'Waiting Number' Requires Name, Date of Birth, and Contact Info
Head Office Explains "Not Necessary to Provide When Just Visiting"
But Stores Say "No Registration Without Personal Info"
Luxury brand Chanel is facing backlash after it was revealed that its domestic stores demanded excessive personal information from visitors. While the headquarters stated that "providing information is not required for simple browsing," the response from store staff was different.
According to a KBS report on the 15th, Mr. A, who visited a Chanel store in a department store in Seoul to purchase a limited edition item, was met with an unpleasant request when trying to receive a 'waiting number.' Regardless of whether they intended to purchase, visitors were required to provide personal information such as their name, date of birth, and contact details just for visiting.
Mr. A, who visited the Chanel store with his wife and daughter, stated, "The staff blocked us and said that all guardians must also provide their date of birth to enter." The store explained this as a measure to prevent proxy purchases due to limited purchase quantities per person.
Mr. A expressed his displeasure, saying, "It feels like treating all customers as potential criminals," and added, "It seems like Korean consumers are being deceived and looked down upon."
The policy of requiring personal information not only from buyers but also from accompanying persons is rare among other luxury brands. Chanel Korea told KBS, "This sales policy is to provide the best boutique experience, and the stores implementing this policy are only in South Korea."
They also explained, "If you only want to browse, you can enter without agreeing to provide personal information," and "The collected personal information is retained for one year."
However, the actual response at the store showed a gap from the headquarters' explanation. When reporters asked, "Is it true that you cannot enter without providing your date of birth?" a store employee responded, "If you don't want to, you can leave. If you dislike providing personal information, we cannot assist with registration."
Regarding the collected information, the employee said, "We reset it every day and do not retain it separately," revealing a difference from the headquarters' stance of retaining it for one year.
80,000 Customers' Personal Information Leaked Two Years Ago, Resulting in Heavy Fines
Chanel Korea experienced a personal information leak incident in 2021 involving 81,654 cosmetics customers. At that time, names, phone numbers, birthdays, addresses, gender, and emails were leaked due to external hacking, resulting in fines of 126.16 million KRW and penalties of 18.6 million KRW.
Meanwhile, Chanel raised product prices for the second time this year on the 23rd of last month. The price of the Classic Flap Bag increased by about 6%, pushing the selling price of the large size product up to 15.7 million KRW. Chanel has been implementing price increases three to four times annually.
According to a report by global investment bank Morgan Stanley, Korean luxury consumption last year was estimated at 16.8 billion USD (approximately 22 trillion KRW), a 24% increase from the previous year. Per capita luxury consumption was 325 USD (about 430,000 KRW), ranking first in the world.
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