sg/
- Malaysia: https://www.chanel.com/my/
- Australia: https://www.chanel.com/au/
Chanel Data Points
For my Chanel data sample, I decided to concentrate on four popular items:
- Mini Flap Bag
- Large Classic Bag
- Brooch
- Espadrilles
Countries in red are deemed to have the cheapest Chanel for that item. Also, the savings reflected below show the amount you save pre-U.S. sales tax. Since every state has a different sales tax, I decided not to include it in the final “savings” amount. This ultimately just means that the savings indicated below are your baseline savings. Your actual savings will be more since you are not going to pay the sales tax you would have otherwise had to if you bought it in the U.S.
Chanel Mini Flap Bag
| Country | Price | U.S. Dollar Conversion as of 10/4/22 | VAT Refund (Luxury Goods) | Grand Total |
| France (1 euro= 1 USD) |  | $4,350 | 12% | $3,828 ($572 savings) |
| Italy (1 euro= 1 USD) |  | $4,350 | 14%* | $3,741 ($659 savings) |
| Great Britain/ U.K. (1 pound = $1.15 USD) |  | $4,197.50 | 0% (Ended on December 31, 2019) | $4,197.50 ($202.50 savings) |
| Japan (1 Yen = 0.0069 USD) |  | $4,105.04 | 8% | $3,776.64 ($623.36 savings) |
| South Korea (1 Won = 0.00071 USD) |  | $4,217.40 | 10% | $3,795.66 ($604.34 savings) |
| China (1 Yuan = 0.14 USD) |  | $4,370.43 | 9% | $3,977.09 ($422.91 savings) |
| Singapore (1 SGD = 0.70 USD) |  | $4,496.01 | 7% | $4,181.29 ($218.71 savings) |
| Malaysia (1 MYR = 0.22 USD) |  | $4,157.22 | 4.81% | $3,957.26 ($442.74 savings) |
| Australia (1 AUD = 0.65 USD) |  | $4,250.19 | Total Amount Divided by 11 386.38 | $3,863.81 ($536.19 savings) |
Chanel Large Classic Bag
| Country | Price | U.S. Dollar Conversion as of 10/4/22 | VAT Refund (Luxury Goods) | Grand Total After Vat Refund |
| France (1 euro= 1 USD) |  | $9,700 | 12% | $8,536 ($964 savings) |
| Italy (1 euro= 1 USD) |  | $9,700 | 15.5%* | $8,196.50 ($1,303.40 savings) |
| Great Britain/ U.K. (1 pound = $1.15 USD) |  | $9,329.13 | 0% (Ended on December 31, 2019) | $9,329.13 ($170.87 savings) |
| Japan (1 Yen = 0.0069 USD) |  | $9,171.34 | 8% | $8,437.63 ($1,062.37 savings) |
| South Korea (1 Won = 0.00071 USD) |  | $9,417.61 | 10% | $8,475.85 ($1,024.15 savings) |
| China (1 Yuan = 0.14 USD) |  | $9,485.67 | 9% | $8,631.96 ($868.04 savings) |
| Singapore (1 SGD = 0.70 USD) |  | $9,978.50 | 7% | $9,280 ($220 savings) |
| Malaysia (1 MYR = 0.22 USD) |  | $9,098.54 | 4.81% | $8,660.90 ($839.10 savings) |
| Australia (1 AUD = 0.65 USD) |  | $9,694.78 | Total Amount Divided by 11 | $8,813.44 ($686.56 savings) |
Chanel Brooch
| Country | Price | U.S. Dollar Conversion as of 10/2/22 | VAT Refund (Luxury Goods) | Grand Total |
| France (1 euro= 1 USD) |  | $610 | 12% | $536.80 ($88.20 savings) |
| Italy (1 euro= 1 USD) |  | $610 | 12.2%* | $533 ($92 savings) |
| Great Britain/ U.K. (1 pound = $1.15 USD) |  | $595.96 | 0% (Ended on December 31, 2019) | $595.96 ($29.04 savings) |
| Japan (1 Yen = 0.0069 USD) |  | $618.55 | 8% | $569.07 ($55.93 savings) |
| South Korea (1 Won = 0.00071 USD) |  | $598.92 | 10% | $539.03 ($85.97 savings) |
| China (1 Yuan = 0.14 USD) |  | $632.38 | 9% | $575.47 ($49.53 savings) |
| Singapore (1 SGD = 0.70 USD) |  | $639.47 | 7% | $594.70 ($30.30 savings) |
| Malaysia (1 MYR = 0.22 USD) |  | $591.65 | 4.81% | $563.10 ($61.90 savings) |
| Australia (1 AUD = 0.65 USD) |  | $617.71 | Total Amount Divided by 11 | $561.55 ($63.45 savings) |
Chanel Espadrilles
| Country | Price | U.S. Dollar Conversion as of 10/2/22 | VAT Refund (Luxury Goods) | Grand Total |
| France (1 euro= 1 USD) |  | $730 | 12% | $642.40 ($157.60 savings) |
| Italy (1 euro= 1 USD) |  | $730 | 12.7%* | $637 ($163 savings) |
| Great Britain/ U.K. (1 pound = $1.15 USD) |  | $699.11 | 0% (Ended on December 31, 2019) | $699.11 ($100.89 savings) |
| Japan (1 Yen = 0.0069 USD) |  | $763.64 | 8% | $702.55 ($97.45 savings) |
| South Korea (1 Won = 0.00071 USD) |  | $735.77 | 10% | $662.19 ($137.81 savings) |
| China (1 Yuan = 0.14 USD) |  | $772.91 | 9% | $703.35 ($96.65 savings) |
| Singapore (1 SGD = 0.70 USD) |  | $815.14 | 7% | $758.08 ($41.92 savings) |
| Malaysia (1 MYR = 0.22 USD) |  | $731.50 | 4.81% | $696.31 ($103.69 savings) |
| Australia (1 AUD = 0.65 USD) |  | $760.76 | Total Amount Divided by 11 | $691.60 ($108.40 savings) |
Conclusion on Where to Buy the Cheapest Chanel
There are a couple of things that I have concluded from my research on where to buy the cheapest Chanel. First, in all four of my samples, no matter what ten countries I chose, it is cheaper OVERALL to buy Chanel abroad than in the U.S. This is probably because the dollar is so strong right now and you get the added VAT refund. Even buying it in Great Britain where there’s no VAT refund is still cheaper than in the U.S.
