Lawsuit accuses Hermes of selling Birkin bags only to customers ‘deemed worthy’

People walk past a Hermes store (Mary Altaffer/AP)

Hermes is being targeted in a new lawsuit accusing the luxury retailer of selling its coveted Birkin handbags only to customers who have spent exorbitant amounts of money at the store on other goods.

The proposed federal class action lawsuit, which was filed this week in San Francisco, alleges that Hermes is violating antitrust law by making customers buy other goods in the store before being granted the privilege of buying a Birkin bag from Hermes.