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Brooklyn, NY – A few days before New Year’s, the racks at several haredi loungewear and hostess gown stores were still full of winter “Shabbos robes,” elegant but practical velour robes worn by haredi women at home. Women were browsing, but they weren’t buying.
Most years, the secular new year comes and goes without the haredim noticing, as they are already months into the Jewish new year. But this year, a group of haredi women are waiting impatiently.
Come January 1, the 29 retailers across the US and Canada that sell loungewear and hostess gowns are slated to begin a coordinated sale, months after the usual sale time. The legality of such an agreement, however, is questionable under US antitrust laws, which forbid businesses to collude to keep prices high.
A growing concern over the survival of this niche market led a group of retailers and manufacturers this summer to form the Loungewear and Hostess Gown Council, which synchronized sale dates and markup prices. Sales are scheduled to be held on January 1 and on July 4, 2008, and the markup price for shabbos robes increased from 50 percent to 65% above wholesale.
“We, as a robe business – unlike any other business – have something very unique to give the religious customer,” said Beverly Luchfeld, president of Raza Designs, one of the most popular manufacturers of shabbos robes. “Most of the other merchandise can be found in Walmart, Macy’s, etc., but we cater to the needs of this unique customer and should therefore be able to profit.”
The robes, an essential part of most haredi women’s wardrobes, are typically bought twice a year – before Succot and Pessah. They are designed to be elegant enough to honor Shabbat and holidays, but comfortable enough for women to wear even while working in the kitchen.
“They look like an evening gown, but fit like a jumpsuit,” said Luchfeld, who also manufactures weekday robes, modest Christian clothing and Muslim garb “reflective of an era past.” extended article [jpost]
What a place to vent frustrations! Nobody FORCES anyone to buy or wear a robe. More important, what’s the brewha about? These merchants agreed to coordinate a sale period which takes into consideration seasonal adjustments of merchandise demand. With a sale slated for twice a year during off-peak times the consumer can either wait and save or pay normal prices. No store is out to skin the consumer alive! A mutual understanding of “Live and Let Live” is not like collaborating to inflate prices at an artificial level. Let’s understand that the stores want to remain in business without all sinking together by way of rampant price slashing leaving little chance to operate in the black.
yena sale, they did you a favor and gave 10% percent off. Someone should do the american thing and start a new company. These guys actually gals have a monopoly. It is an unfair business practice.
I am in a related business.
I think it should be understood that every business plans on buying at one price and selling ay a higher price. That is life, it is not the sign of a rip off. Most clothing in the US now goes at a 2.2 times markup except in frum neighborhoods. Anything much less than this requires saving or not paying rent, insurance or legal wages. You alos need money to cover the goods you are stuck with because they are ugly or someones child made dirty with a lolly pop. It does cost money to run a business.
Where are the Chinese people?
Stop complaining and don’t wear robes at the shabbos table. Nothing will happen to you.
alteryid, the question i have is, does the wife put the apron on for each course and remove it each time she sits down?
Oy! To wear a robe or not to wear a robe? Buy some nice comfortable shabos clothes. A nice modest black skirt and a nice modest sweater set. Machine washable of course! Cholent,childrens handprints,wine and chrain are typical shabos meal stains that I would not want on an $$$ shabbos robe.Some of those are so nice they can be worn to a wedding/bar mitzvah party. My motto ebay or online has better deals. What ever happened to what we learn in school about inner beauty and not outer material possesions? I know women who can wear a curtain and look beautiful and lkavod shabos!
i hope this coalition is found to be illegal. what chutzpah is it to form a coalition and decide to rip off the chareidi women. not enough we pay hefty prices for almost everything related to jewishness, how much can a valour shmata robe cost that they still need to mark it up 65%? why, because 50%was not enough of a rip off. should we start by the price of a shaitel and more. i refuse to buy weekday robes. i buy skirts & t shirtsin Elzee for $10.00 each. everyone should decide to boycot the robe store prices would have to come down.
