This is now the most frequently asked question and the most discussed topic on all the forums of Louis Vuitton fans. Everyone is worried that the French fashion house is gradually phasing out canvas pieces. It is true? Or is there another reason behind the shortage of Louis Vuitton canvas items? We are about to find out.
Canvas Louis Vuitton Items Are Always Out of Stock
Yes, that is true, and that has been true for at least a year. If you think that you can go to the Louis Vuitton website and purchase, for example, a Speedy in Monogram straight away, you are going to be very disappointed. In fact, when I was writing this article, I checked the website, and none of the 4 sizes (traditional and bandouliere) were available in any material.
With another iconic purse - Neverfull - the situation is a little better: Damier Azur and PM size were not available at all, while Monogram and Damier Ebene were available for MM and GM.
As for the most popular piece at the moment - Louis Vuitton Pochette Metis - both the Monogram and the Reverse are out of stock on the official Louis Vuitton website (by the way, here are 6 Best Louis Vuitton Pochette Metis Alternatives that you can get right now without any problem). And it has been like that for almost a year now. The same goes for small leather goods, such as wallets, key pouches, mini pochettes, etc. And as these are considered entry items and Neverfull and Speedy are timeless classics, it seems that there is a real problem here.
Fans of the fashion house are frustrated and annoyed by the lack of inventory of canvas pieces and are constantly stalking the website.
Why Is There Shortage of Louis Vuitton Canvas Items?
There is a real shortage of Louis Vuitton canvas items, there is no doubt about that. Actually, the “What are you stalking today” thread on Purseforum goes as back as February 2018. But this is for all items that have become kind of unicorn. The real shortage of Louis Vuitton canvas items, especially popular ones, began noticeable about a year ago.
The first and the most dreadful explanation that comes to mind is that Louis Vuitton is moving towards leather bags. When Louis Vuitton fans see such commentaries on forums, they immediately become very sad, because most of them love Louis Vuitton exactly for these canvas pieces with world-famous prints. Here is Everything about Louis Vuitton Prints and Patterns and Popular Limited Edition Collaborations (With Photo Examples).
There are even people who say that they have talked with their SA, and they confirmed this theory. And the fact that in June 2021 Louis Vuitton discontinued Toiletry pouches 15,19, and 26 seems to only prove that point. But let’s look at the facts.
This speculation about Louis Vuitton slowing down production of canvas items has been going on for years already. Of course, LV would love to sell more leather bags because they charge a premium, but Monogram canvas is their bread and butter.
Their canvas pieces are big moneymakers - canvas is more approachable to people, and, therefore, sells faster, and that’s why it is in shortage, the simple issue of supply and demand.
The brand may want to focus more on leather items, that is why many fans recently have noticed that there are almost only leather handbags on the display in boutiques, and all the canvas is hidden. But it is hardly unlikely that canvas items will totally disappear.
Even if we look at the latest releases, there are canvas pieces. For example, the Onthego totes that were introduced only in 2019 (if you are a looking for a tote bag, be sure to check What is the Best Designer Tote Bag: Dior Book Tote vs Louis Vuitton Onthego), the Giant, the Jungle, or the most recent By the Pool lines all have canvas items.
So, why is there more demand than there is supply?
First, with COVID most of the factories were closed so that created the shortage. We all know that it happened not only in high fashion, but in many industries. The global pandemic is also one of the reasons for the dramatic price increases at the beginning of the year. Read more about it in Louis Vuitton Increases Prices Worldwide in January 2021. One of the SAs told their customer that they show sold out on a lot of items simply because with the delays in shipments and production due to COVID and the holidays (Valentin’s Day and Mother's Day, etc.), they were wiped out a bit, but they are replenishing as much as they can.
The second reason is that they usually stockpile canvas items during the summer months for Christmas because they’re popular gifts. They've been doing this for years, the only difference is in the past no one really noticed it. This year everyone is noticing it with COVID and shipments being delayed. Hopefully, in September, it'll start going back to “place in cart”.
To sum it up, Louis Vuitton is clearly pushing the leather bags, but the production of canvas items has hardly been affected, and it is too early to say goodbye to them.
Tips On Scoring Out-of-Stock Louis Vuitton Items
However, even though these are only rumors, and not manipulation by Louis Vuitton, such speculations create even more demand, and true fans of the fashion house are now stalking the website to get their desired piece, which is a hobby on its own but still an exhausting task. So, here are some tips on how to score out-of-stock Louis Vuitton items.
The first important thing to do is to make an account on the website, it will save you a lot of time at the checkout. And it will be even better if you link your credit card or PayPal immediately.
The second suggested tip is to create a wishlist of all the items you are willing to purchase and that are not available at the moment. Thus, you won’t have to spend time searching for the desired item on the website to check its availability. You just need to refresh your wishlist. And, also, some users have noticed that availability in the wishlist is updated faster than on the item full detail page.
Make it a habit to check the website regularly. Here, such threads as “What are you stalking today” would be of great help. People post there when they see one of the sought-after items become available, and you may be lucky enough to snatch it. Also, pay attention to what time such comments usually appear, as items seem to be restocked at regular intervals. If you notice this regularity, try to check the website at these times.
Sometimes it happens that at the checkout the page starts to browse and shows that the item is again out of stock. We know how sad and frustrating it can be. But don’t get upset too soon. Just try to refresh the page, as the item may become available again because some other customer has decided not to proceed with the payment.
Good luck!
I hope this article has been helpful in clarifying why there is a shortage of Louis Vuitton canvas items at the moment. But if you don’t want to stalk the website for weeks, there is a simpler way of purchasing a luxury handbag - buy it pre-loved. First, check our stock at Bagaholic. All our items are 100% authentic, and we can check the authenticity and help you understand if your secondhand item is original.
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Certificate of Authenticity with a thorough explanation $50
- good when you need a certificate and you need to know why the bag is authentic/not authentic for any reason, either to sell the bag with the peace of mind or return a fake bag to the seller if you purchased a fake.
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