The unexpected effect of the pandemic: why fur coats are being bought up in New York
'04.01.2021'
Lyudmila Balabay
New York has seen a boom in fur sales despite sellers' fears that a pandemic will destroy trade. Buyers say that the coronavirus restrictions are to blame: restaurant halls are closed, and on terraces, even with heating, you can only feel comfortable in very warm clothes. She shared the details “Newspaper.ru".
Despite the fact that recently in the city and in the fashion industry, natural fur has been frowned upon, now the sellers of fur coats are surprised to see the sales increase.
Mark Kaufman, owner of the Marc Kaufman Furs store in Chelsea, admitted that sales are so good that the demand for fur items ranging from $ 1000 to $ 10 is higher than the supply at his store. As the entrepreneur said, at the beginning of the pandemic, he was preparing for a 000 percent drop in income, but in 45, on the contrary, they grew by 2020%.
“The sales are amazing compared to what I expected them to be,” Kaufman said. - The Internet is exploding. Things are going surprisingly well. "
Dimitrios Furs store owner Dimitri Lettas estimates that the number of orders this year has increased by 20%. According to him, mostly young women aged 25 to 35 are interested in fur - they buy cashmere capes trimmed with fox fur. Older ladies prefer natural mink or fox coats - some particularly fanciful items cost up to $ 6.
On the subject: Record number of famous establishments closed in New York due to COVID-19 pandemic
Fur sellers attribute the increase in sales to cold weather and restrictions due to the pandemic. Entrepreneurs say they are buying fur coats to spend more time on the street, since restaurants in New York have closed again since December 11.
“When people go to lunch, now they have to sit in a coat, and in a very warm one,” explains Mark Kaufman.
His version was confirmed by one of the owners of the fur coat. Terrane Washington bought a $ 3200 mink coat this fall from Madison Avenue Furs. According to her, she now wears this fur coat to dine with her husband in a restaurant every Saturday.
“I needed to buy something warm,” the woman explained. "My mink is very warm and it will be with me all my life."
Sales of fur coats in New York are growing, despite the fact that the fashion industry is actively fighting against the use of natural fur. In recent years, many top brands have announced they are phasing out it. Among them are Prada, Chanel, Burberry, Maison Margiela, DKNY, Versace, Michael Kors, Gucci, Armani, Tommy Hillfiger, Vivienne Westwood, Ralph Lauren and Calvin Klein.