Dear Anonymous 9:49 a.m.
You know that expensive rayon robe that I bought for $125 before last summer? Well by Pesach it was dead. It was worn once a week. The whole seam near the zipper wore away and became full of holes. It just fell apart. This junk is what I am meant to wear for years? That’s a good one.
LADIES!! We need to go on strike against these merchants who rip us off & overprice their stuff because they know the idiots like us will buy them. And just look at the price of wedding finery for Kallahs from these same stores. $350 for these frothy things? And every kallah needs AT LEAST 2 sets. Often more.
We need to “vote with our pocketbooks” & stop supporting the stores until they a) sell Tznius robes, b) DROP THE INFLATED PRICES TO AN AFFORDABLE LEVEL, & C) have their sales staff treat ALL customers (not just the locals!)with RESPECT!!
Don’t worry about their Parnassah. Good service, fair pricing & appropriate garments will generate plenty of sales. Instead, worry about your husband’s bills he needs to pay so you can dress like Mrs. Goldberg next door on Shabbos.
In our house the only time someone wears a robe to the Shabbos table is if they are ill. They are not bekovadik. My wife and other family members wear an apron when serving food and remove the apron when at the SHABBOS table.
Shabbos deserves better than a robe. A robe no matter how expensive is a robe.
I believe the real losers in this issue are the stores. There are times that the stores need to make a minor sale in order to be able to bring in some cash to pay their rent or workers and also to pay for their merchandise but here they were not able to move one iota. Also, quite often, when people order the merchandise there are things that they see right away are just not going to go but they are stuck with them till Jan.1. Then, instead of having graduating sales, they have only a month or so to get rid of their merchandise, at a loss, as 50% off is selling at a loss in the robe market. the biggest losers are the stores as they can’t do regular business practices, as need be and have their hands tied. Also, people who were looking for other options either went to places like Century 21 or put themselves together outfits of long knit skirts and comfortable tops that they bought on sale at the goyishe stores, or just stayed dressed. It was basically a matter of cutting off your nose to spite your face.
i dont see why the whole boro park need 2 new robes every year… Especially when the prices are so high! How many robes can one woman own. I must admit that some robes are very beautiful, but please how often can you spend so much on a robe. Pay once and have it for years is the way it should be.
By the way, you all realize this is not just an issue with the robe stores. Many of the children’s clothing stores have done the same thing. Just wait till you have to dress your children next Yomtov! This applies to Brooklyn, Monsey, Jersey, just about everywhere there is a frum kehilla.
Robes are an essential part of a Chredi woman’s wardrobe? Is this written somewhere in the Gemoro or maybe in Seforim on Minhogim. This s a joke. However, it is a sad joke. Did ourBabbes and Elter Babbes wear robes? Give me a break.
Lots of comments;
1, It is possible that all the pizza stores were hit with higher costs for cheese. They all had the cheese cost go up at the same time so they had to raise prices at the same time. I would bet that if one didn’t he would be accused of using treife cheese.
2, It is fair for a store to plan on making a living legally. The comment suggesting they all be in basements ( with zoning and safety issues) is plain stupid.
3, It sounds like robes are not that expensive, the demand is relatively small so there is no china pricing on this.
By the way, where are all these comments when stores charge the robe `price for a plastic polyester purim outfit that really is junk?
its a big chutzpa to to form a coalition to be able to cry that you dont make money no body forced you into this business and be the biggish rachmunas why dont you arrange these huge sales when we need it most befor all the yomtovs
when were hoping to buy a mew malbish for yomtov
who ask’s you to have stores on the avenue have them in basements
were the rent is much cheaper
your talking about not to forgin
who dosent fargin you store owners yourself why did you open a store because you saw one and saw a lot of people so you said to yourself it must be making a lots of money so you also went in to the same business so now all the stores are fighting beetweet one an other
and who suffer’s the consumer’s who cant afford
we need to help out each other’s
Speaking of jewish Pools WHAT ABOUT THE FACT THAT ALL PIZZA STORES RAISED THEIR PRICE TO $2.50 A SLICE OVERNIGHT? IS THAT FAIR??? JEWISH BEIS-DINS SHOULD PUT THESE VENDERS IN CHEIREM!! WHY ARE THEY ONLY PUTTING UP POSTERS ABOUT CROCKS AND SHUSHI??? WERE ARE THEY WHEN WE NEED THEM????