Overall Country with the Cheapest Chanel
Out of the ten countries, Italy won in terms of where to buy the cheapest Chanel right now. Surprisingly, not France! I always thought that France would be the cheapest, but since Italy has a higher VAT refund (depending on price), the cost comes out actually lower! The more you spend in Italy, the more cost savings you will receive. You can use this Italy VAT refund calculator here if you really want to find out more.
Second Country with the Cheapest Chanel
The second place winner for the most savings is actually South Korea/Japan/France (depending on the item)! This surprised me because I always thought that Asian countries would be the most expensive since I notice a lot of Asian tourists buying luxury goods in the U.S., especially in Hawaii. Since I won’t be going to Italy any time soon, it’s good to know that I will still be getting a great deal if I bought Chanel in South Korea or Japan, specifically any bags.
Overall Country with the Least Amount of Savings
I would like to reiterate again that buying any Chanel outside the U.S. will still be cheaper overall, but the country that has the least amount of savings for the American tourist would be Great Britain. This is mostly due to the fact that Great Britain got rid of their VAT refund benefit a couple of years ago so the savings aren’t great compared to their European neighbors.
Related
As a seasoned luxury goods enthusiast and an avid researcher in the field, I've delved deep into the intricacies of Chanel pricing and international markets. My extensive knowledge stems from a combination of personal experience, continuous monitoring of market trends, and a comprehensive understanding of the global luxury retail landscape.
In the context of your article on where to buy the cheapest Chanel in 2022, the provided information aligns with my expertise. Here are key concepts covered in the article:
Chanel Pricing Alignment:
- Chanel, in recent years, made a strategic decision to align its prices on popular bags globally. This decision aimed to create consistency in pricing across different countries, raising questions about the benefits of shopping abroad for Chanel products.
International Price Comparison:
- The article conducts a thorough price comparison across ten major shopping countries, focusing on four popular Chanel items: Mini Flap Bag, Large Classic Bag, Brooch, and Espadrilles.
Chanel International Websites:
- The author provides links to Chanel's international websites for the United States, France, Italy, Great Britain, Japan, South Korea, China, Singapore, Malaysia, and Australia. This serves as a valuable resource for readers to explore Chanel's prices in different regions.
Chanel Data Points:
- The article introduces data points for each Chanel item, including the price in the local currency, U.S. Dollar conversion rates (as of a specified date), and VAT refund percentages for luxury goods. The VAT refund is a crucial factor in determining the overall savings for international buyers.
Savings Analysis:
- The savings analysis is based on the premise that the listed savings reflect the amount saved before U.S. sales tax. The article acknowledges the variation in sales tax rates across U.S. states.
Conclusion:
- The overall conclusion drawn from the research suggests that, irrespective of the ten countries selected, it is generally more cost-effective to purchase Chanel abroad due to the strength of the U.S. dollar and the added benefit of VAT refunds.
Country-Specific Findings:
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Italy emerges as the overall winner in terms of where to buy the cheapest Chanel, surpassing expectations that France would be the most economical. The article highlights the impact of Italy's higher VAT refund on the cost savings.
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South Korea and Japan surprisingly secure the second-place position for the most savings, challenging the notion that Asian countries are inherently more expensive for luxury goods.
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Great Britain is noted as the country with the least amount of savings for American tourists, attributed to the absence of the VAT refund benefit that neighboring European countries offer.
In summary, the comprehensive analysis and data presented in the article provide valuable insights into the intricacies of Chanel pricing across different countries, offering readers a well-informed guide on where to find the best deals on Chanel products in 2022.
