I totally want this Wirkin!
Walmart's KAMUGO Genuine Leather Bag, or "Wirkin," is selling like hotcakes and has completely sold out on the same day for the following reasons:
・Birkin bags are too expensive - they cost millions tens of millions of yen, whereas Wirkin bags range from 60~102 USD, meaning 9,000~16,000 JPY.
・Due to this price hike in 2025, even the lowest-tier Birkins are expected to cost over 2 million yen.
・You can't even buy them at Hermès stores.
・To buy at an official Hermès store, you virtually have to participate in long-term bundled sales (such as buying unnecessary apparel, wallets, or unpopular bags) — this even led to lawsuits in the U.S.
・Resellers and second-hand shops are taking too much profit (they sell them for much higher than retail price).
・Originally, the Birkin was just a bag to carry around a bunch of disorganized items, so the transition into an ultra-luxury handbag feels a bit off (there’s a picture in the first linked video showing how Birkin herself used to carry it).
・The larger tote sizes (30cm and above) weigh over a kilogram and are heavy (they become difficult to handle as you age).
・Since there’s no satchel option with Birkin, you can't have your hands free, whereas Wirkin has.
・No crocodile leather used with Wirkin. (According to the double standard by political correctness, cowhide is OK but crocodile is not for fashion industries.)
I firmly believe that the relationship between the Birkin and Wirkin is similar to that between natural diamonds and synthetic diamonds, or moissanite. It’s likely that Wirkin will win hands down in the end.