said
DO YOURSELF AND EVERYONE ONE ELSE A FAVOR, REDUCE YOUR OLD STOCK TO IT’S REAL COST
I am not in this business but I am in a similar business (children’s clothing)-you mean to say RAISE your old stock to it’s real cost. Chances are they are already selling it below cost.
to Anon 3:12
im not sure if you want to reccomend to people to buy an abaya.
“The abaya is an overgarment worn by some women in Muslim-majority countries. It is the traditional form of hijab / Jilbab, or Islamic dress.”
This entire thread sounds as if ‘robes’ are a pure necessity, like Challah, food, and Yeshiva tuition.
If you can’t afford a $200 robe, then stay in your clothing!
Since when is it appropriate to come to the Shabbos table in your pajamas? What if the men did it?
I agree with Anon. 10:08. Robes have no place at the Shabbos table. Heck, if the excuse is, “we’ve been working all day around the house…”, well; I’ve been working at the ofice all day. I would not dream of coming to the table in a bathrobe.
I see that robe-gate is gonna be a big crisis for what the women are going to wear this coming summer at the bungalow colonies (oops, “summer homes”) while they speak in learning around the pool.
I’m one of those people who can only buy a robe when they go on sale. The robe was $165 less 25%, about $125 total. That would mean that they claim that the robe cost $100 wholsale, and that they marked it up 65% to $165. You expect me to believe that the mark-up is only 65%? No way. I’m sure the mark-up is at least 100%. A simple garment with a zipper made of polyester crap doesn’t cost $100 to manufactur on a wholesale scale. It’s only my opinion, but they know they got us by the “you know whats”, we need a decent robe and they’ve got the goods. My advice to shop owners who are sitting on maountains of old stock: DO YOURSELF AND EVERYONE ONE ELSE A FAVOR, REDUCE YOUR OLD STOCK TO IT’S REAL COST AND YOU WILL MAKE ROOM AND HAVE SOME QUICK CASH TO BUY MORE NEW STOCK.
As the article clearly states, the vendors are struggling. They are NOT making a profit, they are LOSING MONEY on these robes & are desperate for any ideas.
Instead of knocking them, why don’t you go out and buy a robe or two when they ARE on sale. It’s a Win/Win situation.
Anonymous 11:13 AM is correct, our biggest problem is we cannot fargin others!
Profits, profits at the expense of the frum.
Spend $40 and buy an abaya. That is where the “frum” robe vendors are getting their merchandise anyway. There are plenty selling online.
While you are at it, buy a beautiful white, sequined headscarf to wear with your Shabbos robe for $5 from the same vendor.
How can you compare the quality of today’s robes to “yesteryear’s”.
Today’s robes are made so much better & look more like gowns then the shmattas that were always available.
I would gladly pay $100+ for a nice Jackie O robe then spend less & get the schmattas that my mother wore.
How about robe stores join a coalition to sell ony tzniduskike robes. that sounds like a proper coalition to me.
Are robes only 100$?
Sorry I am a man (divorced)who does not know the prices, but is does not sound like a lot, at all, actually.
Why can’t we fargin yidden a couple $$ for their parnosseh?
I guess it would help if the stores in B.P tried to be a bit nicer to customers.
If stores cannot make parnoseh they”ll go out of business, leaving less competition around which will equal higher prices and less attentive service
first of all, i have seen lovely velour robes at century 21 and they always have sales.
secondly…fits like a jumpsuit…isnt that a bit snug?
thirdly, ill be in boro park tomorrow…where are the sales?
