An Hermès Birkin bag is one of the most coveted and luxurious fashion accessories in the world, but with prices starting at $12,000 per bag, it is not affordable for most.
The Birkin can’t be purchased over the counter at a Hermès store, and customers have to create a purchase history with the brand to even be “offered” the opportunity to purchase it, but now, shoppers are going crazy over Walmart’s version of $78. .
The leather bag looks strikingly similar to a Birkin and comes in a range of colors including olive, black, elephant grey, emerald green and ivory white.
It’s being praised by online shoppers, with hundreds of TikTok videos dedicated to the trendy bag.
‘I wonder if Walmart’s Birkin bag knew it was going to embody all of 2024,’ one TikTok user @tufinestpardon she said in a recent video, while showing an image of the Walmart tote bag.
“A regular Birkin costs between $30,000 and $80,000 more, depending on the bag,” the fashion content creator continued.
“The idea of the Birkin is that when you see it, you know you can’t afford it; you can’t even get an invitation to the store to buy it.”
‘And not everyone invited to the store can even afford a Birkin, it’s that elusive. So Walmart just said, “Well, how about we make a Birkin and make it $80?”
Shoppers are going crazy over Walmart’s $78 version of the famous Hermès Birkin bag. The Walmart ‘dupe’ is seen on the left, while a real Hermès Birkin is seen on the right
It’s being praised by online shoppers, with hundreds of TikTok videos dedicated to the trendy bag.
According to the TikTok user, reviews of the bag say it’s just as good as the real thing.
“It’s making it possible for the average human being to buy a bag that looks exactly like the Birkin,” he said.
“And people who spend more than $30,000 on a Birkin are probably not happy about it, because capitalism is not about taking a luxury item and making it affordable for everyone,” he said.
At Walmart websiteA description of the bag says: “Stylish and simple appearance, practical internal structure, reasonable division, easy to use.”
It is now sold out in almost every color online.
‘I love the Wirkin!’ wrote one enthusiastic fan in the comments section of the TikTok video.
‘The best result of this: asking a rich woman, “Oh, great, did you buy this bag at Walmart too?” And look at the crisis,’ laughed another.
Others weren’t so sure about the Birkin deal.
On Walmart’s website, a description of the bag says: “Stylish and simple appearance, practical internal structure, reasonable division, easy to use.”
An Hermès Birkin bag is one of the most coveted and luxurious fashion accessories in the world. Jennifer López is seen with a Birkin in 2022
‘It looks like a Walmart Birkin. And after a couple of wears…it will definitely look like a Walmart Birkin’, one detractor chimed in.
“Unless it’s real, durable leather, it’s nothing new under the sun… I bought a Hermès model in China 10 years ago… unfortunately it didn’t last…” another agreed.
Made from materials like crocodile and alligator skins, as well as luxury leathers with fancy names like Tadelakt and Monsieur Grainee, Birkin bags take a minimum of 18 hours to make by hand.
The “base” model costs around $11,400 before taxes if purchased directly from Hermès, while special editions can cost hundreds of thousands.
However, analysts told The Wall Street Journal that it costs Hermès only about $1,000 to make expensive handbags.
Dedicated shoppers have gone to great lengths to obtain the bags, which are made in limited quantities and typically only offered to customers who have a long purchasing history with the brand.
Insiders told the Journal that Hermès says shoppers must spend $10,000 on other products such as shoes and scarves before being invited to purchase a basic model.
It is claimed that to be considered for a rare limited edition bag, regular Hermès customers must spend around $200,000 on other items in the store.
Even when the coveted offer is made, shoppers are shown a single bag they have been invited to purchase and are not allowed to specify its color.
Anyone lucky enough to get their hands on a Hermès Birkin can sell it to an online reseller for around $23,000, and that retailer will then sell it for around $32,000.