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SCOTS SNUB STINKS OF SNOBBERY

PER-FUMING: Apparently the shoppers of Leven are not good enough for Chanel

Wednesday January 2,2008

By Rod Mills

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FRENCH perfume maker Chanel has turned up its nose at a Scots town by refusing to allow its products to be sold there.

Christmas shoppers hunting for a bottle of Chanel in Leven, Fife, found themselves on a hopeless mission this year, after the Paris-based fashion house declared the town too low class for its luxury range.

High Street shops in the former mining town on Scotland’s east coast, were judged inappropriate by the brand, following a recent “audit” of the area.

And while Boots sells the range from its Kirkcaldy branch eight miles away, its Leven store is not allowed to stock the fragrances.

It’s thought the town, which has a population of 8,300, fell out of favour after Chanel brought in new auditors last year.

Chanel recently refused to restock a number of other shops in Leven following the audit, which it’s thought takes a range of factors into account, including the store itself, and the proximity of bars, bookmakers, or other businesses deemed inappropriate to the prestigious brand.

Residents said the move was snobbish and insulting.

Grace Houston, 20 a shop assistant, said: “I think it’s shocking. My mum spends a fortune on Chanel products and now she’s going to have to spend extra going to Kirkcaldy to buy them now. Peoples’ money in Leven is as good as anyone else’s.”

Shop assistant Heather Doch-erty, 57, added: “If that’s their attitude, Leven is too good to sell Chanel in my opinion.”

A Boots spokesman confirmed: “Chanel reviews stores on a regular basis and if a store fails to meet the criteria required, then the fragrances wouldn’t be sold in those stores.”

Last night Cha-nel defended its audit process. A spokeswoman said: “The audit process is independent, objective, transparent and fair. Any counters which did not pass the audit first time were given six months to improve, following which there was a second audit.”

She added: “We value all our consumers hugely, many of whom have shown tremendous loyalty to the brand over very many years.”

Marilyn Monroe end-orsed Chanel’s flagship brand. When asked what she wore in bed, Monroe replied, “Two drops of Chanel No. 5.”

CHANEL

02.01.08, 5:45pm

If Chanel are going to discriminate against a perceived lower class of person, perhaps we should ban the sale of any of their products in this country. I imagine that is what the French would do if the situation was reversed.
People should stick to their guns on not buying produce from certain other countries. Our household refuses to buy anything from continental Europe if we can get the same thing from a commonwealth country or the new world. I would encourage people to vote with their feet, Europe has bled us dry for long enough.

• Posted by: jonocynic9 • Report Comment

GET IT UP THEM

02.01.08, 1:16am

Leven is a nice wee town. Better than many suburbs of Paris or Marseille.
We should respond to this snub by refusing to buy this posh french pee-water ever again anywhere in Scotland.

• Posted by: Lothian_Sky • Report Comment