See last Mishna in forth Perek of Boba Metzia Where Chazal commend bringing down prices.
I am a businessman (not in this business).
There is a problem with Jewish-oriented businesses that they compete too fiercely with each other.
They are more busy in taking away business from each other than in making money.
This forces many of them to go out of business allowing those left over to really jack up prices.
I know – and am sure many readers know – of such instances in the last few years.
So this arrangement of cooperation is to be commended. 65% is a very modest profit in an industry that has merchandise going out of style every year.
It is good to see Jewish merchants finally learning to compete with tolerance. Live and let live.
I do think it is OK for the robes stores to make the 65% profit, in fact they can charge 100% profit if they so choose.
However, the questions here is the legality of the practice of have a coordinated sale. If Macy’s, Lord & Taylor and Bloomingdales would do something like this with women stockings, it would also be “illegal”.
Note, some other stores may practice this, the problem here is that they are making their practices public, so now everyone knows.
well, at least thanx for telling me about the sale tomorrow !!!!
I’m not sure that these merchants know what the damages are for an antitrust violation. It’s triple damages!! In other words, the feds fine you triple the amount that they feel you damaged the consumer. I would be very very carefull if I were them There is no way any antitrust lawyer worth his or her salt told them they can do this.
Unbelievable!
Again, everyone is worried about the other person’s parnasah!
Why can’t we ‘fargin’ that some people are trying to make money??
I am in the clothing business and I can tell you that a 65% markup is a joke. I have TONS of last year’s inventory in stock that will never sell.
Stop looking at my bank account, you probably wont want to trade anyway!
If you cannot afford to buy a robe, then don’t… but leave the merchant alone. Let them TRY to earn a living without adding even more agmas nefesh!
“said Beverly Luchfeld, president of Raza Designs, but we cater to the needs of this unique customer and should therefore be able to profit.”
in other words therfore we should be able to RIP OFF the Frum people since they have no choice of buying this stuff at wqal mart anyway.
SHAME ON YOU!!! Beverly Luchfeld!!!!!
why does a stupid robe have to cost $100.00 ???? so they can make 65% profit??
we should all boycutt this bastards.
ANON 10:08GIVE ME A BREAK!! These “robes” look just like gowns (and cost like gowns!) with the exception that they are a bit more comfortable (eg. velour fabric) and generally have a zipper…I challenge you to serve the “chulent” in your dry- cleanable new white suit next shabbos!!!! oy vey…
Chazal knew best when they told us “Ain holchin b’mamon achar harobe.”
“We, as a robe business – unlike any other business – have something very unique to give the religious customer,”
This is simply laughable. How about the hundreds, if not thousands, of other business that cater to the frum consumer? Are their offering any less unique than ROBES? Get a grip!
This behavior is illegal, plain and simple.
These retailers are trying to make a decent living. A markup of 65% is fair. Consider that a large portion of their overhead gets sold only when “on sale”, and many times they are stuck with inventory at the end of the season, not to mention the cost of overhead.
Many national retailers have much more than a 65% markup.
We can’t we ‘fargin’ that some people are trying to make money??
fit like a jumpsuit – huh? I guess the people who are against wearing robes at the shabbos meal are right – Robes are “loungewear” and not fit to be worn at a Shabbos table sponsered by Hashem himself
I hope this is found to be illegal. The only place you can find robes in in a jewish store and therefore they are going to rip us off all together–what a lovely idea!! Robes are expensive enough as it is so now they raise their profits and don’t offer much in sales because “it is a niche market”! sounds like a monopoly to me!!
I see no reason for these merchants to be exempted from anti trust laws. Why must there be a coalition? Are these store owners worried that one of them might sell their robes for a reasonable price? These are exactly the unfair and greedy behaviors that these laws are supposed to protect us from. I wish we the frum consumers could also form a coalition. Then we can decide when to buy and up till how much to spend. I doubt this will actually happen. Until then we just have to try to shop wisely with our pocketbooks(wallets) as best as we can.